ADVOCACY
Rondi with students from Jazz Power Initiative’s Fifteenth Anniversary Celebration.
JUILLIARD
As an arts advocate and philanthropist, Rondi is actively involved in many organizations. First and foremost, today she is a passionately involved trustee at her alma mater, Juilliard. Having come full circle, she is delighted to give back to an institution that gave her so much. Her greatest joy is to champion and advocate for the next generation of artists.
Rondi Charleston with Juilliard baritone, Shavon Lloyd, winner of 2023’s Rondi Charleston scholarship in Memory of Ben Holt.
“I recently had the joy of hearing the immensely talented Shavon Lloyd sing at Juilliard. His voice has great power and resonance, and he carries the torch of true artistry, passion and integrity in every note that he sings. Ben Holt would be proud to see his legacy being carried on in such a promising young artist.”
“Rondi is a passionate advocate for the arts. As a member of Juilliard’s Board of Trustees, as well as a distinguished alumna, she brings a wealth of both institutional and artistic knowledge that is invaluable to the school, its faculty, and students.
We are grateful for Rondi’s leadership and dedication to Juilliard’s mission of providing the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors from around the world so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens.”
— Damian Woetzel
President, The Juilliard School
L.A. OPERA CONNECTS
L.A. OPERA CONNECTS
During the pandemic, Rondi created a breathing program connecting Los Angeles Opera with UCLA Health to help Long Covid patients. Inspired by a New York Times story about a similar program being conducted by English National Opera, Rondi and the generous artists from L.A. Opera Connects held weekly Zoom workshops throughout the pandemic, with breathing exercises used by professional singers to strengthen lung capacity and ease the anxiety of breathlessness. Patients had received pulmonary rehab at UCLA after undergoing intubation for COVID-19 or suffering from long-haul Covid. The program continues to this day.
L.A. Opera Connects launched in May 2021 with its first group of participants. The group was composed of a limited number of patients who had received pulmonary rehabilitation at UCLA after undergoing intubation for COVID-19, or those who were suffering from long-haul COVID. Participants were introduced to different operatic exercises that are designed to support breath control and mindfulness.
“It’s a program that hopefully people will adopt all over the country,” Charleston said. “It’s been such a joy to watch these long-haul patients taking their first deep breaths, some of them in a year, and to witness them grow their lung capacity and get so much joy out of singing and making music together.”
Instructing an L.A. Opera Connect’s patient.
Read the full artlcle here.
It was like breathing was a second language. Singing helps me connect. Breathing to a purpose. It gave me reason to learn how to breathe again.”
— Jeff Sweat, patient
From CNN’s Opera singers are teaching long-term Covid-19 patients to breathe again.
Instructing an L.A. Opera Connect’s patient.
Read the full artlcle here.
It was like breathing was a second language. Singing helps me connect. Breathing to a purpose. It gave me reason to learn how to breathe again.”
— Jeff Sweat, patient
From CNN’s Opera singers are teaching long-term Covid-19 patients to breathe again.
JAZZ POWER
INITIATIVE
As a board member and former VP of New York City’s Jazz Drama Program, Rondi helped founder Eli Yamin grow and rebrand it as The Jazz Power Initiative to raise its profile, raise funds and expand its impact.
Rondi with The Jazz Power Initiative friends and colleagues.
Recently, JPI students have gone on to perform at events including The Clean Energy Inaugural Ball for President Joe Biden, The United Palace in Washington Heights honoring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jazz at Lincoln Center, as well as a monthly Intergenerational Jazz Power Jam at National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
“Rondi was an early and staunch supporter of the mission of Jazz Power Initiative, and was instrumental, both strategically and financially, in its successful transformation to an organization directly and positively impacting the lives of thousands of inner city youth.”
— Eli Yamin, Co-Founder, Jazz Power Initiative
CONTACT
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