Performathon 2025
The Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled has begun a new virtual program, called Music Introduction & Exploration, in partnership with the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School.
The Disability Exchange podcast with guest Stacy Cervenka, head of the Iowa Department for the Blind, who discusses their collaboration with the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School.
Executive director of the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School, Dr. Rob Derke shares how accessibility and innovation can scale together.
Director Rob Derke and student Iolanta Mamatkazina on the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School
The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Rob Derke as its next Executive Director.
Dr. Leon Lu’s collaboration with the Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School
Leslie Jones & Dalia Sakas are dedicated to fostering music education for people with vision loss
November 25, 2024 — The Charlatan
‘Tap-tap device’ makes non-verbal cues accessible for blind and low-vision musicians
November 11, 2024 — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Willie Payne makes music education more accessible
The SILS assistant professor designs learning materials for low-vision or blind musicians.
November 1, 2024 – TAPinto Princeton
Help the Princeton Girlchoir Make a Difference
October 29, 2024 – NYC Office of Talent and Workforce Development
The City of New York Celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month with Major Accomplishments to Connect New Yorkers with Disabilities to Careers
October 10, 2024 – PBS American Masters
Thomas Wiggins: Composing the future, feat. Lachi and Matthew Whitaker
September 27, 2024 – Coalition of Texans with Disabilities
Cinema Touching Disability 2024 Short Film Competition
Seeing Notes (2023) announced as a finalist in the Documentary Division
September 4, 2024 — MacDowell
MacDowell Awards 145 Esteemed, Fall-Winter Fellowships to Artists Working Across Disciplines
Anthony Vine (faculty) awarded a MacDowell fellowship
August 8, 2024 — Ludwig Van Toronto
Tap-Tap: A New Device For Blind & Low Vision Musicians Is Game Changing
August 1, 2024 – Partners for Sight
RDPFS Awards Grant to The Filomen D’Agostino Greenberg Music School: The Final Hurdle to Music Accessibility: Higher Education
July 18, 2024 – ACB Media Network
Speaking Out for the Blind podcast Episode 347 – Piano
Interview with Dr. Leslie Jones (Executive Director) and Haowen Deng (student)
May 28, 2024 — Best Together Podcast
Episode 33: Leslie Jones, “We’ll teach you what you need to know about vision loss, and the student will teach you what you need to know to serve them best.”
Interview with Dr. Leslie Jones (Executive Director)
May 11, 2024 — PIX11 News
The Met holds concert with blind and visually impaired performers
Interview with Haowen Deng (student)
May 9, 2024 — ABC 7 News
Blind musicians to take the Met
Madeline ‘Maddy’ Mau (student) joined the show to talk about the resilience of blind musicians.
March 27, 2024 — Eyes on Success Podcast
Music Education for the Visually Impaired
Interview with Dr. Dalia Sakas (Director of Music Studies)
March 18, 2024 — VisionServe Alliance
VisionServe Alliance Honors Leslie Jones with the 2024 Roxann Mayros Organizational Champion Award
March 18, 2024 — Bella Music Foundation for the Blind
2024 BMFSO Concerto Competition Results Announcement
Yerko Difonis (FMDG alumnus) placed second in the Bella Music Foundation International Concerto Competition
February 15, 2024 — Broadway World
Avalanche Orchestra Celebrates 100th Anniversary of George Gershwin’s RHAPSODY IN BLUE At Suny College of Optometry
February 10, 2024 — silive.com
Local blind and visually impaired youth compete in 2024 NYC Braille Challenge
January 3, 2024 – American Printing House for the Blind
The Dots of Braille Music Transcription
Winter 2024 — National Federation of the Blind. Future Reflections. Vol. 43, No. 1.
