Somewhere behind all those spotlights and curtains at Lincoln Center are ordinary classrooms with fluorescent lights and chalkboards. They don’t belong to Juilliard, but are rather used by teachers and artists that gather to develop arts curricula for students across the country, from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade.

The meetings are just one part of the work of Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education. Throughout the year, the institute sends artists into the schools for live performances. Since its founding, the institute has presented hundreds of original programs specifically designed for pedagogical purposes.

At its annual benefit Monday night, two of the programs making the rounds this season were presented: The viola-clarinet-piano chamber ensemble Piaclava performed works by Mozart, Alfred Uhl, and Eli Yamin and the Japanese ensemble Taiko Masala played on four drums, with bamboo-flute accompaniment.

Although intended for children, the performances held the attention of the adults, who appreciated the informality and exuberance of the musicians. Yet no sooner had they been sent back to school then they were thrust forward into their elegant adult lives – after the show, guests adjourned to the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse for a three-course dinner. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein was on hand to assure the institute’s benefactors that arts education is a priority in New York City schools. “My commitment to you is that arts and arts education will not be an add-on or a frill or something half-baked in public education,” he said. Mr. Klein also offered praise for the chairwoman of the institute. “Susan [Rudin] – like tonight’s event – is a mixture of commitment, elegance, and beauty,” he said. Ms. Rudin’s board was scattered throughout the room, including Bonnie Himmelman, Barbara Block, Charlene Gehm-MacDougal, Stanley Grossman, Gail Levenstein, Stanley Silverman, and the immediate past chairwoman, Sandra Priest Rose.