Mr. Gandre has been President of Manhattan School of Music since 2013. He served in various leadership positions at MSM from 1985 to 2000 before becoming dean of Chicago College of Performing Arts/Roosevelt University, and later Provost and Executive Vice President of the University. He has been a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra and the London Classical Players, and performed in more than 150 ensemble concerts with the New York Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony, among others. He serves on the Advisory Council of The Misty Copeland Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to bring greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to dance.

A Wisconsin native, Mr. Gandre earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Lawrence. He earned a master’s degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and an Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received an honorary Doctor of Music from Lawrence in 2024.