Faculty members, students and alumni from the Eastman School of Music, of the University of Rochester, will be featured at several venues in and around downtown Rochester during the twelfth annual Rochester Fringe Festival (Fringe), running from September 12-23, 2023. Additionally, Eastman’s venues will play host to several events.
The schedule of Fringe shows taking place at Eastman includes:
To view the full schedule and purchase tickets, visit the Fringe website.
Photonic Brass | Tues. Sep. 12 & Fri. Sep. 15 at 6:00 p.m.; Sat. Sep. 23 at 3:30 p.m. | Miller Center Courtyard
Music of the Baroque Era was written to be performed on archaic instruments, such as harpsichords and lutes. This group aims to bring the music of the 17th and 18th century into the 21st century. With modern instruments, Photonic Brass breathes new life into music specially written to be played outdoors, and connects with a modern audience through unique staging, storytelling, and stylistic interpretation. Free, non-ticketed
21st Century Percussion: The Music of Frank Zappa | Friday, September 15 at 5:00 & 8:00 p.m. | Sproull Atrium
The Eastman Percussion Ensemble, directed by Michael Burritt, is an award-winning group, preeminent in its international reputation. This “21st Century Percussion” performance features an exhilarating program that includes the music of Frank Zappa alongside new works by Assistant Professor of Music Theory, Matt Curlee ’99E, ’01E (MA); Professor of Percussion, Michael Burritt ’84E, ’86E (MM); and current master’s student, Austin Keck ’22E. Tickets: $10
“Across the Universe” Music for Yoga and Meditation | Friday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m. | Hatch Recital Hall
Enjoy an evening of music that has played a role in the yoga and meditation movements in the United States since the 1960s, featuring selections by John Lennon, George Harrison, Krishna Das and others. With performances by Professor of Music Theory John Covach, Alana Cahoon, Tommy Gravino and special guests, Across the Universe is perfectly suited for Eastman’s beautiful, resonant Hatch Recital Hall. While it is not required, singing along will be encouraged. Tickets: $10
Tig Notaro: “Hello Again” | Saturday, September 16 at 8:00 p.m. | Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
Join Emmy and Grammy-nominated Tig Notaro as she headlines the Rochester Fringe Festival for ONE NIGHT ONLY in her new show Hello Again. Tig rocketed to stardom in 2012 with Live, her stand-up about her cancer diagnosis. Now her special Happy To Be Here ranks 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and her animated special Drawn is streaming on several networks. She appears in Army of the Dead and Star Trek: Discovery and hosts the podcasts Don’t Ask Tig and Tig and Cheryl: True Story. Tickets range from $21-$80
Nexus: Sculptured Sound 2 | Wednesday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m. | Kilbourn Hall
Nexus –– the Toronto-based percussion quartet renowned for their solo recitals and appearances with symphony orchestras worldwide –– hosts an hour-long performance of improvised percussion music. Noted as the “high priests of the percussion world,” by The New York Times and “an eclectic grab bag of virtuosi styles and tastes” by The Los Angeles Times, Nexus is comprised of four Grammy-winners: Bill Cahn, former Associate Professor of Percussion at Eastman, Bob Becker, Russell Hartenberger and Garry Kvistad. Tickets: $10
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: $10
The Dave Rivello Ensemble: RED | Thursday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m. | Kilbourn Hall
What happens when the 13-member Dave Rivello Ensemble plugs in? DRE | RED! Sharp angles contrasted with smooth textures and combined with dynamic solos make for an evening of continuous color. This is an extension of the Dave Rivello Ensemble, the vehicle for Rivello’s original work as well as his main orchestral voice, currently celebrating 30 years as a band in Rochester. From the beginning, this ensemble has blurred lines and crossed genres. Come get lost in DRE | RED! Tickets: $10
Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” | Saturday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m. | Kilbourn Hall
The Institute for Popular Music, led by Professor of Music Theory John Covach, returns to the “post-Covid” stage in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. The album will be performed live in its entirety by The League of Extraordinary Uncles, along with current students, staff, faculty and alumni of the University of Rochester. Join us for this special celebration of a classic album. Tickets: $15
The following Fringe events will feature Eastman performers – faculty, students and alumni – in off-campus venues:
“To Elvedon” | Tuesday, September 12 at 6:00, 8:00 & 10:00 p.m. | The Spirit Room’s Conjure Box
To Elvedon is a live immersive work by Anna Heflin for Duo Purla: electric guitar, violin, video, spoken word and spatialized sound. Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s The Waves, the video shows the sound waves moving the water, letting listeners see the music while it surrounds them. The music is comprised of the note G#, hocketed and developed between the two live performers and six spatialized tracks, creating a half-hour live surround-sound composition. Duo Purla is an ensemble of two Eastman alumni: violinist Shannon Reilly ’16E, ’18E (MM) and guitarist Tom Torrisi ’18E (DMA). Tickets: $10
