Detailing Juilliard's colorful history and penetrating the mystique of its rarefied, ultracompetitive conservatory atmosphere, Andrea Olmstead tells a fascinating story of vision and temperament, of talent and backstabbing politics, and of artistry and determination. Through its various incarnations the institution has been shaped by the strong personalities of its administrators, the artistic sensibilities of its faculty, and the prodigious gifts of its students.

Drawing on interviews, ephemeral materials, and previously neglected archival records, Olmstead traces the school's ups and downs and documents the accomplishments and foibles of its leaders. She also probes the controversies that have littered the school's history, from Augustus Juilliard's $12.5 million bequest in 1919 to the expensive move to Lincoln Center.