Eastman School of Music

ALUMNI NEWS | Many congratulations to four-time Grammy nominee Curtis Stewart '08E, '08 for being named as a recipient of the 2025 Sphinx Organization Medal of Excellence!

Awarded annually, the medal recognizes leaders in the classical music field who are transforming lives within Black and Latino communities through their artistic excellence, work ethic, and determination. Each recipient receives a $50,000 career grant.

Read more:

Violinist Curtis Stewart awarded Sphinx Medal of Excellence The highest honour of the Sphinx Organization comes with a $50,000 career grant

Eastman's George Walker Center for Equity and Inclusion in Music (GWC) is excited to announce the inaugural season of its Recital Series! These concerts, curated by Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion Crystal Sellers Battle, will showcase a diverse range of musical talent, offering an inclusive platform for performances that celebrate underrepresented voices in classical music.

Fall 2024 events:
—Faculty Artist Series feat. Crystal Sellers Battle: Sept. 18 | 7:30 PM | Kilbourn Hall
—Hispanic Heritage Recital: Oct. 4 | 7:30 PM | Hatch Recital Hall
—Gateways Music Festival presents Joshua Mhoon: Oct. 15 | 7:30 PM | Hatch Recital Hall

Learn more: bit.ly/3XmM2vU
Thank you to WXXI Classical 91.5 for its media sponsorship of this series.

Inaugural Season of the George Walker Center Recital Series Launches Fall 2024 The George Walker Center Recital Series will showcase a diverse range of musical talent and celebrate underrepresented voices in classical music.

ALUMNI NEWS | Mark Foley '89E (MM), double bass, is prominently featured in a recent Washington Post opinion piece about the impact of artificial intelligence on music, and why musicians would be wise to embrace it.

What are your thoughts on AI-generated music? ⚡️

Read & listen:

Opinion | Why musicians are smart to embrace AI Today’s experimenters are finding it can be more an inspiration than a threat.

An unprecedented number of people attended Eastman’s Convocation on Monday and we are still reveling in the energy of that room! Dean Kate Sheeran officially kicked off the school year alongside UR President Sarah Mangelsdorf and Interim Provost Nicole Sampson ✨ From a beautiful group performance of Bach’s “Dona Nobis Pacem,” led by William Weinert, to Ran Dank’s stunning solo piano performance of Chopin’s Mazurka and Polonaise, it was the perfect start to a new semester!

Welcome back, everyone!

Welcome back to campus, Eastman! 💛 Please join us in Kilbourn Hall at 2:30 PM today for Convocation 2024 as we collectively kick off a new semester!

Livestream: esm.rochester.edu/live/kilbourn

That’s a wrap on an awesome Orientation Week, which can only mean one thing… classes start on Monday! 💥 We’ll see everyone in Kilbourn Hall at 2:30 PM on 8/26 for Convocation!

We are excited to welcome a wide-ranging group of guest artists and lecturers to help us kick off Eastman’s fall 2024 semester! All events are free and open to the public.

For details about each of our guests and where you can see them, visit our News Room: bit.ly/4dCTN6W

These events are scheduled throughout September and October.

ALUMNI NEWS | Congratulations to Benjamin Scheer '16E for his appointment as Composer-in-Residence at the renowned Moritzburg Festival in Dresden this summer!

Scheer, who currently serves on the faculty at Southern Methodist University as he completes his DMA studies at the Peabody Institute, was commissioned to write a piece for the festival's finale, performed by a string octet earlier this week (pictured).

Learn more about Ben by visiting his website: benjaminscheer.com/

📸 Moritzburg Festival

Eastman and University of Rochester students! Please join us in Kodak Hall this Saturday 8/24 at 7:30 PM for our annual "Celebrate Diversity" event — a vibrant evening of music, dance, and poetry! This special performance welcomes new students to UR and is not open to the general public.

