Eastman School of Music, at the University of Rochester, will host its inaugural Context Conference 2023: Contextualizing Equity and Inclusion in Music on November 3-4, 2023, in Rochester, NY. The conference concludes with an immersive, kaleidoscope-style concert open to both conference attendees and the public at Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery called Classics with a Twist on November 4 at 7:30 p.m.
This conference is for anyone who wants to make a tangible difference in their own musical communities. Staff members wanting a more equitable and inclusive work environment, students desiring to learn about and perform repertoire by underrepresented composers and faculty seeking tools to incorporate this work into their classrooms, studios and mentorships, will all find value in the resources presented during the conference’s two enriching days.
Speakers are coming to Rochester from 28 states, coast to coast and including Alaska, as well as Quebec and Ontario, Canada. Conference exhibitors include the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Gateways Music Festival and Sphinx. Other organizations that will be represented at the conference are Equity Arc, El Sistema USA, Artis Naples and the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, along with many speakers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
“Part of our Meliora values speak to equity and openness and this conference is an outward demonstration of those values in action. We are proud to support the Eastman School of Music and Dr. Sellers Battle for putting on this first-of-its-kind conference in Rochester,” says Adrienne Morgan, the University of Rochester’s Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Richard Feldman Chief Diversity Officer. She adds, “Music is one of life’s joys and the more it is accessible, attainable and inclusive, the better.”
“I like to explain the goal of this conference in terms of architecture,” shares Dr. Crystal Sellers Battle, Eastman’s Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion. “Consider a traditional colonial home –– with its many separate rooms and singular elements –– that has been remodeled into an open concept environment; now imagine how that concept could be applied to music. Historically, music, in all its varieties, has fostered a siloed atmosphere. The speakers at this conference will argue that a willingness to knock down those walls and accept influence from outside our own genres and cohorts is the only way to make the field of music an equitable one.”
In that vein, the Classics with a Twist concert defies the way we present and perceive music. This 90-minute event challenges performers to take a piece of music from one genre and present it through the lens of another. It asks audiences to attend a performance in an art museum, as opposed to a concert hall. It requires those in attendance to move between acts and engage with their surroundings, instead of sitting in a dark auditorium, separated from the artists on stage. To create a more equitable and inclusive music industry, we must foster an environment in schools and arts organizations that looks different from the one we’re accustomed to, just as this final event of Context Conference will demonstrate.
Registration to attend Context Conference 2023 is open online through October 25, 2023.
Registration Types (“Full Access” registration includes conference materials and admission to the Eastman Fall Opera, Classics with a Twist concert at the MAG, and select receptions.)
- Conference Full Access: $300
- University of Rochester/Eastman Alumni Full Access: $250
- University of Rochester/Eastman Faculty/Staff/Student/Emeriti: $0 (Does not include admission to the Eastman Fall Opera or Classics with a Twist)
- Conference Presenter/Performer Full Access Registration: $150
- Exhibitors and team members: $150
- Group registration is available for five or more participants from the same organization. To access the group rate, please email gwc@esm.rochester.edu.
The Classics with a Twist concert is free and open to the public, but advanced registration is required by October 15, 2023, or until capacity is reached. Click here to RSVP (those not attending the conference should select “Attending Classics with a Twist Only” when registering.)
To learn more about the conversation topics, speakers, schedule and more, please visit the full Context Conference website.
Generous support for Context Conference 2023 comes from Helen Cha-Pyo and her family.
Media only: Lauren Sageer, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Digital Content,
(585) 451-8492, lsageer@esm.rochester.edu
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About Dr. Crystal Sellers Battle, Host & Keynote:
Dr. Crystal Sellers Battle is the inaugural Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion and the Director of the George Walker Center for Equity and Inclusion in Music at Eastman. At The Ohio State University, where she earned her doctorate in voice performance, she was the first doctoral student to complete the Singing Health Specialist interdisciplinary graduate specialization. In that program, she studied medical tactics for repairing vocal injuries and rehabilitation of professional vocalists. Her DMA document is titled ‘I sing because I’m Free:’ Developing a Systematic Vocal Pedagogy for the Modern Gospel Singer. Prior to her arrival at Eastman, Sellers Battle served as the chief diversity officer at Juniata College and served on the music faculty at Bluffton University where she also served as department chair.
Sellers Battle earned a postgraduate artist diploma from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in voice performance from Roosevelt University in Chicago and Bowling Green State University, respectively.
About Adrienne Morgan:
Adrienne Morgan is the University of Rochester’s Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Richard Feldman Chief Diversity Officer. She previously served as a Senior Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion for the School of Medicine and Dentistry. Morgan is an Associate Professor in the Division of Medical Humanities and Bioethics in the Medical Center, where she teaches a popular medical humanities seminar focusing on anti-racism. As one of the chief architects of the Equity & Anti-Racism Action Plan, Morgan has worked with residents, fellows and faculty to identify and address challenges and identify solutions for greater inclusivity throughout the University.
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.