On Thursday, December 15, 2022, Rochester’s East High School Band (pictured above) premiered Freedom 2040: The Tomorrow We’ll Build, by Brittany J. Green. The piece, scored for both band and orchestra, was commissioned through support of the Paul R. Judy Center for Innovation and Research at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, along…
Professor Emeritus Samuel Adler, who turns 95 this year, retired in 1995 from teaching at the Eastman School of Music, where he served as chair of the composition department. But that hasn’t stopped the prolific composer from working. The nonagenarian continues actively composing and teaching. Two world premieres and several recent works will be performed…
Wellness at Eastman is a monthly seminar series from Eastman Performing Arts Medicine (EPAM) featuring artists and clinicians speaking to physical and mental wellness for performing artists, inspired by the Healthy Conservatoires movement in Europe. The next Wellness at Eastman seminar will be on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 6 p.m.: Music Making, Mental Health, and the Identity of the Professional Musician, presented by Dagmar…
The recital stage would be extra lonely if not for the presence of an accompanist. A partner-in-musical-crime, pianists who accompany other instrumentalists and vocalists—more equitably called “collaborative pianists”—provide musical camaraderie. But their roles are frequently overlooked. Accompanimental piano parts are often virtuosic and, at times, exposed. The pianist must attend to their performing partners’…
Cellist Jeffrey Zeigler ‘95E had a lot of talent to look up to while a student at Eastman. “It was an insane time for cello,” he recalled of his undergraduate years. Several classmates went on to storied careers. Among others was David Ying ‘92E (DMA), the founding cellist of the Ying Quartet; Joseph Johnson ‘95E,…
Eastman School of Music, at the University of Rochester, is proud to announce that it will host the inaugural Context Conference 2023: Contextualizing Equity and Inclusion in Music on November 3-4, 2023, in Rochester, NY. Conference Host Dr. Crystal Sellers Battle, Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion at Eastman, along with Dr. Lisa Beckley-Roberts, Chair…
Gateways Music Festival in association with Eastman School of Music, at the University of Rochester, has appointed Jaye Lopez Van Soest to the organization’s new position of Vice President & Chief Development Officer. With her appointment, Ms. Lopez Van Soest becomes Gateways’ first full-time fundraising professional. She will be responsible for the festival’s individual and…
Shira Samuels-Shragg (pictured above) attended Eastman Experience: Summer Classical Studies in 2015. After graduating with her masters from Juilliard last May, Shira assumed her post as Assistant Conductor of the Plano Symphony Orchestra and joins us again to share some of her thoughts on learning and growing as a musician. Q: What do you remember…
The Black Students Union at Eastman (BSUE) has put on a Black History Month Showcase recital since the BSUE reemerged in 2018. This year’s concert, “Sounds of History,” aims to promote music written by black composers and showcase the talent of black students at Eastman. The 2023 Showcase will take place on Thursday, February 9…