Annabelle Prager founded the InterSchool Orchestras of New York (ISO) in 1972 when a well known clarinet teacher turned down her ten year old son as a pupil, saying "Music is being phased out of the schools. There is no point in his learning the clarinet, because there is no place for a child to play his instrument in ensemble." She marched over to her son's school demanding "Where's the orchestra?" The answer came "Why don't you start one." Despite knowing nothing about forming a children's orchestra, she gathered together a group of school heads, parents and music lovers and set out to do so. The orchestra was an immediate success. Under her guidance, the program grew to include children from all types of schools in the metropolitan area, eventually dividing into many ensembles to accommodate young players of all ages, backgrounds and levels of expertise. As music continued to be cut back in the schools, Mrs. Prager initiated an outreach program that brings concerts and assemblies to the schools (children playing for children), and assists the schools with creating new music programs, scholarships and hiring music faculty.
     Mrs. Prager is an author of books and games for young children. In addition, she has worked as a free-lance illustrator.
     Born and brought up in New York City where her family had lived for three generations, Annabelle Prager attended the progressive Lincoln School of Teachers College. During her teenage years she achieved some success as a junior figure skater and tennis player. She appeared as a solo skater at Madison Square Garden and made a good showing at a number of local skating competitions — she also played at the U. S. Junior National singles and doubles and was a finalist in several New York State and New Jersey Junior tournaments.
     Annabelle Prager started drawing as early as she could hold a pencil. She filled numerous copy books with drawings of children socializing. Whatever her hand turned up provided ideas for lively dialogue inserted into balloons coming out of their mouths. As a teenager she studied painting with Hans Hofman in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she became a member of the summer art scene which included writer Tennessee Williams and painter Friz Bultma, who were later to make names for themselves. In following years as she continued summers in Provincetown with her family - among their good friends were painters Bob Motherwell, Helen Frankenthaler, Franz Klein, Mark Rothko, Jack Tworkov, and poet Stanley Kunitz.
     After graduating from Sweet Briar College as an art major, she attended the Yale School of Fine Arts and then became a monitor for the Howard Trafton class for retuming war veterans at the Art Students League. She turned to illustration and graphics working as a freelance artist. Among illustrations were those for children's books - i.e.. Golden Books, and Records and Simon & Schuster. Line drawings for “World's Best Recipes” were displayed at the New York Public Library. Graphics for Principles of Agribusiness published by Harvard University won a best design prize. Among logos she designed was the Domino Sugar girl.
     An ardent amateur choral singer, Annabelle met her husband, David Prager, in the Dessoff Choirs where they both played active leadership roles. The rewards gained from participating in great choral music played a role in her later devotion to implementing music for children through ISO's programs. Mr. and Mrs. Prager both became prominent in the worlds of music and art in New York City as well as in Provincetown, MA. The Prager children include Jonathan, an actor/singer and Lucy Prager Weintraub, who for a time was a marketing specialist for the pharmaceutical industry, now married to Benjamin Weintraub. Grandchildren are Samuel Albert Weintraub and Emily Sara Weintraub.
     Among her other activities, Annabelle is on the boards of the Dalcroze School and is an adviser to The American Friends of the Georgians Group. Past boards have included Third St. Music Settlement, the Youth Division of the American Symphony Orchestra League, Monomy Chamber Players and the League of Protestant Welfare Agencies. For many years she was on the education committee of the Yorkville Civil Council. A member of The Cosmopolitan Club and The Aspetuck Valley Country Club, she is an active skier, tennis player and tap dancer.