---
title: "A Night at the Rainbow Room: How MSM’s Gala Brings New York’s Women Together Through Music"
description: New York’s Rainbow Room hosts MSM’s gala, spotlighting female leadership, community and arts education at the heart of the city’s musical heritage
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2025-06-11T12:11:46.000Z
updated: 2026-03-31T11:22:56.224Z
canonical: https://richwoman.co/article/a-night-at-the-rainbow-room-how-msm-s-gala-brings-new-york-s-women-together-through-music
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/4038207-Atmosphere.webp
categories: Culture & Society
content_type: News
region: New York
publication: Rich Woman Magazine
about:
  - type: Person
    name: Maribel Lieberman
---

The lift doors part to reveal the Rainbow Room in all its Art Deco splendour, chandeliers casting warm pools of light across polished floors where New York’s most dedicated patrons of the arts gather for an evening unlike any other. This is Manhattan School of Music’s annual gala, where the city’s musical heritage meets its future, and where women from all walks of life come together through their shared love of nurturing artistic talent.

Hillary Clinton moves through the crowd with practiced ease, her presence adding weight to an evening already buzzing with anticipation. Nearby, Chair of MSM’s International Advisory Board Carla Bossi-Comelli greets guests with the warmth of someone who has spent decades nurturing musical talent from her base between Italy and Switzerland. This isn’t just another charity evening – it’s a celebration of how women continue to shape New York’s cultural scene, one note at a time.

## Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow

Founded in 1918 by [pianist Janet Daniels Schenck](https://www.msmnyc.edu/about/history/meet-our-founder/), Manhattan School of Music began as a community music school in East Harlem. Schenck’s vision was revolutionary for its time: high-quality musical education should be accessible to all, regardless of background or means. More than a century later, that founding spirit lives on through events like this gala, which brings together over 1,000 students from more than 50 countries with New York’s most influential cultural advocates.

The annual gala serves as more than a fundraiser – it’s become a vital gathering point where the city’s musical community celebrates both achievement and possibility. In a metropolis where [music education faces constant evolution](https://richwoman.co/article/music-schools-adapt-to-technology-and-cultural-diversity-amid-rising-demand-for-personalised-education), MSM’s evening at the Rainbow Room represents something special: genuine collaboration between generations of musicians and their champions.

## Honours and Recognition

This year’s event paid tribute to the [International Advisory Board](https://www.msmnyc.edu/about/leadership/international-advisory-board/), recognising their crucial role in expanding MSM’s global reach whilst providing essential financial support. Presenter Alec Baldwin highlighted the board’s commitment to both advocacy and education, noting their work in bringing international perspectives to the school’s programmes.

Board of Trustees Chair [Lorraine Gallard](https://www.msmnyc.edu/about/leadership/board-of-trustees/), who began her own musical journey in MSM’s Precollege Division before continuing at Eastman School of Music, spoke about the school’s commitment to nurturing young talent. Her remarks highlighted how women like herself continue to break barriers in arts leadership whilst ensuring future generations have even greater opportunities.

Noémi K. Neidorff and Maribel Lieberman, both prominent figures in New York’s philanthropic circles, embodied the evening’s theme of women championing artistic excellence. Their presence reinforced how female leadership remains essential to sustaining the city’s cultural institutions.

## Musical Moments That Matter

The performances themselves told the story of MSM’s continuing relevance. Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Christian Sands opened with a solo interpretation of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Company’, his arrangement breathing fresh life into the Broadway classic. The specially crafted ‘Sign-off Medley’, featuring Herbie Hancock’s ‘Maiden Voyage’, Joe Hamilton’s ‘I’m So Glad We Had this Time Together’ and Harold Arlen’s ‘Over the Rainbow’, showed off the collaborative spirit that defines the school’s approach to music-making.

Hannah Jones and host Anthony Roth Costanzo delivered operatic arias that proved the classical training excellence MSM is known for, whilst Musical Theatre students brought contemporary energy to Frank Loesser standards. The evening concluded with Felix Mendelssohn’s String Octet, performed by current students and alumni hours before their graduation ceremony – a touching reminder of how quickly young artists transition from pupils to professionals in New York’s demanding cultural scene.

