To the Editor:

Our daughter studied at Westminster Conservatory in Princeton, Westminster Choir College’s Community School, for 11 years. We had no idea when she asked, at age six, to take piano lessons, that she was particularly talented.

It was the extraordinary teachers she encountered at Westminster who recognized and nurtured her musical gifts, helping her to develop into a true musician. She studied piano, music theory, and voice, and went on to receive three music scholarships when she applied to college.

The Conservatory is a jewel in the Princeton area. And yet, no mention of it has been made in the coverage I’ve read about saving the Choir College’s Princeton campus.

I wonder what will happen to the Conservatory program if Rider consolidates? It would be a serious loss to our community if Rider discontinued the Conservatory program in a “next step” to manage its financial situation.

According to the news reports, Westminster has thrived. It’s the “four other colleges that have significant problems in terms of enrollment.” Why not build UP and IMPROVE the colleges that aren’t attracting students, rather than dismantling the one that is thriving?

It also bears noting that the in-town location of the Choir College (and the Conservatory) serves the wider community, like McCarter Theatre and Richardson Auditorium, as a cultural arts center where music of a high caliber can be both supported and enjoyed.

Westminster has a long and distinguished history as part of the Princeton arts community. Rider should celebrate this gem, along with the community that supports it, and focus on fixing its under-performing schools to make its business model thrive.

Terri Epstein 

Pennington