text: Gilbert Levine – conductor James Levine (Diploma 1963, orchestral conducting) – conductor
  Cho-Liang Lin – violinist
  Lowell Liebermann – composer, conductor, pianist
  Jens Lindemann – trumpet
  Mats Lidström – solo cellist, chamber musician, composer, teacher, publisher
  Robert Lipsett – violinist
  Andrew Litton – pianist, conductor
  Ricardo Llorca – composer
  Nicola Loud – violinist
  Kevin Kwan Loucks – pianist, arts entrepreneur
  Josephine Harreld Love– piano, musicologist, educator
  David Ludwig – composer, Juilliard dean of music
  Yo-Yo Ma (Professional Studies 1972, cello) – cellist
  Teo Macero – jazz composer, producer
  Tod Machover – composer
  John Mackey (MM 1997, composition) – composer
  Henry Mancini – composer, conductor
  Jon Manasse – clarinetist
  Eugenia Manolidou – composer, conductor
  Catherine Manoukian – violinist
  Barry Manilow – singer & songwriter
  Edvin Marton – violinist
  Wynton Marsalis – trumpeter
  Ana María Martínez – opera singer
  Gulnara Mashurova – harpist
  Joyce Mathis – soprano
  Audra McDonald (BM 1993, voice) – singer and actress
  Christian McBride – jazz bassist
  Susann McDonald – harpist
  Robert McDuffie – violinist
  Steven Mercurio – composer, conductor
  Anne Akiko Meyers – violinist
  Stefan Milenković – violinist
  Jeffery Miller – trombonist
  Meagan Miller – opera singer
  Stephanie Mills – singer
  Eric Milnes – harpsichordist, organist and conductor
  Leon Milo – composer, percussionist and sound artist