Learn more: bit.ly/3X4yJiH

Eastman is thrilled to announce that our 2024-25 Orchestra Season will be led by NINE incredible conductors!

Read more about each of them below and mark your calendars to see our amazing students perform in Kodak and Kilbourn Halls this year.

Eastman School of Music Announces ’24-25 Orchestra Season Led by Renowned Conductors Eastman School of Music, of the University of Rochester, announces that its 2024-2025 orchestra season will feature an incredible array of gifted guest conductors. This includes returning guests and several alumni, many names familiar to both the Rochester community and music community at large. Gue...

Reflecting on our awesome Summer@Eastman sessions and concerts as we gear up for a new semester! Thanks to all who joined us in Rochester these past couple months 😎

Explore the wonderful concerts & events happening at Eastman this September! Many performances are free and open to the public, while ticketed events are available for purchase at EastmanTheatre.org ✨

We look forward to an exciting fall semester and hope you can join us!
Learn more: bit.ly/3ypJPqc

Eastman Concerts & Events: September 2024 As a new school year approaches, we are pleased to highlight some of the concerts and events taking place at Eastman this September.

Q: What do Zooey Deschanel and Kate Winslet have in common? And what do they have to do with us??

A: They are the leading actresses in this year’s Kodak Hall Series live to picture performances!

Join us in Kodak Hall on December 14, 2024, for “Elf in Concert” and on February 21, 2025, for “Titanic LIVE.” Each iconic score will be performed by Eastman’s Empire Film and Media Ensemble (EFAME) under the baton of six-time Emmy Award-winning composer and conductor Mark Watters! Both movies will be projected onto a 40-foot HD screen above the orchestra.

Tickets on sale NOW at EastmanTheatre.org 🎥

"Elf" press release: bit.ly/4dhnvOy
"Titanic" press release: bit.ly/4dhnvy2

Legendary bassist and ESM alum Ron Carter '59E, '10 (Honorary) returns to Rochester with a concert at Hochstein Performance Hall TOMORROW! For one night only, on Friday, August 9 at 8:00 PM (doors at 6:30), Maestro Carter brings his Golden Striker Trio to the stage.

News 8 WROC Rochester spoke with Carter about the upcoming concert: bit.ly/4d5SYDf

Purchase tickets: bit.ly/3SCulpG
*Eastman alumni, staff, faculty & students: Email [email protected] for a discount!

Jazz legend Ron Carter returning to Rochester Friday ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter returns to Rochester this Friday for a special performance. The Grammy Award-winning 87-year-old is one of the most recorded bassists in j…

We are once again thrilled to welcome our outstanding faculty members to the stage for this semester's Faculty Artist Series!

Tickets are $10 for the general public and free to University of Rochester ID holders. General Admission tickets will be available for purchase at each concert.

Learn more:

Eastman Faculty Artist Series Fall 2024: 18 Performances Featuring Internationally Renowned Faculty Artists The Faculty Artist Series presents Eastman's internationally celebrated faculty with a platform to showcase their exceptional talent and artistry.

Us when we remember that school is back in session three weeks from now!! 👏👏👏

One of Eastman’s greatest treasures is the 2.5 ton crystal chandelier that hangs over Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Measuring 14 feet in diameter and 35 feet in depth, it contains 750 bulbs and 20,000 individual pieces of crystal from Italy and Czechoslovakia! Periodically the fixture is lowered and cleaned, a process that requires a full day of meticulous labor, and today was that day! Eastman maintenance staff, pictured here, have spent the morning and afternoon carefully cleaning and replacing bulbs as needed.

Also enjoy the included Democrat and Chronicle clipping, published in January 1998. Though much time has passed, certain processes never change!

TONIGHT! Summer at Eastman presents Hats+Heels Duo featuring Blaire Koerner '15E (MM), '19E (DMA), bassoon, and Rosanna Moore '14E (MM), '19E (DMA), harp!