Writers in the Round: Hosted by Erin & Ross | Saturday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m. | Rochester Music Hall of Fame
Dynamic singer-songwriter duo Erin & Ross, comprised of Erin Futterer ’20E (DMA) and Ross Falzone, will perform their “New Kind of Old” originals and invite some of Rochester’s most-beloved songwriters to join them. Set in a listening-room atmosphere, the audience is invited into the intimate songwriting process. Come hear these individuals give voice and melody to their unique understanding of the universals of the human experience. Tickets: $20
Róisín Dubh | Friday, September 22 at 8:00 p.m. | Dawn Lipson Canalside Stage, JCC
Róisín Dubh (“ro-sheen dove;” The Black Rose) is a unique school music program created by Mark Gowman ’07E (MA), that performs high-energy traditional music of Ireland in authentic traditional and contemporary styles. A favorite among Celtic music lovers in Rochester and far beyond, Róisín Dubh has performed more than 450 times since its inception in 2001, shared the stage with some of the world’s top Irish/Celtic musicians, released five albums and was featured on NPR’s famous Thistle & Shamrock. Tickets: $15 / Students w. ID: $10
RITPO – Chamber Music Showcase | Saturday, September 23 at 11:30 a.m. | The Little Theatre 1
Directed by Dr. Yunn-Shan Ma ’17E (DMA), young talent at the RIT Philharmonic Orchestra formed small chamber ensembles to showcase chamber music works of various instrumentation, including solos, duets, string quartet, woodwind quartet, quintet, and brass trios. These ensembles play works from standard repertoire as well as contemporary arrangements, including folk and film tunes. Free, non-ticketed
“Farcical Fantasies: Episodes from a Diary” | Saturday, September 23 at 12:00 p.m. | Allen Main Stage Theater, SOTA
Where poetry, composition and performance coalesce, Farcical Fantasies: Episodes from a Diary, a series created by Katie Hannigan ’07E (MM), ’10E (DMA), welcomes all to submit your own hilarious stories (prose, poetry, short story or stand-up comedy snippet), for which we will compose music and perform it. There’s no fee to enter for the chance to win a generous librettist monetary prize, even if your piece is not selected for composition. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis –– the sooner you submit, the more likely you are to be featured. Submit here. Tickets: $10
Indigo Breeze Band | Saturday, September 23 at 6:30 p.m. | Dawn Lipson Canalside Stage, JCC
The Indigo Breeze Sextet is a unique collaboration that performs straight-ahead jazz and jazz-influenced arrangements of familiar tunes from Latin musical traditions, R&B and pop standards. They receive high praise for their variety of selections, from gentle ballads to energetic sambas and swing, featuring songs from Chuck Mangione and Stevie Wonder to Santana and Louis Armstrong. Audiences say they have an invigorating experience of music that feels familiar, and at the same time brand new. Trombonist Evan Dobbins ’94E (MM), son of Professor Emeritus of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media Bill Dobbins, plays in this band. Tickets: $15
Visit the Fringe website to learn more and purchase tickets to all events. Tickets can also be purchased by phone at (585) 957-9837 (additional fees apply), or in person –– at the door of the venue or at the One Fringe Place Box Office (at the corner of Main and Gibbs Streets).
Media only: Lauren Sageer, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Digital Content,
(585) 451-8492, lsageer@esm.rochester.edu
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About the Rochester Fringe Festival:
The 12-day Rochester Fringe Festival is the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival in New York State. Since the festival’s inception in 2012, nearly 670,000 people have attended more than 4,500 performances by regional, national and international artists, from emerging to superstar. From drama to dance, comedy to children’s entertainment, music to magic and so much more, this internationally known powerhouse encourages creative expression while nurturing the artistic process, all while supplying new audiences to established and emerging arts venues. The Rochester Fringe Festival strives to be diverse and inclusive, and to stimulate downtown Rochester both culturally and economically. Website | Facebook | Instagram
About Fringe Festivals:
In 1947, eight theatre groups showed up – uninvited – to perform at the newly established Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland. Although not listed in the official program, the groups performed anyway, at venues they found for themselves. The following year, a Scottish journalist coined the term “festival fringe” to describe these non-curated shows that began turning up annually. The Edinburgh Fringe is now the world’s largest arts festival and the third largest event after the Olympics and the World Cup. Today, there are more than 250 Fringe Festivals worldwide, with nearly 50 in the United States. The Rochester Fringe Festival was the first in Upstate New York.
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.