Eastman School of Music Featured in CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival 20th Anniversary Edition
Announcing 2023 RIJF/ESM Scholarship Recipient Peter Foley
The CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival (RIJF) celebrates its 20th Anniversary from June 23 to July 1, 2023, across multiple venues in downtown Rochester, including concert spaces at the Eastman School of Music. This year’s lineup will feature numerous musicians from the Eastman community — current students, faculty, staff and alumni — as well as students and faculty from the Eastman Community Music School (ECMS).
The nine-day festival includes 300 shows, 1,750 artists, 100+ FREE performances, and many renowned headliners. The events will take place in 19 venues, including Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Kilbourn Hall, Hatch Recital Hall and the Ray Wright Room. Most of the other locations are within a short walking distance of the school’s campus on Gibbs Street, which is renamed “Jazz Street” during the event. Eastman has been involved with the festival since its founding in 2002.
In addition to paid and free performances, the RIJF Jazz Workshops series sponsored by Wegmans, and hosted by Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media and ECMS Senior Instructor of Jazz Guitar, Bob Sneider ’93, runs all week in the Ray Wright Room. This series of five structured jazz workshops is open to music students of all ages, providing the opportunity to play and meet, listen and learn from five professional jazz musicians performing at the CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival.
The RIJF/ESM Scholarship
The Rochester International Jazz Festival/Eastman School of Music Jazz Scholarship Program (RIJF/ESM Scholarship) is sponsored by RIJF producers John Nugent and Marc Iacona and is funded by proceeds from the annual festival. This annual scholarship program helps talented young musicians attend Eastman and 43 scholarships have been awarded since its inception in 2002.
Peter Foley, 2023 RIJF/ESM Scholarship recipient
The 2023 RIJF/ESM Scholarship recipient is ECMS student, Peter Foley, who studies double bass with Jeff Campbell, Chair of Eastman’s Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media Department. Peter is set to graduate from Pittsford-Mendon High School this spring and will be attending Eastman as a first-year student in fall 2023. He is a member of the prestigious Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra and when he’s not performing on a stage, he’s excelling on the field as a varsity football player.
The award will be presented by Nugent, Iacona and Campbell on Monday, June 26 at 8:00 PM in Kodak Hall at the festival’s annual free Jazz Scholarship Concert. The concert will also feature the Eastman Jazz Ensemble, directed by Christine Jensen with special guests Tommy Smith, tenor saxophone, and Peter Johnstone, piano.
Schedule of Events feat. ESM/ECMS
To view the full schedule and purchase tickets, visit the RIJF website.
FRIDAY, JUNE 23
6:00 PM | Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra w. Herb Smith ’91E
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
10:30 PM | Jam Session w. Mike Cottone ’07E
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – Astor on Main (Free)
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
6:00 PM | ECMS Jazz Combos, directed by Bob Sneider ’93 (ESM/ECMS Faculty)
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
6:00 & 10:00 PM | Joel Frahm Trio (Dan Loomis, bass, ’04E (MM))
- Wilder Room (Club Pass or $30/door)
10:30 PM | Jam Session w. Mike Cottone ’07E
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – Astor on Main (Free)
SUNDAY, JUNE 25
6:00 PM | ESM Jazz Honors Unit 1 – Kevin Murphy ’23E
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
6:00 PM | New Horizons Jazz Ensemble, directed by Don Sherman (ECMS Faculty)
- Rochester Regional Health Big Tent (Free)
10:30 PM | Jam Session w. Bob Sneider ’93 (ESM/ECMS Faculty)
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – Astor on Main (Free)
MONDAY, JUNE 26
1:00 PM | Jazz Workshop w. Peter Johnstone
- Ray Wright Room (Free)
5:45 & 7:45 PM | Dawn Thomson & Gary Versace ’93E (MM) (ESM Faculty)
- Hatch Recital Hall (Club Pass or $30/door)
6:00 PM | ESM Jazz Honors Unit 2 – Rob Varon ’24E
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
8:00 PM | ESM-RIJF Jazz Scholarship Concert Celebrating Chick Corea – ESM Jazz Ensemble
- Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre (Headliner Series – Free)
10:30 PM | Jam Session w. Bob Sneider ’93 (ESM/ECMS Faculty)
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – Astor on Main (Free)
TUESDAY, JUNE 27