Join H+H in Hatch Recital Hall at 7:30 PM for a concert titled "Mystique." Defined as "a fascinating aura of mystery, awe, and power surrounding someone or something," this concert revolves around the unknown, unexpected, and unfamiliar.

Program & livestream: bit.ly/3AgbgD5

ALUMNI NEWS | This Friday, August 2, violinist Markiyan Melnychenko '12E, '14E (MM) returns to Rochester as part of a US tour in which he will present a program of rarely heard violin/piano pieces by some of Ukraine’s greatest composers!

We asked Markiyan a few questions about his upcoming concert:

Q: What's it like being back in Rochester?
A: The city of Rochester holds a special place in my heart as a result of the six years spent receiving invaluable artistic tutelage from Professor Oleh Krysa at Eastman, and it is a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to return and share this beautiful Ukrainian music with the Rochester community.

Q: Tell us about this Friday's program!
A: The pieces in the program are virtually unknown gems of Ukrainian classical music, uncovered during my PhD research on Ukrainian violin music at the University of Melbourne, Australia, almost all of which will be having their American premiere performances as part of my concert tour. Additionally, the concert will be a fundraiser, with donations in support of the Ukrainian Classical Music Recording Project which is preparing this and other Ukrainian music for a world-premiere CD release, thereby promoting our culture during this devastating time for Ukraine.

Q: How did this concert come to be and why should people attend?
A: The Ukrainian community in Rochester was very supportive during my studies and I'm additionally grateful for their continued generosity in helping to organize this concert. It promises to be a warm evening of artistic delight in support of a worthy cause and I extend a cordial invitation to the people of Rochester to join us.

Friday, August 2 at 7:00 PM
St. Mary the Protectress Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Hall
Tickets: bit.ly/3SvaXee

Want to learn more? Hear Markiyan speak and perform on WXXI Connections, with piano accompaniment by Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano Priscilla Yuen: bit.ly/4fqUVM4

University of Rochester Alumni

What can a country’s music say about its identity? In the second hour of "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, we're joined by two Ukrainian musicians who share their music and their thoughts on how music and culture can represent a country's identity.

We are just weeks away from welcoming the Class of 2028 to Eastman! Today we are introducing two violinists, both hailing from Taiwan. Say hello to Eric Wang from Kaohsiung and Mark Hung from Tainan!
 
Meet Eric: I’m very excited to be attending Eastman in the fall! Aside from music, I enjoy making coffee, exploring nature, and jogging. Look forward to my time in ROC & can’t wait to meet you all!
 
Meet Mark: Hi! My name is Mark and I’ve been playing violin since I was 8 years old. Outside of music, I love hanging out with my dog, watching movies, trying different foods, and drinking lots of coffee. I’m really excited to be starting at Eastman this fall!

First question: Did you catch the beautiful, rain-soaked performance of Ravel's "Jeux d'eau" by French pianist Alexandre Kantorow at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris last week? Watch here: bit.ly/46xUnQv

Second question: Did you know that Kantorow will be performing at Eastman this academic year and tickets are on sale NOW?! On January 30, 2025 this masterful artist will perform in Kilbourn Hall as part of our Eastman Piano Series. Learn more: bit.ly/46rAtqn

Alexandre Kantorow Jeux d'eau. #jo2024 #juegosolímpicos2024 #paris Ayer en París tuvimos la espectacular ceremonia de inauguración de los Juegos Olímpicos y Paralímpicos de Verano 2024. Fue un espectáculo inédito. Por primer...

Fringe fans rejoice! 💥 Several of Eastman's faculty members, students, and alumni will be featured in and around downtown Rochester during the 13th Annual Rochester Fringe Festival, running from September 10-21, 2024!

Click below for a full list of Eastman-affiliated performances and to purchase tickets:

The 13th Annual Rochester Fringe Festival Features Eastman Faculty, Students and Alumni Performers from the Eastman School of Music will be featured at several venues in and around downtown Rochester during the 13th annual Rochester Fringe Festival, running from September 10-21, 2024.

