Sanford Sylvan was born on December 19, 1953 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Death of Klinghoffer (2003) and Great Performances (1971). He died on January 29, 2019 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
He held positions at Tanglewood, where he was master teacher-in-residence, Montreal's McGill University, and Bard College. He was a faculty member at the Juilliard School since 2012.
He studied at the Manhattan School of Music, earning money by ushering at the Metropolitan Opera.