1:00 PM | Jazz Workshop w. Tommy Smith
- Ray Wright Room (Free)
6:00 PM | New Horizons Big Band, directed by Priscilla Todd Brown (ECMS Faculty)
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
6:00 & 10:00 PM | Rich Thompson Trio “Generations” (ESM Faculty)
- Wilder Room (Club Pass or $30/door)
6:15 & 10:00 PM | Cory Weeds Quartet (Mike Melito, drums, ECMS Faculty)
- Max of Eastman Place (Club Pass or $30/door)
7:30 & 9:30 PM | ECMS Music Educators Jazz Ensemble
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
10:30 PM | Jam Session w. Bob Sneider ’93 (ESM/ECMS Faculty)
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – Astor on Main (Free)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28
12:00 PM | Quinn Lawrence ’04E
- Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County (Free)
1:00 PM | Jazz Workshop w. Cory Weeds
- Ray Wright Room (Free)
6:00 PM | ECMS Faculty w. Special Guest Vocalists
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
7:00 PM | Bill Tiberio Band (ECMS Faculty)
- Wegmans Stage at Parcel 5 (Headliner Series – Free)
7:00 & 9:00 PM | Mambo Kings, directed by Richard DeLaney ’79E (MA)
- Wegmans Pavilion (Free)
7:30 & 9:30 PM | Rochester Metro Jazz Orchestra, founded by Dave Rivello (ESM Faculty)
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
10:30 PM | Jam Session w. Bob Sneider ’93 (ESM/ECMS Faculty)
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – Astor on Main (Free)
THURSDAY, JUNE 29
12:00 PM | Herb Smith ’91E
- Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County (Free)
1:00 PM | Jazz Workshop w. David Hazeltine
- Ray Wright Room (Free)
6:00 PM | ECMS Jazz Alumni
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
6:00 & 10:00 PM | Dave Restivo Trio + Christine Jensen (ESM Faculty)
- Wilder Room (Club Pass or $30/door)
6:00 & 10:00 PM | David Hazeltine Quartet (Mike Melito, drums, ECMS Faculty)
- Montage Music Hall (Club Pass or $30/door)
6:15 & 10:00 PM | Nick Finzer ’09E Sextet
- Max of Eastman Place (Club Pass or $30/door)
10:30 PM | Jam Session w. Bob Sneider ’93 (ESM/ECMS Faculty)
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – Astor on Main (Free)
FRIDAY, JUNE 30
1:00 PM | Jazz Workshop w. Bruce Barth
- Ray Wright Room (Free)
6:00 PM | Mike Kaupa’s ECMS Ensembles: Saturday Ensemble & Junior Jazz
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
10:30 PM | Jam Session w. Mike Cottone ’07E
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – Astor on Main (Free)
SATURDAY, JULY 1
5:45 & 7:45 PM | Harold Danko (ESM Professor Emeritus)
- Hatch Recital Hall (Club Pass or $30/door)
6:00 PM | ESM Jazz Honors Unit 3 – Dan Mach-Holt (ESM doctoral candidate)
- City of Rochester Jazz Street Stage (Free)
10:30 PM | Jam Session w. Mike Cottone ’07E
- Hyatt Regency Rochester – Astor on Main (Free)
To learn more, view the full schedule of events and purchase tickets, visit the RIJF website.
Media only:
Eastman School of Music, Lauren Sageer, (585) 451-8492, lsageer@esm.rochester.edu
CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival, Amanda Antinore, (585) 729-7533, aantinore@dalmath.com
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About the CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival:
The CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival (RIJF) is one of the world’s leading jazz festivals. Held annually in Rochester, NY, more than 210,000 music fans attend the nine-day festival, which presents 300 shows at 19 venues with more than 1,750 artists from around the world. The festival was founded in 2002 and is produced by RIJF, LLC, a privately held company owned by Marc Iacona and John Nugent. 2023 marks the festival’s 20th Anniversary Edition.
About Eastman Community Music School:
The Eastman Community Music School (ECMS) in collaboration with members of the collegiate division faculty, strives to introduce students of all ages to the joy and discipline of music by providing a rich environment that supports each student’s musical participation and enjoyment, develops a solid foundation for the young musician aspiring to a professional career, presents opportunities for lifelong musical experiences, and offers ongoing development for teachers and other music professionals. ECMS believes that music is not only an essential part of a quality education, but also a powerful contributor to quality of life. George Eastman created ECMS in 1921 for the enrichment of the residents of greater Rochester, with the expectation that this experience should be available to everyone, regardless of age, musical background, or ability to pay.
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 1,700 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.