ROCHESTER, NY — The Eastman School of Music will celebrate the life of Louis Ouzer, beloved Rochester photographer and lifelong friend of the School, with a special memorial tribute at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 30, in Kilbourn Hall (26 Gibbs St.). Although Ouzer, who passed away in February at age 88, never was an “official” staff photographer at Eastman, he spent nearly six decades photographing the people and events at the School.
The hour-long tribute, which is free and open to the public, will feature musical performances by Eastman faculty and students — including a performance of an original work written by Ouzer himself. (The photographer began studying composition at age 75 through Eastman’s Community Education Division.) In addition, there will be special readings and a slide presentation showcasing some of Ouzer’s most memorable images, a mere sampling of the thousands of black-and-white photographs he took during his lifetime.
Born and raised in Rochester, Ouzer spent most of his life chronicling his hometown and the Eastman community. His subjects included a virtual “Who’s Who” of music luminaries, as well as Eastman faculty and students of long ago, local families, Rochester landmarks and landscapes, historic events, and everyday activities. Since the 1950s, he and his wife, Helen, operated an independent photography business always located just a stone’s throw away from the Eastman School.
###