The Theodore L. Kesselman Award for Arts Education was established by the New York Youth Symphony in 1995 to recognize significant dedication by an individual or institution making outstanding contributions in nurturing young people in the arts.

The Theodore L. Kesselman Award for Arts Education is named in memory of the remarkable man who served the arts and the New York Youth Symphony as Board President from 1985 to 1994. The award itself is a two-sided bronze medallion designed by internationally known sculptor Karen Worth, who was commissioned for this project by the New York Youth Symphony. One side of the medallion features Pegasus, the flying horse who was in classical mythology the symbol of poetic inspiration. The other side carries a likeness of Theodore L. Kesselman.

Award Recipients		Award Presenters
2009	Jimmy Heath	Sigourney Weaver
2008	Francis Thorne	Philip Glass
2007	New York Philharmonic and Zarin Mehta	Kenneth Mirkin
2006	ASCAP and BMI	Elliott Forrest
2005	Curtis Institute of Music and Gary Graffman	Bruce A. Stevens
2004	Juilliard School and Joseph W. Polisi	Eugenia Zukerman
2003	John Corigliano	Ned Rorem
2002	Leslie and Johanna Garfield	David Alan Miller
2001	Phyllis Susen Barbash	Senator Roy M. Goodman
2000	Jacques d'Amboise	Charlotte d'Amboise
1999	Senator Roy M. Goodman	James S. Marcus
1998	Nathan Leventhal	Rudy Crew
1997	Midori and Carlos Moseley	Isaac Stern and Beverly Sills
1996	Phyllis Jackson Mills	Kurt Masur
1995	Ruth K. Martin	Skitch Henderson

Ted Kesselman graduated Harvard with bachelors and law degrees. He served for many years as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Bankers Trust Company in New York City. In addition to the New York Youth Symphony, he served on the boards of the Arts and Business Council, the Museum of American Folk Art, and the Vineyard Theatre. He was married to Shirley and had two children: Suzanne, who had been the Executive Director of the New York Youth Symphony years earlier and who now is the Executive Director of The American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Stuart, who lives in California. Ted was known for his charm, ingratiating spirit, optimistic outlook, intelligence, and story-telling. He was charismatic and admired by everyone for his qualities as an exceptional leader.