Eastman News Highlights November 25, 2013

Here are some select clippings from the past week showing the variety of hits/mentions identifying musicians and scholars as Eastman School of Music alumni, faculty or students. Note: Some links may have expired.)

Young Artist in Residence: Jonathan Wintringham

(American Public Media Performance Today 11/20/2013)

Wintringham is currently a teaching assistant at the Eastman School of Music where he is pursuing a Master of Music degree in Saxophone Performance and Literature under the instruction of Chien-Kwan Lin, as well as serving as the Assistant Director of the acclaimed Eastman Saxophone Project (ESP).

Backstage Pass: ¡Voila! Violas[mediatracking.com]
(WXXI © 11/11/2013)

Backstage Pass host Julia Figueras welcomes the viola trio, ¡Voila!, on Monday, November 11 at 1 p.m. on Classical 91.5. The ensemble will share their love for the left out “middle child” of the string family – the viola and perform live in the Henry Epstein Studio. Based in Rochester, N.Y., and the Eastman School of Music, the group includes Alexander Peña, Samantha Rodriguez, and Benjamin Magruder.

Peña is director of RocMusic, a music education outreach program that offers group instruction for economically disadvantaged children and teenagers from Rochester. He also teaches violin and viola, and directs Piccolo Strings at the Eastman Community Music School.

APSU announces winner of 2013 Young Composer’s award

(Clarksville Leaf Chronicle 11/19/2013)

The winner of the 27th Annual Young Composer’s Competition at Austin Peay State University was recently announced by the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts. The winning composer is Christopher Chandler, of Rochester, NY, who won for his “deep in liquid indigo” for chamber ensemble. Chandler was born in Savannah, GA, in 1986 and currently lives in Rochester, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in composition at the Eastman School of Music.

Spotlight on Pamela Kurau: Vocal professor channels energy in singing, personality

(Geneseo Lamron 11/21/2013)

Being full-time at Geneseo and a part-time music professor at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, Kurau lets her fervor for singing connect not only notes but also her two varying teaching roles. As an English lyric diction professor at Eastman, Kurau teaches her students the pronunciation of English words in serious vocal compositions.

While completing her undergraduate degree at UConn’s School of Fine Arts, Kurau said she met her future husband Peter Kurau. “We met while performing,” she said. Peter Kurau also teaches at Eastman as a professor of horn in the woodwinds, brass and percussion department.

Conductor Don Messina, of Irondequoit, ‘just wants to keep the music going'[mediatracking.com]
(Irondequoit Post © 11/13/2013)

Irondequoit resident and teacher Donald Messina has been organizing and leading concerts for 10 years now. Messina also formed the St. Andrews Chamber Orchestra by attracting Eastman School of Music students. He conducts and selects the music and program. During high school, he studied music at the Eastman School of Music. He played double bass in the East High School Orchestra and also played and did some conducting at the Eastman School of Music.

David Baskeyfield explores vast possibilities of IPC organ on recital series program (music review)[mediatracking.com]
(The Huntsville Times © 11/18/2013)

David Baskeyfield, a 30-year-old Eastman School of Music doctoral candidate, brightened up a gloomy Sunday with an impressive display of virtuosity and improvisation. The third of four installments of the November Organ Recital Series at Independent Presbyterian Church, his program focused on Bach, Mozart and three composers from the heart of French organ music.

Baskeyfield is one of a handful of organists carrying on the tradition of improvisation on submitted themes. In a nod to the coming Thanksgiving holiday, IPC music director Jeff McLelland chose “Turkey in the Straw” and the hymn “Come Ye Thankful People Come.” Baskeyfield transformed them into a remarkably cogent toccata and fugue, the latter especially brilliant for its lucid subjects, episodes, imitative elaborations and fluid key shifts.

Organist Allison Evans Henry will offer a 4 p.m. master class and perform a 7:30 p.m. concert Friday at First Presbyterian Church, 1054 W. Clinton St. in Elmira. The concert will include a variety of pipe organ literature and is open to the public. An offering will be taken to help support the church’s numerous music programs and activities.

Henry began her professional career serving as organist at First Presbyterian Church while attending Mansfield University for her bachelor’s degree in organ performance. She went on to complete her master’s of music and doctorate of music degrees in organ performance at the Eastman School of Music.

There are many different ways to engage young people with music, through performing, listening, and other experiences. Guests are: Bill Tiberio, Fairport High School (and Ithaca College School of Music, Eastman Community Music School, University of Rochester River Campus, and FLCC). [podcast]

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