This fall, a variety of concerts ranging from baroque to minimalism, from American jazz to world music, from soloists and chamber groups to full orchestras, will pack the Eastman School of Music calendar and usher in a celebration of “The New Eastman Evolution” in December.
The season opens Sunday, Sept. 12 with a tribute to the memory of violinist John Celentano, a beloved professor and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra member. More than three months of guest artist, faculty, and student performances follow, all leading up to the opening of the new addition to the School, located at the corner of East Main and Swan Streets.
Showcasing the breadth of musical styles at Eastman will be “The Gift of Music: The Rhythm of Life” concert on Friday, Oct. 15, in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The Eastman Wind Ensemble, Opera, Chorale, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and student and faculty soloists will surround the audience with a whole range of continuous music.
In December, the Eastman School will open its new building, which includes the new 222-seat Hatch Recital Hall and the spacious Wolk Atrium highlighted by a dazzling Dale Chihuly glass chandelier. Celebrating “The New Eastman Evolution,” the School has scheduled concerts in all of its major venues. Orchestras, wind ensembles, choruses, jazz bands, chamber groups, and distinguished artists will present a special series of performances to the Rochester community. The celebration kicks off with an Eastman Wind Ensemble and Eastman Wind Orchestra concert on Monday, Dec. 6, and continues through Sunday, Dec. 12.
The Ying Quartet, Eastman’s string-quartet-in-residence, opens the Eastman-Ranlet Series with new first violinist Ayano Ninomiya on Sunday, Oct. 17, and presents its annual LifeMusic concert of commissioned work on Feb. 27, 2011. Guest quartets appearing on the series include the Kopelman Quartet, returning on Nov. 14 after two acclaimed appearances in recent years; and the Chiara String Quartet, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary season, making their Kilbourn Hall debut at the closing series concert on April 3, 2011.
The Weser-Renaissance ensemble — noted throughout Europe for its exacting performances of 16th and 17th century music — will open the Kilbourn Concert Series with a program devoted to the music of Heinrich Schütz on Saturday, Nov. 13, in St. Michael’s Church. The series returns to Kilbourn Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 7, with the versatile and exciting duo of Steven Isserlis, cello, and Jeremy Denk, piano. The Kilbourn Series continues in spring with the acclaimed new-music ensemble eighth blackbird on Feb. 22, 2011, and closes with the Rochester debut of prize-winning pianist Sa Chen on March 22, 2011.
The Weser-Renaissance Ensemble will also be featured performers at the annual Eastman-Rochester Organ Initiative (EROI) Festival, which this year is themed “Pedaling Through Time” and explores the role of pedaling through many eras.
It has been five years since a stunning 18th century Italian Baroque Organ was installed in the Memorial Art Gallery. Eastman commemorates this anniversary with a series of concerts and recitals. Italian organ virtuoso and scholar Edoardo Bellotti performs with members of the Weser-Renaissance Ensemble, on Sunday, Nov. 14. In addition, Eastman organ faculty and students perform a recital on Sunday, Oct. 17, and present the annual holiday concert of vocal and instrumental music on Sunday, Dec. 19. Eastman organ students will continue to give mini-recitals every Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m.
Eastman’s World Music Series opens on Wednesday, Oct. 13, with Indian composer and singer Ravikiran, a master of the chitravina, a 21-stringed fretless lute. The series continues on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, with Hector Del Curto, who’ll present an evening of tango music on the bandoenon, a South American concertina. Eastman’s own Gamelan Lila Muni returns to Kilbourn Hall to close the season on Monday, April 27, 2011.
Eastman Opera Theatre will present a triple bill of one-act, chamber operas from Thursday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov. 7. Paul Hindemith’s comic skit Hin und Zurück (There and Back) is a tragedy that reverses itself in the middle to produce a happy ending. Robert Ward’s Roman Fever is based on an Edith Wharton story about romantic rivalries between American expatriates in Rome. Jake Heggie’s To Hell and Back is a compelling contemporary version of the Greek myth of Persephone.
Eastman School teachers are world-renowned soloists and chamber musicians. Faculty recitals in Kilbourn Hall provide a great opportunity to experience these incredible artists. The Faculty Artist Series will feature performances by tenor Robert Swenson on Tuesday, Sept. 14; pianist Tony Caramia in “Homage à Chopin” on Sunday, Sept. 19; violinist Oleh Krysa and pianist Tatiana Tchekina in Great Violin Showpieces, Part I, on Sunday, Oct. 3; saxophonist Chien-Kwan Lin on Tuesday, Oct. 5; tubist Don Harry on Tuesday, Nov. 9; violist Carol Rodland on Tuesday, Nov. 16; and jazz trumpeter Clay Jenkins on Wednesday, Nov. 17.
A multitude of concerts by student ensembles and orchestras give local audiences unbeatable opportunities to hear a Renée Fleming or Ron Carter in-the-making. The Eastman Philharmonia and the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, Eastman’s traditional orchestras, will present seven concerts between them this fall. Musica Nova and Ossia will present four concerts of cutting-edge contemporary music and 20th century classics. The Eastman Jazz Ensemble, New Jazz Ensemble, and Jazz Lab Band collectively present six performances.
A full listing of concerts and events can be found on the web by visiting Eastman’s homepage at www.esm.rochester.edu. All are open to the public, and many are free. Tickets for concerts that require paid admission, with the exception of tickets for the Faculty Artist Series and organ concerts at the Memorial Art Gallery, are available at by calling (585) 454-2100, at the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra box office at 108 East Ave., and online at www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts. The 24-hour MusicLine at (585) 274-1100 offers recorded information on concerts in the coming four-to-seven days. Information is also available by calling the Concert Office at (585) 274-1110 during business hours Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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