Weston Sprott is a prominent leader, performer, and educator in classical music. He is Dean and Director of the Preparatory Division at The Juilliard School, a Co-Founder of the Black Orchestral Network, and a trombonist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
$50 Million Gift to Juilliard Targets Racial Disparities in Music.
The renowned conservatory will use a grant from a California foundation to expand a training program focused largely on Black and Latino schoolchildren.
Weston Sprott, who helps oversee the program as dean of Juilliard’s preparatory division, said being a musician of color was too often a lonely experience, and that ensembles should better reflect the diversity of their communities.
Newly Endowed Fund to Support Eight to Ten New Works of Music Annually From a Diverse and Inclusive Slate of Composers
The commissions, which will include orchestral, solo, and chamber compositions, offer opportunities for collaboration with other organizations, institutions, and/or internally across Juilliard’s departments and disciplines. Composers are selected through a thoughtful process guided by Pre-College faculty members and administrators.
Weston Sprott Leads a Double Life at the Heart of New York’s Classical Music Scene
Weston Sprott sits at the heart of New York’s classical music scene.
For one, Sprott is the dean and director of the Preparatory Division—for children ages eight to 18—at the Juilliard School, which shares Manhattan’s Lincoln Center campus with the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet. It’s convenient, since Sprott’s second job is playing trombone for the Met.
In addition to his two full-time professional forays, Sprott co-founded the Black Orchestral Network, a group that supports Black musicians who are part of orchestras nationwide.
Sprott, 41, a New York resident, recently shared a few of his favorite things with Penta.