News
Search All News
Friday, May 29, 2026
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9am - 5pmClosed Sat. and Sun.
Edward Seldin’s Lehman story began almost 75 years ago
May 28, 2026
At an age when many people look back on college as a distant chapter, Edward Seldin still shows up to rehearsal as Lehman College’s oldest student. Enrolled in CUNY’s Encore program for seniors, the nearly 90-year-old jazz trumpeter and retired music teacher is performing with Lehman’s concert band at all four Spring 2026 commencement ceremonies, continuing a connection to the campus that began in 1954.
Seldin grew up nearby in the Fordham neighborhood near the Grand Concourse, where his father practiced dentistry on Fordham Road. He remembers the Bronx as vibrant and communal. “It was terrific,” he recalled. “We played stickball in the streets, we were out all day, and our parents never worried about us.”
His first experience with the campus came in 1954, when he attended what was still Hunter College in the Bronx. Subsequently he studied trumpet at Juilliard, then earned a master’s degree from Columbia Teachers College.
Music shaped both Seldin’s career and his return to Lehman. Alongside his work as a music teacher, he performed throughout New York City, playing engagements at hotels including the Plaza and the Waldorf. In 1987, a sabbatical from teaching brought him back to campus for a year of study. “That’s when I got into big bands,” he said. He worked with noted jazz pianist and faculty member Stanley Cowell, who became “a great influence on me.”
That renewed connection evolved into decades of involvement with Lehman’s music community. Beginning in the 1990s, Seldin participated in the community big band at director Allan Hollander’s request, and later joined the Encore program, which enables him to take music performance courses at no cost. The classes provide an opportunity to rehearse weekly, perform at concerts, and mentor student musicians who play beside him. Hollander, he noted, often seats younger trumpet players next to him “because I help them a lot.”
For Seldin, playing in the band offers both stimulation and connection. “It’s very, very challenging, and I enjoy that,” he said. “It’s good brain exercise.” Just as meaningful is the sense of belonging the ensemble provides. “It’s meant a lot to my life as I’ve gotten older. I’m able to come every week and be part of it.”