Media Contacts: Dolores Orman, Gateways Music Festival, 585-271-5185, dolores.orman@gmail.com
Jessica Kaufman, Eastman School of Music, 585-274-1057, jkaufman@esm.rochester.edu
Gateways Music Festival, in association with Eastman School of Music, today announces an exciting line up of guest artists, including Anthony McGill, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic and 2020 Avery Fisher Prize winner, for its fall Festival.
The Festival includes chamber music performances, solo recitals, panel discussions, talks, a film screening and a five-day residency with students from ROCmusic, Rochester’s El Sistema-inspired community music education program.
In addition to Mr. McGill, Thapelo Masita, a South African-born cellist and graduate of the Eastman School of Music, will present a guest artist solo recital.
Ticket prices range from free to $10 for advance purchase, and a Festival Pass is available for access to all ticketed events. All events will be accessible via the Festival’s website.
A summary of the schedule appears below:
Monday, November 9, 2020
- Opening Concert: “Celebrating Rochester’s Own” features professional classical musicians of African descent who are based in Rochester. [Monday, November 9 l Pre-concert Conversation @ 7:00 p.m. and Concert @ 7:30 p.m.]
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
- Paul J. Burgett Memorial Lecture Series: Dwandalyn Reece, curator of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, discusses the Museum’s music collection. [Tuesday, November 10 | 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.]
- Guest Artist Recital: Anthony McGill, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, performs a solo recital. [Tuesday, November 10 | Pre-concert Conversation @ 7:00 p.m. and Concert @ 7:30 p.m.]
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
- Paul J. Burgett Memorial Lecture Series: Moderator Garrett McQueen leads a panel of distinguished musicians in a discussion about Black Lives Movement and classical music. [Wednesday, November 11 l 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.]
- Guest Artist Recital: Thapelo Masita, South-African born cellist and Eastman School of Music graduate, performs a solo recital. [Wednesday, November 11 l Pre-concert Conversation @ 7:00 p.m. and Concert @ 7:30 p.m.]
Thursday, November 12, 2020
- Paul J. Burgett Memorial Lecture Series: Tammy Kernodle, president of the American Musicological Society and Professor of Music at Ohio University of Miami, talks about music, Black women and the 19th amendment. [Thursday, November 12 | 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.]
- Film Screening: What Happened, Miss Simone? a documentary about the life of the extraordinary Nina Simone, a Juilliard-trained pianist with aspirations for a career as a concert pianist. [Thursday, November 12 l Pre-concert Conversation @ 7:00 p.m. and Screening @ 7:30 p.m.]
Friday, November 13, 2019
- Paul J. Burgett Memorial Lecture Series: New York City’s WQXR radio host Terrance McKnight hosts a conversation about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the lives of musicians. [Friday, November 13 | 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.]
- Finale Concert: The concluding concert features the Gateways Brass Collective, the New York-based string quartet, “Traveling through Time” and a special ROCmusic performance. [Friday, November 13 l Pre-concert Conversation @ 7:00 p.m. and Screening @ 7:30 p.m.]
About Gateways Music Festival
The mission of Gateways Music Festival is to connect and support professional classical musicians of African descent and enlighten and inspire communities through the power of performance. Founded in 1993 by concert pianist and now-retired Eastman School of Music associate professor Armenta Hummings Dumisani, Gateways brings 125 select musicians to Rochester, New York, from across the United States and abroad for more than 50 performances at concert halls and community venues throughout the region. In May 2016, Gateways Music Festival formally associated with the Eastman School of Music, a Festival partner since 1995.
Gateways Black Lives Matter Statement. In September, Gateways’ board of directors and musicians released a Black Lives Matters statement in support of the movement and to encourage charitable foundations, corporations and governmental agency to increase their financial support for organizations led by and serving Black classical musicians.
About the 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 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.
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