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.)
Longwood Gardens announces competitors for International Organ Competition
(Philadelphia Sunday Sun 02/15/2019)
Ten organists from four countries selected to compete in June …
Thomas Gaynor, 27, New Zealand
The first-place winner of a number of international competitions, including St Albans (2017), Erfurt/Weimar Bach-Liszt (2015), and Sydney (2015), Thomas Gaynor is a doctoral student in David Higgs’s studio at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he was recently awarded the highly coveted Artist’s Certificate—an honor the institution had not given an organist for three decades. Born in New Zealand, he began his organ studies at Wellington Cathedral. Currently, he is associate director of music at Christ Church in Pittsford, NY.
A. Nathaniel Gumbs, 30, US
A. Nathaniel Gumbs is currently a candidate for a doctorate of musical arts degree, studying with David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music. Recently, he was featured on the American Public Radio broadcasting Pipedreams Live and is the recipient of the Service Playing and Colleague Certificates from the American Guild of Organists. Gumbs has been recently appointed the director of Chapel Music at Yale University in New Haven, CT.
Justin Maxey, 30, US
Justin Maxey holds a bachelor’s of music in organ performance with minors in piano and voice from Shorter College, a master’s of music in organ performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music, and an artist diploma in organ performance from Mercer University. Maxey was awarded first place in both the Atlanta Chapter (2009) and Rochester Chapter (2011) Quimby Competitions of the American Guild of Organists. He currently serves as assistant director of music & organist at Roswell Presbyterian
Announcing The 2019 Lotte Lenya Competition Semifinalists
(Broadway World 02/12/2019)
They compete for a spot in the finals, which take place on 13 April 2019 in Kilbourn Hall at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY. The finals …
(Broadway World 02/13/2019)
Audience Favorite: Laura Sanders, Soprano
San Francisco native Laura Corina Sanders is a rising young soprano currently residing in New York City. In April, Laura was one of the top prize winners of the 2018 Lotte Lenya Competition.
She received both her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, studying with Katherine Ciesinski. While at Eastman, Laura was featured in major roles in several Eastman Opera Theatre productions, including Lucette in Cendrillon, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, and the title role in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. She was the first prize winner of the 2017 Friends of Eastman Opera competition, and the winner of the 2017 Voice Concerto competition, culminating in a rare performance of Hector Berlioz’ cantata Herminie, H. 29 with the Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra.
Four Eastman alumni win Grammy Awards
(Rochester Business Journal 02/12/2019)
Four Eastman School of Music alumni were awarded Grammy Awards Sunday in the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences 61st annual event. Steve Gadd won the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for the Steve Gadd Band. It was his first Grammy. Gadd was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in 2018 and this year …
An Operetta for the #MeToo Era
(The UCSB Current 2/11/2019)
UC Santa Barbara Library, Opera Theatre team to present a 115-year-old work by Franz Lehár with feminist themes
“I have always found it interesting to work on rare and unknown works,” said stage director Steven Daigle. … Daigle is a professor of opera at the world-renowned Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he runs the Eastman Opera Theatre. …
WindSync quintet concert Feb. 22 at The Warehouse at Alley Station
(Montgomery Advertiser 02/16/2019
WindSync is a collective of five outstanding North American wind musicians who come together as performers, educators, and community-builders. … Their 2018-2019 season includes performances at the New School, Ravinia, and the Hobby Center, and premieres by composers Ivan Trevino, John Steinmetz, and Marc Mellits. …
Julian Hernandez, clarinet … He is currently in his first year of his DMA at the Eastman School of Music.
Marshall to present classical guitar recital
(Huntington Herald Dispatch 02/18/2019)
The Marshall University School of Music will present a classical guitar recital featuring guest artist Ken Luk of Rochester, New York, at …
Luk is a performer, teacher and arranger of classical guitar music, … currently teaches music theory at the Eastman School of Music, and Balinese gamelan at the Eastman Community Music School and …
# # #