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A monthly round-up of press coverage of Eastman School of Music programs, concerts, students, faculty, alumni, and activities, prepared by the Office of Communications.
Selected Coverage October 2009: Download PDF here
October 2009 Highlights
Eastman Theatre Debuts its Kodak Hall
After a four month renovation, Eastman Theatre has a new look. “It’s a great day for Rochester, it’s a great day for the Eastman School of Music and most of all, it’s a great day for the arts,” says Joel Seligman, President of University of Rochester. Today, Politicians, Business and Community leaders gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Kodak Hall. And there are quite a few changes. First, there’s the size. “The hall originally had 3,200 seats. That’s really big for a concert hall. We’ve downsized it to 2,300. It’s more inline with some of the concert halls in America,” says Doug Lowry, Dean of the Eastman Theatre. The seating arrangements have also changed. There are now 98 box seats on the orchestra and mezzanine levels. And then there’s the acoustics. The theatre installed a state of the art sound system.
“We know that Eastman Theatre is important to the economic development of Rochester. The arts are magnets. They bring people here. And the RPO is a vital part of that,” says Seligman.
Kodak Hall will officially open tomorrow with a performance in honor of George Eastman. (Also reported by Newsday, Messenger-Post Newspapers, Rochester Business Journal, YNN, WHEC-TV, 13WHAM-TV, WXXI, Batavia Daily News, The Auburn Citizen.)
Ying and yang of string quartets
In a musical world virtually clogged with first-class string quartets, the Ying Quartet is striving to make its niche by bringing classical chamber music closer to its audiences. Now the quartet-in-residence at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, they have continued their quest with several new initiatives.
Symphony brings ‘Spooky Sounds and Scary Tales’ to Kennedy Center
Children adore scary music, especially when they are in safe surroundings with family at hand. They will be in their element at the National Symphony Orchestra Family Concert as Brad Lubman conducts Spooky Sounds and Scary Tales from the podium and Wonder Woman Lynda Carter narrates Steven Reineke’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
During the 25 years he has been conducting, he has rarely repeated a work owing to his fondness for exploring new music. His love of variety has paired him with such artists as Elliott Carter, Pierre Boulez, Elvis Costello, Steve Reich and Oliver Knussen, with whom he studied at Tanglewood Music Center on a Fellowship in Composition. From 1989-94, he was assistant conductor to Knussen at Tanglewood.
As associate professor of conducting and ensembles at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., he is pleased that his students do not feel limited to choosing between performing with an orchestra and teaching. Instead, they are forming their own ensembles and finding new ways to express themselves in both classical and contemporary music.
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