ORTO--Christianne, (1965 - 2020). Manhattan School of Music is deeply saddened by the passing of a universally beloved and respected colleague: Christianne Orto, Dean of Distance Learning and Recording Arts. Ms. Orto led MSM's Distance Learning program since its inception in 1996. Hailed as "the gold standard in music distance learning," the program was the first of its kind at a conservatory. In her nearly two and a half decades overseeing distance learning at MSM, Ms. Orto saw its educational exchange partnerships take root in 48 states and 43 countries, reaching 10,000 domestic and international learners outside MSM each year through videoconference master classes, lessons, clinics, coachings, and educational engagement programs. In addition, the program's higher education partnerships now connect to all five continents. Ms. Orto led the expansion of live-streamed concerts and master classes from the School, which now attract a world-wide audience of nearly 40,000 viewers annually in 98 countries. She also led a major expansion in the Recording Arts program at MSM, with the department having recorded more than 700 MSM performances annually and having produced dozens of commercial recordings. Prior to joining MSM, Ms. Orto worked as a producer in classical recording at BMG Classics. She was a classically trained pianist, a Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude graduate of Barnard College, and a recipient of both Presidential and University Fellowships for her Master's degree in musicology from Columbia University. In 2016, Ms. Orto received MSM's President's Medal for Distinguished Service. In the days ahead, the newly named Christianne Orto Distance Learning Studio will remind all who enter MSM of the accomplished, gentle, focused woman who brought innovation, expansion, and renown to one of the School's pioneering programs. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Christianne's sisters, Margaret and Luisa, to all the members of her immediate and extended family, and of course to her extended Manhattan School of Music family. We cherish our memories of Christianne, and we know that the deep impact of her wonderful life will stay with us as a source of comfort and joy in the days and years ahead. James Gandre, President