The Eastman School of Music, of the University of Rochester, is pleased to announce several details of the 2023-2024 Eastman Presents season. The concerts are organized into five categories: the Kilbourn Concert Series, the Eastman Piano Series, the Eastman-Ranlet Series, the Barbara B. Smith World Music Series, and the Kodak Hall Series. These performances feature some of the world’s greatest artists performing in the spectacular halls of the Eastman School of Music: Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, a major hall of acoustic and historic splendor; Kilbourn Hall, one of the finest chamber music halls in the world; and Hatch Recital Hall, a gorgeous, modern performance space. In addition to the five aforementioned series, several Faculty Artist Series concerts featuring members of Eastman’s esteemed faculty will take place throughout the season. As in years past, stay tuned for additional concerts to be added throughout the season.
Tickets to all concerts are now available at EastmanTheatre.org or by calling 585-274-3000.
“We now embark on the journey into our next century of presenting the world’s greatest music and continuing to be a beacon in the Rochester community for engaging in the arts,” shares Mike Stefiuk, Director of Concert Operations. “Like all past seasons, this year’s lineup has something for everyone, and I can’t wait to welcome our audiences back in the fall.”
Kilbourn Concert Series in Kilbourn Hall
Gateways Festival Chamber Players, with Phylicia Rashad, Narrator | Friday, October 20 at 7:30 p.m.
This special performance by the Gateways Festival Chamber Players, narrated by NAACP and Tony Award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad, juxtaposes the works of Stravinsky and Wynton Marsalis, each telling the story of a fiddler’s bargaining and dueling with the devil.
Vijay Iyer Trio Feat. Linda May Han Oh and Jeremy Dutton | Thursday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m.
By overwhelming consensus, the Vijay Iyer Trio has become one of the pivotal jazz bands of the 21st century. Described as “the best piano trio in jazz today” (Der Spiegel), “the great new jazz piano trio” (The New York Times), “truly astonishing” (NPR) and “the best band in jazz” (PopMatters), the trio makes “cutting-edge music, but always accessible” (The Guardian) emotionally resonant and deeply interactive, radiating groove and brimming with polyrhythmic detail, rooted in tradition yet truly innovative in style and form.
Third Coast Percussion | Thursday, November 30 at 7:30 p.m.
For over 15 years, Third Coast Percussion has forged a unique path in the musical landscape with virtuosic, energetic performances that celebrate the extraordinary depth and breadth of musical possibilities in the world of percussion. The ensemble has been praised for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune).
Lady Blackbird | Thursday, February 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Reflecting on influences as varied as Billie Holiday, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner and Chaka Khan, Los Angeles-based Lady Blackbird (aka Marley Munroe) possesses a style and emotional intensity that is very much her own. Her debut album “Black Acid Soul,” which features a stellar band including former Miles Davis pianist Deron Johnson, presents a wholly fresh take on the jazz vocal idiom from an artist blessed with a bold, unmistakable voice.
Steven Isserlis, cello | Sunday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m.
Acclaimed worldwide for his profound musicianship and technical mastery, British cellist Steven Isserlis enjoys a unique and distinguished career as soloist, chamber musician, educator, author and broadcaster. Along with acclaimed pianist Connie Shih, their recital program will contain sonatas of Shostakovich, Kabalevsky and Rachmaninoff, among other works.
David Russell, guitar | Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist David Russell is world renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry, having earned the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. In recognition of his great talent and his international career, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1997.
Yunchan Lim | Sunday, September 17 at 3:00 p.m. | Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
Millions of viewers took note of this amazing pianist’s talents in the 17 days of intense competition at the 2022 Cliburn Competition. Rising to the top as the gold-winner of that competition was Korean-born pianist Yunchan Lim. As Jury Chair Marin Alsop expressed, “Yunchan is that rare artist who brings profound musicality and prodigious technique organically together.”
Angela Hewitt | Friday, October 13 at 7:30 p.m. | Kilbourn Hall
One of the most respected pianists on the international stage and hailed as “the pre-eminent Bach pianist of our time” (The Guardian), Angela Hewitt makes her solo recital debut as part of the Eastman Piano Series. A not-to-be-missed occasion, her program includes works of Bach, Mozart and Robert Schumann.
Hélène Grimaud | Thursday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. | Kilbourn Hall
Not only a virtuosic pianist, but Hélène Grimaud has also established herself as an activist, writer and wildlife conservationist, having founded the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, NY. Her peerless, musical touch and technical prowess will be showcased in her Kilbourn debut, featuring works of Beethoven, Brahms and Bach/Busoni.
