Eastman jazz faculty members Bob Sneider, guitar, and Jeff Campbell, bass. Photo by Lauren Sageer.
Eastman Community Music School (ECMS) is proud to celebrate the 30th season of its annual Eastman@Washington Square concert series. These weekly performances, held at 12:15 p.m. in the First Universalist Church of Rochester every Thursday from late October through May, feature faculty, students and friends of ECMS and the Eastman School of Music. These events are free and open to the public, offering an extraordinary opportunity to hear some of the best musicians that Rochester has to offer.
“Downtown Rochester has seen many changes in the past 30 years, but we are glad to still provide a moment of peace and beauty in the busy lives of those who work or live in the neighborhood,” shares Petar Kodzas, Associate Dean and Director of ECMS. “There is no better way to spend 30 minutes of your day than listening to this music and bathing in the light of Claude Bragdon’s historic stained-glass masterpiece.”
Over the course of three decades, ECMS has presented nearly 800 concerts ranging from solo performance to large ensembles. Irina Lupines, Coordinator of Eastman@Washington Square and Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano at Eastman, is “grateful to the First Universalist Church for providing the venue with thoughtful staff and numerous volunteers for tech support.” Lupines invites all members of the Rochester, ECMS and Eastman communities to “come to the First Universalist Church and join our celebration.”
Fall 2024 Eastman@Washington Square Schedule
Thursdays at 12:15 p.m.
First Universalist Church, 150 S. Clinton Ave.
October 17 | Fall Piano Extravaganza
Featuring pianists Jingning Lin and Fenglei Wang from the studio of Professor Alexander Kobrin. Enjoy the music of Bach, Ravel and Bartók.
October 24 | Music for Clarinet and Piano
Victor Ni, clarinet, and Samuel Leung, piano, perform the music of Schumann, Widor and Copland.
October 31 | Hallowing Musical Treats
A spooky selection of vocal repertoire from classical song, opera, musical theatre and jazz.
Presented by faculty, staff and students from ECMS. Teresa Ringholz, moderator, and Alla Kuznetsov, pianist.
November 7 | ONYX Clarinet Quartet
The Onyx Clarinet Quartet, comprised of Terry Gerber, Laurie Dobmeier, Roxanne Woy and Alan Woy, was formed in 2010. The program will feature a wide variety of musical styles including classical, pop, jazz, klezmer and traditional American and Latin music.
November 14 | Early Music for the Lute Family
Pedro Tiorba Sperb and friends present repertory for a few instruments from the lute family by underrepresented Latin-American Baroque composers, alongside European Renaissance canonical works for lute. This concert is presented in conjunction with the Rochester Early Music Festival.
November 21 | Autumn Serenade
Cecile Saine, soprano, and Howard Spindler, piano, with guest vocalists Susan Cotroneo, James Grab and Mark Daniels, perform familiar duets and trios.
December 5 | Music from 100 Years Ago
Pianist Tony Caramia presents a sampling of popular songs from 1924 that have become standards today. Guest performers include students from the studio of Sara Gazarek, Associate Professor of Jazz Voice.
December 12 | Daphne Piano Trio
Eastman graduate students Chihiro Kakishima, violin, Hannah Sohn, cello, and Huiping Cai, piano, perform a trio by Ravel.
To learn more about these performances, and other upcoming events from the Eastman Community Music School, visit their website.
Media only: Lauren Sageer, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Digital Content,
(585) 451-8492, lsageer@esm.rochester.edu
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About Eastman Community Music School:
The Eastman Community Music School (ECMS) in collaboration with members of the collegiate division faculty, strives to introduce students of all ages to the joy and discipline of music by providing a rich environment that supports each student’s musical participation and enjoyment, develops a solid foundation for the young musician aspiring to a professional career, presents opportunities for lifelong musical experiences, and offers ongoing development for teachers and other music professionals. ECMS believes that music is not only an essential part of a quality education, but also a powerful contributor to quality of life. George Eastman created ECMS in 1921 for the enrichment of the residents of greater Rochester, with the expectation that this experience should be available to everyone, regardless of age, musical background, or ability to pay.
About Eastman School of Music:
The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854–1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman’s dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training.
More than 900 students are enrolled in the Collegiate Division of the Eastman School of Music—about 500 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. They come from almost every state, and approximately 23 percent are from other countries. They are taught by a faculty comprised of more than 130 highly regarded performers, composers, conductors, scholars, and educators. They are Pulitzer Prize winners, Grammy winners, Emmy winners, Guggenheim fellows, ASCAP Award recipients, published authors, recording artists, and acclaimed musicians who have performed in the world’s greatest concert halls. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members, and guest artists present more than 900 concerts to the Rochester community. Additionally, more than 1,700 members of the Rochester community, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.
About the University of Rochester:
The University of Rochester is one of the nation’s leading private research universities, one of only 62-member institutions in the Association of American Universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives undergraduates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.