Eastman News Highlights May 5, 2014

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.)

Opera & Classical Music Listings for May 2-8
(New York Times © 05/01/2014)

The Mexican tenor Javier Camarena, stepping in for Juan Diego Flrez, who was ill, had a triumph as Don Ramiro, the prince in the Met’s revival of this Rossini opera: He received one of the most prolonged and lusty ovations of the season. The popular Mr. Flrez is returning for the final three performances, starting on Friday night. Cinderella is the superb mezzo-soprano. (Tommasini) Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra presents “Merry Mount”(Wednesday). Howard Hanson was the longtime director of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, and this excellent ensemble honors him with a rare performance of this vivid, grand opera, based on a Hawthorne story.

RPO taps outsider to reimagine opera

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle 05/04/2014)

Rochester does have an opera base, considering performers such as Renée Fleming and William Warfield, composers and educators like Howard Hanson and a handful of yearly presentations by The Opera Guild of Rochester, the Eastman School of Music and the RPO. But after successfully applying for a spot in this year’s Spring for Music Festival, the RPO turned to Michael Christie to pull it off. (Other Democrat & Chronicle stories: “Merry Mount rearranged: how it all came together” and “Bach Children’s Chorus going to NYC with RPO.” )

RPO to perform at Carnegie Hall
(WHAM TV ABC 13 Rochester © 04/30/2014)

For the first time in 29 years, The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at Carnegie Hall. The RPO is part of a prestigious music festival. “Merry Mount” was written by Howard Hanson, the longtime dean of the Eastman School of Music.

World Renowned Violinist Says Shen Yun Makes One Reflect Deeply
(Epoch times © 05/01/2014)

World-renowned violinist Charles Castleman had watched Shen Yun Performing Arts last year; this year, he brought a friend as he wanted her to also enjoy Shen Yun’s “wonderful” performance. Throughout his long and distinguished career as a violinist, Mr. Castleman has performed as a soloist with different orchestras including those of Philadelphia, Boston, Moscow, New York, and Shanghai, to name but just a few. He has also been a professor of violin at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester since 1975.

Jason Alexander of ‘Seinfeld’ fame coming to Rochester

(Democrat & Chronicle 04/29/2014)

Eastman School of Music is kicking off a new concert series called Eastman Presents on Oct. 17 with Jason Alexander. Besides starring on Seinfeld, Alexander is a stand-up comedian and Tony Award-winning actor. “An Evening with Jason Alexander” will include comedy, music and improv. (Also reported by City Newspaper, WXXI, and 13WHAM-TV).

Tested Out Upstate: Classical’s Future
(New York Times © 04/30/2014)

Two hours into the drive from Buffalo to Albany on the New York State Thruway, you pass Syracuse, a city with dark associations for classical music lovers. But in visits to these three cities and their orchestras in April, brighter skies were visible, too. Though still suffering reduced donations from once-mighty local corporations like Kodak and Xerox, Rochester’s ensemble benefits from a close association with the Eastman School of Music.

It’s expensive to save a city. Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy said that Columbia Pictures and its crew spent $2 million over 10 days a year ago filming action scenes in the Rochester area for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which had a local premiere Wednesday night at Regal Henrietta. And, yes, some of that $2 million was spent seeing some of the area tourist sites including George Eastman House, Red Wings games, wine country, Eastman School of Music and, you guessed it, Wegmans.

That was the third Rochester Music Hall of Fame concert Sunday. A stripped down, tighter show from previous versions — yet still more than four hours long — presenting plenty of highlights for a crowd of about 2,000 at Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre. These Hall of Fame inductions are contingent on who’s available to be in Rochester that night, late honorees excluded. Thus, organizers are still waiting for opera icon Renée Fleming’s schedule to clear. Jazz bassist Ron Carter, and Eastman School of Music graduate, would have fattened up this year’s lineup of inductees, but a change in his schedule forced him to drop out.

Songs from the Beatles to be performed during Spring Concert at Keuka College
(Penn Yan Chronicle Express © 04/25/2014)

Keuka College Chorale, Band and QKApella will perform a free concert at 7:30 p.m. in Norton Chapel April 29. A New York City native, Tomita has played at Carnegie Hall, was the bassist for the national tour of the Nat King Cole tribute Unforgettable, and is earning his doctorate at the Eastman School of Music.