Intensive Community Program Staff
Bonnie Black is the Intensive Community Program (ICP) Artistic Director. She works with the ICP Manager and the Executive Director to make all artistic and programmatic decisions about the program. Ms. Black also manages six teachers in the program. These teachers use the methodology and teaching materials from Ms. Black during their weekly lessons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. In addition, these teachers assist during Sunday ensemble rehearsals. The BYSO collaborates with Boston University (BU) to provide carefully selected graduate students as teachers for the weekly lesson portion of the ICP. All graduate student teachers take a one-year pedagogy course through BU, taught by Ms. Black, prior to teaching in the ICP. This method not only provides practical teaching experience for a new generation of teachers, but it also offers BYSO a cost effective yet educationally strong means to teach a large number of students. 
Bonnie Black is serving her seventh season as the ICP Artistic Director. Her attention to musical excellence and her background make her the ideal artistic head of ICP. Ms. Black spent the first fifteen years of her music education career in Harlem, where she educated hundreds of young students. With her training, many of her students have continued to study at Juilliard and Columbia and now have successful careers in music as well as a wide range of professions. In addition to teaching on the faculty of Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, Ms. Black maintains her private studio which includes children of highly successful professional musicians. She brings to BYSO her experience as director, conductor and master teacher for many successful programs, including the Harlem School of the Arts, the Harlem Children’s Orchestra, the Ichimura Music School and the Arcady Music Festival. Her strong dedication to building a close and supportive musical community for young musicians has resulted in wonderful performing experiences for each group with which she has worked. Through the years, her students have performed in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, in television presentations, and in many performances across the United States. In addition, Ms. Black serves as the conductor of BYSO’s youngest orchestra, the Young People’s String Orchestra. In the Spring 2003 issue of Boston Magazine, Ms. Black was listed as one of Boston’s most influential women due to her work with BYSO and ICP.
Judy Grant is the ICP Manager. She works closely with Ms. Black on organizing all aspects of ICP including interviews, the summer program and concerts.
For more information about ICP please email /150_Ms. Grant.
