All the School’s functions were originally included in what is now called the Main Building. As the Eastman School has grown, the Main Building has remained the focal point of the School, and still contains most of the performing faculty’s studios.
Immediately inside the entrance to the Main Building is the Main Hall. This elegant hall has entrances to the Eastman Theatre and Kilbourn Hall, and features portraits of George Eastman and the School’s past directors. At the east end of the hall is the Grand Staircase, leading up to the Cominsky Promenade and a walkway to the Annex.
Main Hall concerts initiated by students occur throughout the year. During the recent Berio Festival, students performed a marathon of the Italian composer’s Sequenze for solo instruments. Other performances have included the Suite from Stravinsky’s L’histoire du Soldat and John Zorn’s Cobra. The traditional Holiday Sing takes place on the last day of the fall semester, and features students and faculty from every department playing serious (and not-so-serious) seasonal selections.