Media Contacts:
Yamaha
Peter Giles/Giles Communications
pgiles@giles.com; (914) 644-3500 ext. 700
Eastman School of Music
Jessica Kaufman, Director of Communications
jkaufman@esm.rochester.edu; (585) 278-4743
Yamaha Corporation of America has named the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester as a 2021 honoree in its inaugural Institution of Excellence program, acknowledging the school’s extraordinary commitment to innovation in the study of music. Only 10 outstanding schools nationwide earned the prestigious designation this year.
Yamaha is committed to working with Eastman in substantive ways for the long-term growth and benefit of its music students and faculty. The Institution of Excellence program is tailored to respond to each honoree’s unique mission and the designation unlocks benefits for the institution, its faculty and its students.
“We chose the Eastman School of Music for its outstanding work in elevating the quality and relevance of leadership throughout the field of music education,” said Dan Rodowicz, senior director, Institutional Sales, Yamaha. “From foundational programs like the Institute for Music Leadership to providing opportunities such as the Eastman Leadership Conference and Academy, Eastman is extraordinary for fostering collaboration among up-and-coming leaders. Working with partners like Yamaha, Eastman has built a unique ecosystem designed to equip leaders for practical, impactful careers. This is all part of a program that demonstrates our commitment to finding, celebrating and collaborating with institutions who share our vision for music’s crucial role in society.”
“We are grateful to Yamaha Corporation of America for recognizing Eastman as an Institution of Excellence,” says Jamal Rossi, Joan and Martin Messinger Dean at the Eastman School of Music. “Yamaha has been a wonderful partner and supporter of our academic and musical goals for many years. It is an honor to be recognized for the positive impact our school and alumni are making in the world.”
Yamaha and Eastman have enjoyed a longstanding relationship. The Yamaha Graduate Fellows program at the Eastman Leadership Conference, established in 2017 and run by Eastman’s Institute for Music Leadership, recognizes Eastman’s role as a trailblazer in music leadership and development, and provides current and future music school leaders the opportunity to learn and discuss policies, programs, and strategies in a collaborative, professional, and musically rich environment. Yamaha graduate fellows receive full tuition scholarships, made possible through the generous support of Yamaha Corporation of America.
This year’s 10 schools were selected by Yamaha following a rigorous, nationwide nomination and review process. Honorees are chosen for their dedication to providing unique and challenging experiences to their music students through diversity of thought and curriculum, exposure to a wider variety of voices and opportunities and an emphasis on preparing students for the modern world of music. Each year new Institutions will be selected for recognition and added to the roster.
For more information about Yamaha Institutional Solutions, please visit https://www.yamahaisg.com
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About Yamaha:
Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA) is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of award-winning musical instruments, sound reinforcement, commercial installation and home entertainment products to the U.S. market. Products include: Yamaha acoustic, digital and hybrid pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio equipment, Steinberg recording products and NEXO commercial audio products, as well as AV receivers, amplifiers, MusicCast wireless multiroom audio systems, Blu-ray/CD players, earphones, headphones, home-theater-in-a-box systems, sound bars and its exclusive line of Digital Sound Projectors. YCA markets innovative, finely crafted technology and entertainment products and musical instruments targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, music, professional audio installation and consumer markets.
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.
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. Additionally, more than 1,700 members of the Rochester community, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.