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.)
Eastman School of Music Dean is Resigning
(WXXI 09/23/2013)
Douglas Lowry, the Dean of the Eastman School of Music, has resigned for health reasons. The 62 year old Lowry became the sixth Eastman School dean in 2007. The current executive associate dean, Jamal Rossi, will serve as dean until a national search is concluded. (Also reported by WHEC-TV, Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester Business Journal)
NY’s Eastman School student launches peace project
(The Wall Street Journal © 09/14/2013)
A senior at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester is expanding the concept of public pianos.
Marissa Balonen-Rosen has launched a public art and music project dubbed “Pianos for Peace” that uses music to promote non-violence and community building. She’s assembled supporters and volunteers to help paint donated pianos with peace themes and placed them in city neighborhoods to boost a sense of community. (Also reported by Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Epoch Times, Columbus Republic, Democrat and Chronicle, Franklin IN Daily Journal)
Eastman Students Offer Free Preview of Carnegie Recital
(Broadway World 09/19/2013)
Eastman School of Music doctoral candidate and pianist Cahill Smith will be making a stop at Kleinhans on the road to his Carnegie Hall debut.
Webb-Ehrlich Great Organ makes debut
(Bloomington IDS News © 09/17/2013)
Organist William Porter performed a recital Monday on the Webb-Ehrlich Great Organ of Alumni Hall at the Indiana Memorial Union. Porter is known for his improvisation skills in various styles. Monday’s recital featured three groups of improvised pieces in French styles from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.
Porter is an organ teacher at McGill University in Montreal. He previously taught organ and harpsichord at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., and the Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, where he holds a degree.
Spectrum of Sound: Aspects of Organ Music Since 1940
(Rochester City Newspaper 09/18/2013)
Professor David Higgs is a pretty smart guy. He’s a professor at the Eastman School of Music and he’s the chair of the Department of Organ, Sacred Music, and Keyboard Instruments. He’s an organist. He’s a jurist. And, he was smart enough to headline this year’s Eastman Rochester Organ Initiative Festival, based around modern organ works, as “spectrum of sound.” You may take note that — intentionally or not — he didn’t use the word “experimental.” (Also reported by Democrat & Chronicle)