The letter also said that school officials “are taking all appropriate measures . . . to ensure that the maximum possible safeguards are in place’’ for students.
A similar letter that did not name the videographer was e-mailed to an additional 1,500 faculty and others affiliated with the school.
A Level 2 sex offender is a person convicted of one or more sex crimes who is deemed by state officials to pose a moderate risk of re-offending. The identities of Level 2 sex offenders are available through local police departments and the state Sex Offender Registry Board.
Karen Schwartzman, a consultant acting as spokeswoman for the conservatory, said the school retained the law firm Ropes & Gray to investigate the scope of services provided by the videographer and to determine whether faculty and staff knew of his status as a sex offender.
“It’s fair to say the organization as a whole was stunned to hear that this videographer had a criminal record, particularly involving crimes against young people,’’ she said.
Schwartzman said the school also informed the state Department of Children and Families and Boston police, who confirmed that Benjamin is a Level 2 sex offender.
Neither of the letters sent out yesterday included Zander’s name. The letter to parents included Benjamin’s name, while the letter to faculty and others did not. Schwartzman would not reveal the identity of either individual to the Globe.
The connection between Zander and the videographer is established in publicly available criminal records. A 1993 sentencing memorandum refers to testimonials given on Benjamin’s behalf by Zander and several other prominent Bostonians, including the late Sarah Caldwell, the former director of the Opera Company of Boston, noted author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, as well as figures representing the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Red Sox.
Zander acknowledged providing the testimonial and said he was “thrilled’’ that the Globe had also learned of the others.
Schwartzman said most of Benjamin’s work centered on taping programs for the school’s prep school component, including the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and a class taught by Zander at the Walnut Hill School.
Zander is known as a devotee of Gustav Mahler and is currently recording the composer’s complete works with the London Philharmonia Orchestra, according to his website.
Zander is also known as an advocate for classical music’s popular appeal, an idea that has informed his leadership of the Boston Philharmonic.
The conservatory was founded in 1867 and serves 750 students on its Huntington Avenue campus, as well as 1,500 prep school students, including those enrolled through Walnut Hill.
