The view from the Archive
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Dec 12th – 18th: Dr. Mann and Dr. Weinert, photographed by Louis Ouzer
On December 16th, 1998, photographer Louis Ouzer photographed Dr. Mann and Dr. Weinert at the Eastman School of Music..
Dec 5th – 11th: Performances of George Frederic Handel’s Messiah
On the evenings of Friday, December 7th, 1981 and Friday, December 9th, 1983, the Eastman Chorale performed the George Frederic Handel’s beloved oratorio Messiah under conductor Donald Neuen
Nov 11th-17th: Inauguration of President Alan Valentine in the Eastman Theater
On November 14th and 15th, 1935 the Eastman Theater was the venue for the Inauguration of Dr. Alan Valentine as President of the University of Rochester.
Nov 4th-10th: Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring
On November 4-6, 1988, Eastman Opera Theater staged Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring in Kilbourn Hall, marking the fourth Eastman production of that opera..
Oct 27th- Nov 3rd: Balasaraswati performs in Kilbourn Hall
On November 2nd, 1965, Kilbourn Hall was the venue for a University of Rochester guest appearance by the world-renowned South Indian dancer Tanjore Balasaraswati.
Oct 21st-27th: Inter-Faith Chapel
On the afternoon of Sunday, October 23rd, 1960, the Howard Hanson Inter-Faith Chapel was dedicated for use by the Eastman School community..
Oct 14th-20th: Music of Gurdjieff and de Hartmann
On Sunday, October 17th, 1999, pianists Laurence Rosenthal and Charles Ketcham gave a recital in Kilbourn Hall of music composed jointly by G. I. Gurdjieff (ca. 1866-1949) and Thomas de Hartmann (1885-1956).
Oct 7th-13th: National Coming Out Day at Eastman
On Friday, October 10th, 2003, National Coming Out Day was observed at the Eastman School Of Music, planned and coordinated by the Eastman Pride Network…
September 30th-October 6th: The dynamite plot
On October 1st, 1960, a plot to dynamite the Eastman School was discovered and thwarted by local law enforcement officials.
September 27th-October 3rd: The Note Book and more
On September 27th, 1921, an occasional issue of The Note Book was published and was circulated to students.
Sep 26th – Oct 2nd: Howard Hanson at the UNESCO Fourth General Conference.
In late September, 1949, Eastman School Director Howard Hanson was in Paris serving as a U.S. delegate to the Fourth General Conference of UNESCO.
September 20th-26th: Robert Freeman inauguration and more
The inauguration of Robert Freeman as the Eastman School’s fourth Director on September 20th, 1973 marked the beginning of a new era for the school.
School opens, David Burge, Verne Reynolds and The Weekly Dozen
On September 19th, 1921, the Eastman School of Music opened its doors for instruction and welcomed students into the building.
Gateways, Howard Hanson Plaza, and more firsts
On September 10th, 1995, the third annual Gateways Music Festival concluded with a gala concert in the Eastman Theater…
Eastman Theatre Grand Opening
On Monday September 4th, 1922, which happened also to be Labor Day, the Eastman Theater was opened to the public for the first time.
Renovation and new construction
On August 27th, 1975, this workman was part of a team who were sandblasting the Eastman School’s façade, the first phase of work in a two-year renovation project.
July 11th – 17th: Miss New York & Opera Under the Stars
On July 14th, 1972, an Eastman School student earned a distinction not in the musical world, but in the realm of beauty pageants.
June 26th – July 3rd: American Harp Society’s 6th annual conference
Harp performance and pedagogy were much in evidence when the Eastman School hosted the American Harp Society’s sixth national conference on June 26th-29th, 1969.
June 26th-July 3rd: Opening of the ESM’s first Summer Session
On the morning of Monday, June 26th, 1922, the Eastman School’s first-ever summer session opened its doors to students
May 23rd – 29th: Anti-war activity & weekly dozen
On May 24th and May 27th, 1970, a pair of concerts were mounted in the Eastman Theater to raise funds for the national circulation of an anti-war petition that had been written by two University of Rochester faculty members.
May 16th – 22nd: Howard Hanson’s Merry Mount
On Monday and Tuesday, May 16th and 17th, 1955, Howard Hanson’s opera Merry Mount was produced at the Eastman School’s annual Festival of American Music.
May 9th – 15th: Eastman String Quartet & the “new” Sibley Music Library
On May 9th, 1960, the members of the Eastman String Quartet returned from their nine-week tour that had taken them to Southern Europe, the Near East, and Northern Africa.
May 2nd – 8th: Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer & Ruth Watanabe
On Saturday, May 5th, 1973, the renowned Thad Jones appeared as guest conductor and soloist with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble
April 3rd- 8th: Sir Georg Solti conducts the Eastman Philharmonia
On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 7th, 1987, the Eastman Philharmonia performed under the direction of renowned conductor Sir Georg Solti
March 20th-26th: Fennell conducts the U of R Symphony Band
On March 23rd, 1936, Fred Fennell conducted the second annual concert of the University of Rochester Symphony Band in the Eastman Theater.
