The Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts, now celebrating its 40th anniversary of enriching lives through the arts was established at Boys & Girls Harbor by a young Juilliard graduate named Sandy Owen in 1970. Boys & Girls Harbor, founded in l937 by Anthony Duke, is a community-based non-profit organization that positively affects the lives of over 3,500 children and young people from East and Central Harlem and the Bronx each year through education, cultural enrichment and character development. Over the course of its more than 72 years, The Harbor has always maintained its view of the primacy of performing arts in the quest for a holistic and satisfying life for children and teens.
Hired by the late Lonnie Williams and initially the only faculty member, Ms. Owen taught piano and dance until convincing musician/educator Ramon Rodriguez to join her. Forty years later under the leadership of Mr. Rodriguez along with artistic director Nina Klyvert-Lawson and the late Bertin Rowser, Harbor Conservatory is now one of the city’s premier performing arts schools providing instruction and pre-professional training in instrumental and vocal music, dance and theater to over 800 students annually. With a distinguished international faculty of 60 experienced teaching artists, all of whom maintain actively vital professional performing careers, the Conservatory provides both introductory first time performing arts instruction for very young students as well as pre-professional training for youngsters with professional career aspirations.
In a time when public school arts programs have been drastically cut, The Conservatory has served as a beacon for arts learning earning wide acclaim and preparing students for entry into prestigious specialized high schools and conservatories. Our students and alumni perform on concert stage, on Broadway, in movies, television and radio, and often return to join our faculty. While the Conservatory prepares young people for careers in the arts, it also helps those who do not pursue this direction gain the skills and confidence that are needed to succeed in education, employment and positive family and community life.
The Harbor's Latin Music Program was designed to ensure the future of an art form truly unique to New York City that celebrates our country's multi-cultural heritage. While its complexity and vibrancy have captivated audiences the world over, the music has been marginalized in this country for many years, along with its creators and their communities. Harbor Conservatory has taken Latin music into the Conservatory, developing formal curriculum to ensure that the knowledge and traditions are preserved and passed on to the next generation.
In addition to providing much needed arts education to the youngsters of New York City, The Conservatory has also served the arts community by providing consistent employment for teaching artists, engaging master guest artists for residencies, commissioning leading artists to create new work for our resident ensembles and has presented guest artists in music recitals free to the local community. Our low-cost rehearsal space rental program serves as a valued service to the field of performing artists.
Harbor Conservatory is proud of its long-term history of helping young people gain a deeper appreciation and master of the arts and we are grateful to our devoted faculty, hardworking students, and generous donors who share our belief in the power of the arts to transform lives and give expression to our shared humanity.
Boys & Girls Harbor, Inc | 1 East 104th Street, New York, NY 10029