Performances + Events
The New England Conservatory community is saddened by the passing of life trustee Prudence Steiner, who died on April 29 at age 88. Prudence’s husband, Daniel Steiner, served as president of NEC from 2000–2006 following roles as an overseer, trustee, and interim president. Following her husband’s passing in 2006, Prudence, an equally staunch supporter of the arts and impassioned philanthropist, became an NEC trustee and in 2010 was honored as a life trustee.
Deeply committed to education, Prudence earned her bachelor’s degree from Radcliffe College and her master’s degree in special education from the City University of New York, after which she taught reading, educating children with learning differences. Prudence later returned to Harvard University, where she earned her Ph.D. in American and English literature.
In addition to her own academic pursuits, which included the translations of Voltaire’s Philosophical Letters and Molière’s Tartuffe and The Misanthrope, Prudence continued to work as an educator, teaching at the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Harvard Extension School, whose writing program she established. Prudence’s dedication to her community included service as president of the board of the Harvard–Radcliffe Hillel.
We are grateful for Prudence’s commitment to NEC, and for all that she contributed to our work and community. She will be profoundly missed.