Joyce Yang | Thursday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. | Kilbourn Hall
Blessed with “poetic and sensitive pianism” (The Washington Post), pianist Joyce Yang captivates audiences with her virtuosity, lyricism and interpretive sensitivity. As a Van Cliburn International Piano Competition silver medalist and Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, Yang will showcase her colorful musical personality in works of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Bach, Aaron Kernis and Stravinsky.
Eastman-Ranlet Series in Kilbourn Hall
Belcea Quartet | Sunday, October 22 at 3:00 p.m.
Founded in 1994, the Belcea Quartet has been the resident quartet of Wigmore Hall and blends its diverse cultural backgrounds and influences into a common musical language. For its Ranlet Series debut, the Quartet presents a program from the staples of the repertoire Beethoven’s String Quartet in C minor, Bartók’s first quartet and the sole quartet of Debussy.
Ying Quartet | Sundays, November 12, February 18 & May 5 at 3:00 p.m.
The Ying Quartet occupies a position of unique prominence in the classical music world, combining communicative performances with a fearlessly imaginative view of chamber music in today’s world. As quartet-in-residence at the Eastman School of Music, the ensemble performs three Eastman-Ranlet Series concerts during the season.
Takács Quartet | Sunday, April 14 at 3:00 p.m.
In a highly anticipated return to Eastman’s Ranlet Series, the Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet present a program of ‘the natural world,’ featuring Haydn’s “Sunrise” Quartet, Beethoven’s 8th string quartet — inspired while contemplating the starry skies and the music of the spheres — and a new work by Phoenix-based composer, Nokuthula Ngwenyama.
Special Performance: Ying Quartet w. Xavier Foley, double bass | Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Double bassist and composer, Xavier Foley, joins the Ying Quartet for the world premiere of his new work. Foley, first prize winner of the 2014 Sphinx Competition and the Young Concert Artists Auditions 2016 has appeared as soloist with the Atlanta Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra. As a composer, he has studied with Edgar Meyer and Hal Robinson. The Philadelphia Inquirer described Foley as “A dazzling player who hears borders between styles as limitation best ignored. He’s a standout player…. but he’s also a right spark of a composer.”
Barbara B. Smith World Music Series
Varemba: Mbira Music of Zimbabwe | Thursday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m. | Hatch Recital Hall
Varemba presents the sacred spirit music of the Zimbabwean mbira dzavadzimu. Born to a family of indigenous wisdom keepers and decolonization movement actors, Moyo Mutamba is a musician, storyteller and community builder. He is joined by Eastman faculty member Jennifer Kyker and vocalist/percussionist Memory Makuri, who performed for many years as a back-up singer and dancer for the legendary Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited. Tickets to this event are not yet available for purchase.
Oumou Sangaré: Timbuktu | Friday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. | Kilbourn Hall
Global superstar, Oumou Sangaré, fuses her distinctive Malian sound and voice with elements of blues, folk and rock resulting in a timeless body of work free from borders and genres. Sangaré’s vocals soar above driving grooves and inescapably danceable rhythms for a show that is sure to have you on your feet!
Kodak Hall Series in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
“La La Land” in Concert | Friday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m.
La La Land showcases the captivating story of a promising pianist and aspiring actress who cross paths and fall in love, while attempting to harmonize their career journeys in the city of stars. Revisit the 2016 Academy Award® winning film, La La Land, starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, directed by Damien Chazelle (Whiplash), in a new, mesmerizing live concert experience.
Special Guest Concert in Kilbourn Hall
Christian Lindberg, trombone / Roland Pöntinen, piano | Monday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Considered “the greatest brass player in history” by Classic-FM, trombonist Christian Lindberg has collaborated with superstar pianist Roland Pöntinen for more than 40 years — touring the globe and recording over 20 albums together. Their performance at Eastman, part of a very limited U.S. tour, will feature the best of their repertoire.
Tickets to all Eastman Presents concerts are on sale now and can be purchased online, in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main St.), or by calling 585-274-3000. To learn more about these performances, and other upcoming events from the Eastman School of Music, visit our Concerts and Events Calendar.
Media only: Lauren Sageer, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Digital Content,
(585) 451-8492, lsageer@esm.rochester.edu
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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.
About the University of Rochester:
The University of Rochester is one of the nation’s leading private research universities, one of only 62-member institutions in the Association of American Universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives undergraduates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.