The Eastman School of Music is excited to announce that flutist and educator Adam W. Sadberry ’18E will return to Rochester as this semester’s Morning Chamber Music featured artist. His performance will take place in Hatch Recital Hall at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 7, during the University of Rochester’s annual Meliora Weekend. Named one of The Washington Post’s “23 for ’23,” Sadberry is paving a distinctive career with his citizenry, creativity and vibrancy both on and off stage.
“Following on from the success of the Morning Chamber Music Series last year I have decided to focus again on inviting distinguished alumni to join the nationally and internationally recognized chamber musicians on our current string faculty,” says Rosemary Elliott. “Many of our students go on to have successful careers combining chamber music, teaching and performances in larger ensembles. Having alumni join us for this collaborative experience provides great inspiration for our current students.”
Sadberry will establish a mini residency at Eastman during the week of his performance. He will engage with students through their shared performances and will also give classes and presentations throughout his time on campus. About returning to his alma mater, Sadberry is “totally ecstatic. My four years at Eastman were the happiest and most productive years in my life. It’s a huge honor to return during Meliora Weekend to give a residency.”
The distinguished flutist will present J.S. Bach’s complex Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, as well as Valerie Coleman’s triumphant Portraits of Langston, a demanding six-movement piece based on the poetry of Langston Hughes. Alongside Sadberry’s solo flute, the Bach will be performed by assistant professor YooJin Jang, solo violin, current DMA student Ryan Chan ’23E (MM), solo harpsichord, and an ensemble made up of Jiaqi Yu ’23E (MM), violin, Arden Ingersoll ’23E, double bass, and current students Arthur Nyanfor II, viola, and Kyle Victor, cello. Portraits of Langston will be played by associate professor Elinor Freer, solo piano, and current students Victor Ni, clarinet, and Nyla Thomas, reader.
This series is made possible by a generous gift from Dr. Shreedevi K. Pandya.
Media only: Lauren Sageer, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Digital Content,
(585) 451-8492, lsageer@esm.rochester.edu
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About Adam W. Sadberry:
Named one of The Washington Post’s “23 for ‘23,” flutist and educator Adam W. Sadberry is paving a distinctive career with his citizenry, creativity, and vibrancy both on and off stage. As a winner of Concert Artists Guild’s 2021 Victor Elmaleh Competition, his engagements include appearances with The Phillips Collection, Chamber Music Detroit, Four Seasons Arts, Community Concerts at 2nd, and a residency at the Eastman School of Music. At Merkin Hall in 2023, Adam gave the world premiere of _NOT RUNNING. (The Life of L. Alex Wilson), a piece by Dameun Strange that was co-commissioned for him by the BMI Foundation and Concert Artists Guild. The piece is about L. Alex Wilson, an unsung hero of the Civil Rights Movement and Adam’s late grandfather.
Adam’s commitment to citizenry is reflected through his educational work and his deeply rooted pursuits in self-awareness and equity. In spring 2023, Adam completed a term as a flute faculty sabbatical replacement at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), and he has given residencies at Lawrence University, Northern Michigan University, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, and Wesleyan College (GA). Adam has had performance engagements at Indiana University (Bloomington), Pepperdine University, and Georgia Southwestern State University, and he has given masterclasses at New York University, Oakland University, University of Memphis, Rhodes College, and the Harmony Project (Los Angeles). Adam’s work includes presentations on identity, L. Alex Wilson’s legacy, and mindfulness that is informed by his Alexander Technique training. In addition, Adam was a panelist at the 2023 League of American Orchestras Conference where he shared his thoughts on addressing institutional trauma in orchestras.
Along with his solo and educational work, Adam has a strong foundation in orchestral playing. He is the principal flutist of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, CA. He has played both principal and section flute roles with the orchestras of St. Louis, Detroit, Minnesota, Seattle, Sphinx, and New World. Adam was previously the principal flutist of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, flutist and piccoloist with the Des Moines Metro Opera, and African American Orchestra Fellow with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Adam can be heard playing on the soundtrack of Disney’s The Lion King (2019) and in the Hollywood Bowl’s Juneteenth Celebration (2022) that included artists such as Chaka Khan, Ne-Yo, Billy Porter, Questlove, and Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Adam is 27 years old, from Montgomery, TX, and currently based in Saint Paul, MN. He is working towards an Alexander Technique teaching certificate as a Judith Leibowitz Scholar at the Minnesota Center for The Alexander Technique, and he holds a Bachelor of Music and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. Outside of music, Adam finds joy in community, roller-skating, listening to podcasts, reading, spending time outdoors, and above all, eating. Adam can be found on Facebook and on Instagram as @adamhappyberry.
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.