### Nurturing the Next Generation

The timing wasn’t coincidental. These graduating students represent the culmination of MSM’s educational mission, whilst also highlighting the school’s broader commitment to developing young musicians long before they reach college age. The [Precollege programme](https://www.msmnyc.edu/programs/precollege/) serves 525 students aged eight to 18, providing Saturday sessions that combine rigorous training with ensemble opportunities.

Perhaps more importantly, MSM’s Arts-in-Education Programme reaches approximately 6,000 New York City schoolchildren annually, ensuring that quality musical instruction isn’t limited to those who can afford private lessons. This outreach embodies the community-focused vision that Janet Daniels Schenck established over a century ago.

## Why Women’s Leadership Matters

The evening showed how women continue to drive excellence in New York’s music scene. From Schenck’s pioneering foundation to today’s board leadership under Gallard and Bossi-Comelli, female vision and dedication have consistently shaped MSM’s development. This isn’t merely about representation – it’s about recognising that diverse leadership creates stronger institutions.

Clinton’s presence served as a powerful reminder of how accomplished women use their platforms to support arts education. Much like the [transformative power of music in personal growth](https://richwoman.co/article/how-music-s-therapeutic-power-shapes-mental-health-and-personal-growth), her remarks emphasised music’s ability to bridge cultural divides and create understanding across communities – themes that resonate particularly strongly in today’s complex social environment.

The school’s commitment to supporting young women through [scholarship programmes](https://www.msmnyc.edu/giving/precollege-scholarships/) ensures that financial barriers don’t prevent talented girls from pursuing musical excellence. These initiatives reflect a long-term investment in developing female leadership within the arts community.

## More Than Music

What makes evenings like MSM’s gala significant extends far beyond the performances and speeches. They represent New York’s ongoing commitment to maintaining its position as a global cultural capital. In a city where property values push many artists to other boroughs or different cities entirely, institutions like MSM provide essential support systems that keep creative communities viable.

The Rainbow Room setting reinforced this connection between tradition and continuity. The venue has hosted countless cultural celebrations over the decades, but few have brought together such a comprehensive representation of musical education – from elementary students benefiting from outreach programmes to internationally recognised alumni building careers worldwide.

For attendees, the evening offered something increasingly rare in New York’s cultural scene: a sense of genuine community built around shared values rather than networking opportunities. The authentic warmth between guests reflected relationships built through years of supporting musical education together – quite different from the more formal atmosphere you might find at events like the [Viennese Opera Ball’s white-tie gatherings](https://richwoman.co/article/white-tie-a-waltz-in-new-york-viennese-opera-ball-returns-to-honour-the-bicentenary-of-the-bi).

## Looking Forward

As the evening wound down and guests prepared to return to street level, the conversation continued about music’s role in maintaining New York’s cultural vitality. The students who performed will soon join the ranks of professional musicians, teachers and arts administrators working throughout the city and beyond. Their training at MSM prepares them not just for performance careers, but for leadership roles that will shape the next generation of musical education.

The women who gathered at the Rainbow Room – from board chairs to young graduates – represent both continuity and change within New York’s arts community. They carry forward Janet Daniels Schenck’s original vision whilst adapting it to meet contemporary challenges and opportunities, much like other [philanthropic leaders creating lasting change through memorable events](https://richwoman.co/article/record-breaking-philanthropic-gala-marks-new-era-in-military-family-support).

For those inspired by the evening’s celebration of musical excellence, [MSM’s diverse programmes](https://www.msmnyc.edu/) offer multiple ways to engage with the city’s musical community. Whether attending student concerts, supporting scholarship funds or simply rediscovering the joy of live performance, there are countless opportunities to become part of this continuing story.

The Rainbow Room’s lights eventually dimmed, but the connections forged and renewed during MSM’s gala continue to strengthen New York’s position as a place where musical dreams become reality. Thanks to evenings like these – and the women who make them possible – the city’s cultural heartbeat remains as strong as ever.