The latest installment in the Third Thursday concert series will feature a diverse program of organ, choral, and instrumental music to celebrate the holiday season. Featuring Eastman’s Italian Baroque Organ at the Memorial Art Gallery, “An Italian Baroque Christmas” will include performances by Eastman School of Music faculty, students, and guests. The concert will take place Thursday, December 21, at 7:30pm in the Memorial Art Gallery Fountain Court.
The Third Thursday series has traditionally presented a Christmas-themed program each December. This month’s concert will include works by J. S. Bach, Frescobaldi, Pasquini, Scarlatti, Sweelinck, and more. The program will conclude with a well-known 18th-century Italian Christmas carol, Tu scendi dalle stelle, which provides an opportunity for audience participation. Organists include Eastman faculty Edoardo Bellotti and William Porter alongside doctoral students Oliver Brett, Jacob Fuhrman, and Naomi Gregory. They are joined by a vocal ensemble under the direction of Thatcher Lyman, together with Noah Fields (Baroque viola) and Ben David Aronson (sackbut).
Eastman’s Italian Baroque Organ was built around 1770 in central Italy. Restored and installed in 2005 at the Memorial Art Gallery, the instrument is the only one of its kind in North America. The organ’s beautiful, authentic sounds have been heard by thousands of visitors who attend weekly Sunday mini-recitals and special “Third Thursday” concerts by internationally celebrated guest artists and Eastman musicians.
Admission to the concert is included with Gallery admission, which is half-price on Thursday evenings and free to University of Rochester student ID holders. This concert is made possible by the Rippey Endowed Trust.
The next Third Thursday concert is entitled “Strings and Pipes” and will take place on January 18, 2018. It will feature harpsichord and organ students from the Eastman School of Music.
Thursday, December 21
7:30pm
Third Thursdays with Eastman’s Italian Baroque Organ at the Memorial Art Gallery
“An Italian Baroque Christmas”
Eastman School of Music students, faculty, and friends
Memorial Art Gallery
500 University Ave
Rochester, NY 14607
Free with Gallery admission
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