Washington Conservatory of Music (WCM), serving the Washington, D.C. community as a nationally accredited community music school, is celebrating 40 years of bringing music to the Washington, D.C. area, fostering and guiding students of all ages and skill levels as musicians. As a nonprofit and nationally-accredited community music school, WCM offers the opportunity to study without audition, and under the guidance of WCM’s artist faculty. To serve the underserved, WCM presents weekly free early childhood music classes and instrumental music classes to children of low-income immigrants and families of color through our outreach Tapestry Music Project, as well as monthly professional concerts with “give-what-you-can” admission at Glen Echo Park, and online.
WCM has recently appointed renowned violinist and pedagogue Daniel Heifetz as its Artistic Advisor. Andrew Lee, Executive Director of WCM, said, “We are exceptionally excited and grateful for the infusion of energy and enthusiasm this appointment will bring and the opportunities it will provide our students to learn and communicate more fully through the power of music.”
Dudley Winthrop, Chair of the Board of Directors of WCM, noted, “This appointment ushers in a historic opportunity for the Conservatory and its future. We know that Mr. Heifetz’s legendary career and subsequent work with various academic institutions will serve to further cement our status as a top music school in the region for youth and adult learners alike.”
In this blog, we learn of Mr. Heifetz’s background and his vision as Artistic Advisor for WCM.
“I love teaching music and mentoring students and have enjoyed my many years as a music professor in addition to performing internationally as a concert violinist. But I found that most music conservatories typically don’t teach the communication of emotion – the passion that burns within a person, the charisma to express the composer’s thoughts, and how to communicate all of that effectively to an audience. Each of us has more expressive potential than we use. As we grow during childhood, we become inhibited and guarded, we succumb to peer pressure, and so walls go up that stop us from expressing emotion.
“When I was 19, I became friends with the great guitarist, Andrés Segovia. He spoke to me about ‘sacred fire’ – a passion that burns inside each of us. My career wasn’t about ego but about excitement and love and joy of performing the music. My mother taught me that one of the most important things in life is flexibility – you never know what life will throw at you. So at this crucial point in my career, when I realized I could no longer perform the standard repertoire, I retired from traditional performing. I realized my creative energies – my sacred fire -- would go to improving performance communication.”
In 1996, Mr. Heifetz founded the acclaimed The Heifetz International Music Institute, teaching musicians to become the music rather than simply playing the music. Next summer, 2026, is the 30th anniversary of the Heifetz Institute.
Mr. Heifetz retired from the Heifetz Institute in order for the Institute to go on beyond him. Now he takes on his new role as Artistic Advisor of Washington Conservatory of Music. “I’m very impressed with WCM -- its governance, including Executive Director Andrew Lee and Chairman of the Board Dudley Winthrop, its administration, the teachers, the students, and their mission. I could not be more proud to join this important institution at a pivotal moment in its future. I began my career here when I won the Merriweather Post Competition. I am so happy to return to Washington and partner with the Conservatory. I hope to help impact the musical landscape by bringing music to all people, through innovative outreach endeavors, and inspire students, teachers, and the community with possibilities.
“My overall vision for the Washington Conservatory of Music is to become a prototype for community music schools across the country, and how it can ultimately impact society through innovative community engagement and artistic excellence. I want to bring the concept of teaching how to be expressive and to express one’s emotions through music to all levels of students, from beginners to advanced. The foundation for this vision is already in place with the Heifetz International Music Institute.”
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