Coupling Progressive Leadership with the Incredible Power of Music in Education: The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School
Dalia Sakas (Director of Music Studies)
November 27, 2023 – Bella Music Foundation
The winners of the 2023 BMF Int’l Music Competition
November 23, 2023 — Fine Books & Collections
Massive Collection of Braille Music Donated to New York Public Library
November 15, 2023 — ABC 7 News
Blind jazz musician Matthew Whitaker sizzles in fundraising show
November 15, 2023 — ABC World News Tonight
Music school for the blind gets helping hand
After “World News Tonight” highlighted Matthew Whitaker’s goal to help raise money for the school that taught him music, viewers responded with donations.
November 15, 2023 — ABC 7 News
Blind 12-year-old opera singer celebrates braille music catalog donation to New York Public Library
November 14, 2023 — thecitylife.org
Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School Donates Massive Collection of Braille Music to New York Public Library’s Heiskell Library
The collection of 2,500 jazz, classical, and contemporary music scores is the second largest Braille music collection in the country.
November 14, 2023 — ABC World News Tonight
Blind musician pays visit to school that helped him
Matthew Whitaker, 22, returned to Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School to help current students.
November 14, 2023 — The New York Public Library
NYPL’s Heiskell Library Receives Massive Collection of Braille Music
November 1, 2023 — The New York Times
How a Blind Runner Trains for the New York City Marathon
Francesco Magisano (FMDG student) intends to run the New York City Marathon on Sunday. But first, he is breaking in a new guide.
April 24, 2023 — American Academy in Rome
Announcing the 2023–24 Rome Prize Winners and Italian Fellows
Anthony Vine (faculty) announced as winner of a 2023–24 Rome Prize
April 3, 2022 — PBS
Artist in Residence with Kate W. Cassidy, Season 2022 Episode 1, Matthew Whitaker: About Tomorrow
A young piano prodigy who is blind pursues film composing and musical direction.
December 10, 2021 — Readers Digest Partners for Sight Foundation
RDPFS Grant News
The Board of Directors of Readers Digest Partners for Sight foundation is proud to announce that they have awarded The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School (FMDG) a $25,000 grant.
April 6, 2021 — Rutgers University
Visually Impaired Pianist Thrives With Support From Mason Gross
Yerko Difonis (alumnus) is the first student born blind and partially deaf to pursue a master of music in piano performance at Mason Gross School of the Arts.
January 9, 2021 — Consumer Technology Association Foundation
CTA Foundation Chats with Dr. Leslie Jones (Executive Director)
December 27, 2020 – CBS 60 Minutes
Meet the blind piano player who’s so good, scientists are studying him
December 6, 2020 – The New York Times
Studying ‘The Nutcracker,’ Students Listen, Touch, Move Like Snow
Music students who are blind and visually impaired are offered a five-week course. “For me this class is about being dance,” its teacher says.
April 23, 2019 – National Endowment for the Arts
Just Have Fun! An Art Talk with Jazz Musician Matthew Whitaker
The nineteen-year-old jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer/arranger has already accomplished more than many musicians could hope for in a lifetime.
July 14, 2019 – WestView News
Envisioning Its Future: Challenges for the Country’s Only Music School for the Blind
April 11, 2019 – Library of Congress
Piano Lessons Made-to-Measure: An Interview with Dr. Leslie Jones About Teaching Visually Impaired Students, Part 2
Interview with Dr. Leslie Jones (Executive Director)
April 4, 2019 – Library of Congress
Piano Lessons Made-to-Measure: An Interview with Dr. Leslie Jones About Teaching Visually Impaired Students, Part 1
Interview with Dr. Leslie Jones (Executive Director)
February 14, 2019 – Vision Monday
The Music Keeps Playing at this One of a Kind School
December 20, 2018 — The New York Times
Why a School for Blind Musicians Is Being Evicted at Christmastime
November 20, 2013 — The New York Times
Music Review: Improvising in Total Darkness
November 17, 2013 — The New York Times
Opera Review: On the Ark, Two by Two, Creatures (and Performers) Great and Small