On Friday, September 8, 2006, the Tisch School of the Arts’ Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music celebrated a momentous occasion—the naming of its new recording studio as the Dennis Riese Family Recording Studio. Mr. Riese, Chairman and CEO of the Riese Organization and a longtime supporter of NYU and the Tisch School of the Arts, made this extraordinary gift on behalf of his family and in support of the students of the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music—the first program of its kind in the country.
Speaking to an audience of faculty, staff, parents, and students, Dean Mary Schmidt Campbell and Department Chair Jim Anderson thanked the Riese family for their gift. Mr. Riese’s daughters, Lauren and Victoria, were on hand to inaugurate the studio, along with Dean Campbell and Jim Anderson, by a traditional ribbon cutting.
Following the official ceremony, the studio was “broken in” by a guest performance from legendary funk guitarist Leo Nocentelli of The Meters, with members of Galactic, Ritch Vogel (piano/organ) and Rob Mercurio (bass), as backup. Leo Nocentelli’s appearance was arranged courtesy of Gibson USA. Gibson has generously equipped the Dennis Riese Family Recording Studio with several Gibson guitars and a Baldwin grand piano. Following his performance, Mr. Nocentelli autographed his Gibson guitar and bestowed it to the studio.
2007 will mark the first graduating class from the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music.
