A diverse program of vocal and instrumental works by Russian composers, presented by the Eastman Community Music School (ECMS) and Linkages of Rochester, Inc., will celebrate Rochester’s connection to its sister city of Veliky Novgorod. The 16th annual collaborative event, titled “A Russian Friendship Concert,” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, January 9, in Kilbourn Hall, at the Eastman School of Music.
This special showcase recital will feature Russian repertoire and is an outreach to the Rochester area Russian community. For the first time, this year’s concert will feature dancers from Inna Ballet, Rochester’s classical Russian ballet school, accompanied by duo pianists Alla Kuznetsov and Howard Spindler. Student performers of all ages, ECMS faculty members, and friends will be featured as well!
In addition to the concert, audience members will be able to enjoy an exhibit of artwork by Rand Darrow that is inspired by Russian history, folk tales, and mythology.
The concert will be followed by a reception of Russian treats and sweets in Cominsky Promenade, located on the second floor of the Eastman School of Music.
The event is free and open to the public. Linkages of Rochester, Inc., is a volunteer organization that promotes professional, educational, and cultural exchanges between Rochester and Velikiy Novgorod.
Enjoy an evening of music with Russian connections, composers, and performers brought to you by Howard Spindler and the Eastman Community Music School.
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About Eastman Community Music School:
The Eastman Community Music School (ECMS) provides opportunities for community members to learn, discuss, and celebrate music. As one of Eastman’s primary connections to the greater Rochester community since 1921, the school offers music lessons, ensembles, classes, and workshops to student of all ages and backgrounds. ECMS serves an average of 1,600 students per year ranging in age from 4 months to 92 years old. From pre-school and early childhood programs, to college prep and diploma programs, to adult ensembles and classes, ECMS nurtures and inspires students at all levels.
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. The current dean is Jamal J. Rossi, appointed in 2014.
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.