Martin Bandier ’62 to establish marquee scholarship program for students pursuing careers in the music industry

Legendary music publishing executive and Life Trustee Martin Bandier ’62 has made a substantial gift to establish the most prestigious scholarship program available to students aspiring to careers in the music industry.

The gift, the latest in support of Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University’s $1.5 billion goal, will support the creation of The Martin Bandier Scholarship. The scholarship will provide critical financial support for students from underrepresented populations who are enrolled in the Bandier Program in Recording and Entertainment Industries in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Bandier founded the program in 2006.

“Martin Bandier’s generosity will ensure students have access to the preeminent music industry program in the nation,” says Newhouse dean Mark J. Lodato. “His commitment to removing barriers to higher education is exactly what we need in this challenging time.”

The Martin Bandier Scholarship will make it possible for diverse students with financial need to pursue careers in music business through a Newhouse education. The Bandier Program combines the study of the business of music, media, marketing and entrepreneurship with hands-on experiences that prepare students for successful careers in the music industry. It is consistently ranked by Billboard magazine as one of the top programs of its kind in the country.

Bandier’s gift will provide a half-tuition scholarship to an outstanding first-year student; the program will support five scholars over the first five years. At the same time, Bandier has established an endowed fund that will support the Bandier Scholarship program in perpetuity. The scholarship will be awarded to one student annually and follow that student over the course of his or her four years in the program. The Bandier Scholarship will be among the largest single scholarship grant offered by Syracuse University.

“The Bandier Program has long been committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment,” says Bill Werde, director of the program. “This generous gift will be an enormous boost to our recruiting and retention efforts and will continue to ensure that the absolute best and brightest minds have an opportunity to study in the program and ultimately enter the music business.”

Over the years, graduates of the Bandier Program have successfully pursued business and entrepreneurial careers and built a strong alumni network to support the aspirations of current and future students.

Bandier has remained involved with the program since its founding and takes a personal interest in the success of the students. Every year, he meets one-on-one with each member of the graduating class to discuss career goals and find ways to help them as they seek their first positions in the business.

Bandier is chairman and CEO of Bandier Ventures. Prior to this, he was the chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Widely considered one of the most influential music publishers in history, Bandier built every publishing company he ran—including The Entertainment Company, SBK, EMI and Sony/ATV—into a powerhouse. Throughout his career, Bandier fought tirelessly on behalf of songwriters to ensure that they are fairly compensated for their work both by streaming companies and other music services. With his thought leadership the industry made great progress, including when the President signed the Music Modernization Act into law in 2018. Bandier has received numerous awards including the BMI Icon Award in 2019, the Lifetime Service Award from the National Publishers’ Association in 2017 and two honors from the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1990 and 2019).