Launching Juilliard LIVE

By Joshua Simka

Juilliard has announced the launch of a new virtual platform for Juilliard LIVE, the school’s ongoing series of on-demand and livestreamed content. This new, free platform will allow audiences to stream live and on-demand performances through a web browser or one of the following apps, anywhere and anytime: Apple iOS, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

Plans to upgrade Juilliard’s digital infrastructure moved into high gear with the pandemic lockdown in 2020. As the world reeled, the arts world generally and Juilliard in particular looked for new ways to disseminate art. The school catapulted from a few livestreams a year to several per day, transforming the campus into an educational television studio and giving students a chance to perform for audiences around the world. Lessons learned in those challenging days helped make the evolving platform—and the creativity of Juilliard’s young artists—even more accessible to audiences. Now, an ever-expanding array of videos is available in categories including music, drama, dance, collaborative, and preparatory (Pre-College and MAP student) performances. Just a few highlights include the internationally acclaimed Bolero Juilliard; Juilliard415 performing Telemann’s Concerto in A Major; Juilliard Orchestra performances of Adolphus Hailstork’s An American Port of Call and alum Reena Esmail’s RE | Member; ChoreoComp; fourth-year drama films; Medhi Walerski’s Spring Dances work Blink of an eye; Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida; the Preparatory Division commission Village by Kendall Williams—and there are dozens more.

“This platform was envisioned as a new virtual space for our students to perform and as a place to connect with our audiences from around the world so they can experience the future of the arts,” said Damian Woetzel, Juilliard’s president. “We will also be broadening the content by adding archival footage, tracing the history of the performing arts through the lens of Juilliard’s extraordinary alumni.”

Elizabeth Svokos, Juilliard’s executive producer and video director, was recruited to lead the Juilliard LIVE project, and she joined Kevin Boutote, Juilliard’s director of recording and classroom technology, to lead a cross-departmental team to reimagine performances for a more digital world. The development of the new platform was supported by Juilliard’s lead digital sponsor, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and its Digital Accelerator Program (DAP). Juilliard received a two-year grant to enable the creation of the new virtual platform and to fund a major upgrade of the school’s recording studio. The studio was designed and built when Juilliard moved to Lincoln Center, in 1969, and the revamp will be completed in October.

“Livestreaming to a global audience is a valuable way to further enhance the performance experience for our students,” said Adam Meyer (MM ’04, viola), dean and provost. “We are thrilled to be able to share their talents with the world."

Anyone can sign up for free access to Juilliard LIVE by registering at juilliard.live. All our daily livestreams will remain available through the performance calendar on our website—new-take.com/calendar—and you will be redirected to Juilliard LIVE for select performances. Sign up for free access and enjoy the range of performances now at your fingertips!

Joshua Simka (BM ’14, voice) is assistant editor of the Journal