The Eastman School of Music, as part of its Centennial Celebration, will ceremoniously usher in the next 100 years with a ribbon-cutting event, on Friday, March 4, 2022, at 9:00 A.M, in Lowry Hall at Eastman, located at 26 Gibbs Street.
Led by University of Rochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf, and Jamal Rossi, the Joan and Martin Messinger Dean of the Eastman School of Music, this symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony marks a milestone moment in Eastman’s history and is part of the keystone centennial celebration, “Eastman Opens the Doors”, a five-day long festival held March 2-6, 2022, on the Eastman School of Music campus as well as in various venues throughout the Rochester Community.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will include a joint proclamation by the City & County Executive, with remarks given by City Mayor Malik Evans. Eastman Professor Emeritus of Piano and school historian, Vince Lenti, will also offer brief remarks about Eastman’s incredible history. To add to the festivities, opening and closing fanfares will be performed by Eastman Wind Ensemble Brass students.
Dean Rossi, and possibly select dignitaries and others, will be available for media interviews immediately following the ribbon-cutting, at approximately 9:45AM. Full press release to follow after event, with photos and additional interview opportunities made available, pending scheduling.
The Friday ribbon cutting is part of the keystone event “Eastman Opens the Doors”, a five-day long festival including: opening concert by the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Musica Nova; “pop-up concerts” held throughout the Rochester area, including SUNY Geneseo, soup kitchens, senior residencies, and more; a “perform-a-thon” held on the Eastman campus in various performance venues; a book signing and presentation by Vince Lenti; A Sense of Community: Bach’s Moveable Feast, an immersive musical experience held at Artisan Works; an Indoor Community Festival, featuring Eastman Community Music School ensembles, area wind ensembles, orchestras, and choirs, as well as a première of a work by David Liptak written specially for Cordancia and Biodance.
The Eastman School of Music, established in 1921, will continue their Centennial Celebration throughout 2022 with world-premieres of more than fifty new compositions and fanfares composed by preeminent composers; acclaimed guest artists performing alongside Eastman’s ensembles; national academic and music conferences; alumni events throughout the country; a documentary being produced in partnership with WXXI, and more.
To attend or cover this exciting event and for more information on Eastman’s Centennial including articles, future events, testimonial and more, please visit our Centennial website at: https://www.esm.rochester.edu/100
Media Contacts:
Eastman: Jessica Kaufman, Director of Communications, Mobile (585)278-4743, jkaufman@esm.rochester.edu
Katey Padden, Public Relations and Social Media Coordinator, Mobile (585)451-8492, kpadden@esm.rochester.edu
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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 1,500 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.