This evening, Summer at Eastman welcomes members of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra to perform Stravinsky’s "L’Histoire du Soldat" ("The Soldier’s Tale") in Kilbourn Hall at 7:30 PM! A classic tale about a soldier making a deal with the devil that doesn’t go quite to plan.

Performers: Shannon Nance, violin; Cory Palmer, bass; Eric Butler, clarinet; Matthew McDonald, bassoon; Wesley Nance, trumpet; David Bruestle, trombone; Kyle Peters, percussion; Lauren MacDonough, narrator; Jherrard Hardeman, conductor

Livestream & program: esm.rochester.edu/live/kilbourn/

Our incoming class will be here so soooooon! 🎉 Today we are introducing three members of the Class of 2028! Say hello to Lane Hansen, a saxophonist from Wenatchee, Washington; Tyler Hernandez, a pianist from Los Angeles, California; and Lucas Mann, a tenor from New York City!
 
Meet Lane: Hello everyone! I am so excited to study jazz saxophone with Professor Charles Pillow! This will be my seventh year playing saxophone, and some of my favorite jazz musicians are Cannonball Adderley, Lee Morgan, John Coltrane, and Kenny Garrett. In addition to jazz, I enjoy playing classical saxophone and clarinet. Outside of music, I love playing soccer, skiing, traveling, and reading. I am looking forward to learning from the amazing students and faculty here at Eastman!

Meet Tyler: I just graduated from Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, CA. Music has been my passion my entire life. I started taking piano lessons at four years old; however, I had already begun learning how to read music at two. During the past couple of years I have been conducting and composing. I recently had an amazing opportunity where I conducted two original compositions with a professional orchestra at the Warner Bros. Sound Stage. I plan to study Piano Performance at Eastman as well as pursue conducting. Outside of music, I like to play video games and chess. I also enjoy playing tennis. I look forward to studying at Eastman!

Meet Lucas: Hey Everybody! My name is Lucas, I live in NYC and am an incoming vocal performance major in Professor Ciesinski’s studio! Besides being a vocalist, I am an amateur pianist and composer, movie lover, and enjoyer of all genres of music. Can’t wait to meet everyone in the fall!

Mayor Malik Evans honored Jamal Rossi with a Proclamation on Wednesday, July 17, to recognize the former Eastman dean’s contributions to the City of Rochester ✨ Thank you, Jamal, for all that you’ve done for our beloved school and city!

Our campaign to support the ENCORE Chorus (a large intergenerational chorus benefiting individuals with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementia) ends NEXT WEEK! With your help, ENCORE can continue to offer a unique musical experience and build a community for the growing number of people impacted by this disease.

The group's founder Michael Alan Anderson enthusiastically shares that "the summer session of ENCORE is in full swing and we’re looking forward to our third session already this fall with the wind at our back." Spectrum News 1 Rochester recently gave an inside look at this special ensemble! WATCH: bit.ly/3SmkDaF

Please consider giving by July 31, any amount helps! bit.ly/46g4Bom

Eastman School choir program uses music therapy for those with memory loss Music has the power to move and transform and even heal people.

This evening at 7:30 PM, Summer at Eastman presents "Summerland: Exploration of Modern Sounds and Dance" featuring pianist Yoshiko Arahata '11E, '11, '18E (DMA), pictured, and others on a program of solo piano and collaborative contemporary music and dance in Hatch Recital Hall!

The concert includes original music by Arahata, along with pieces by Musto, Mompou, Hersch, Jobim/Moraes, Still, and Kinosh*ta (a living female composer from Japan). Arahata shares that it is "a delightful program that addresses diversity in many dimensions!"

Not in Rochester? Livestream the performance! esm.rochester.edu/live/hatch/

📸 Chris McGuire