April 24th-30th: An eclectic operatic double-bill at the Festival of American Music
on April 27th and 28th, 1959, the Eastman School’s Opera Workshop staged The Hunted, a chamber opera in one act by composition postgraduate Martin Mailman.
April 17th-23rd: Tribute to Rayburn Wright: three decades of Eastman Jazz
On April 21st, 1990, a special concert promoted as “Three Decades of Eastman Jazz: A Tribute to Rayburn Wright” celebrated the life and career of the late Rayburn Wright, who had died several weeks earlier.
April 10th-16th: Milestone production of “The Marriage of Figaro”
On April 10th and 12th, 1948, Mozart’s beloved comic opera The Marriage of Figaro was staged in Kilbourn Hall, marking the Eastman School’s first complete production of this opera.
March 27th- April 2nd:The “Q” Club makes its dramatic debut in Kilbourn Hall
On April 1st, 1939, a select group of Eastman students became Thespians when their newly founded club staged Samson Raphaelson’s play Accent on Youth in Kilbourn Hall.
March 13th-19th: Rossini’s The Italian Girl in Algiers
On March 19th, 1971, Rossini’s opera The Italian Girl in Algiers (L’Italiana in Algeri) opened in the Eastman Theater for a two-night run.
March 6th-12th: “Stravinsky Week” at Eastman
Fifty seven years ago this week, five days in March, 1966 were officially known as “Stravinsky Week” at the Eastman School of Music,
February 27th-March 5th: New Eastman Symphony
On the evening of Monday, March 2nd, 1998, a unique student orchestra gave a concert under Brad Lubman’s direction in Kilbourn Hall.
February 20th-26th: Symphony by William Grant Still
It seems appropriate during Black History Month to take note of a performance given in Kilbourn Hall eighty-four years ago this week, on the evening of February 23rd, 1939, of a new Symphony by William Grant Still (1895-1978)
February 13th-19th: Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande
On February 13th and 14th, 1950, the Opera Workshop of the Eastman School staged Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, marking the Eastman School’s first production of this opera in its entirety.
February 6th-13th: Eastman Wind Ensemble debut concert
On February 8th, 1953, the Eastman Wind Ensemble made its public debut with a concert in Kilbourn Hall
Nov 14th – 20th: Carnegie Hall debuts by two Eastman School ensembles
This week we mark two anniversaries of the first-ever Carnegie Hall appearances by two Eastman School ensembles.
Oct 24th-30th: Reconstruction of ballad opera The Disappointment (1767)
On October 29th and 30th, 1976, performing forces and an artistic team from the Eastman School mounted two performances of the newly reconstructed The Disappointment at the Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress
Oct 17th – 23rd: Benny Carter guest appearance with EJE and ENJE
On the evening of Friday, October 18th, 1996, the renowned Benny Carter appeared in concert with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble and the Eastman New Jazz Ensemble
Oct 10th – 16th: “Painting with Sound” makes its debut on Rochester TV
On the evening of Saturday, October 13th, 1956, a television series featuring Eastman School musicians made its debut on station WROC-TV (channel 5) in Rochester
Oct 3rd – 9th: ’Evening at Eastman’ makes its debut on the air
On the evening of Monday, October 6th, 1958, a new radio program comprised explicitly of Eastman School content made its debut on station WVET-AM in Rochester.
July 4th – 10th: Eastman’s fourth annual Recording Institute in session
This week in 1971, the Eastman School’s fourth annual Recording Workshop was in session.
April 25th-May 1st: The first American Composers’ Concert
On May 1st, 1925, a “Concert of New Works by American Composers” took place in the Eastman Theater, marking the first of what would be named the American Composers’ Concerts at the Eastman School
April 18th-24th: Clark Terry with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble
On Wednesday, April 23rd, 1980, trumpeter Clark Terry was the featured guest soloist with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble. Professor Rayburn Wright, BM ’43, was the conductor.
April 11th-17th: Jack End@Festival of American Music & EJE
On Tuesday, April 16th, 1946, a young faculty member and his student ensemble were invited to the stage at that year’s Festival of American Music
April 4th-10th: Memorial service for MLK & EWE gala concert
On April 9th, 1969, Director Walter Hendl called an all-School Convocation for a special memorial service honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
March 28th-April 3rd: OSSIA does John Cage’s Song Books
Twenty-one years ago this week, on Friday, March 30th, 2001, “We connect Satie with Thoreau” was the leitmotif and overarching theme when OSSIA took the stage with a knock-out performance of John Cage’s Song Books
March 21st-27th: Marian McPartland’s first visit to Eastman
On March 23rd, 1971, Marian McPartland played a swingin’ session at the Eastman School of Music, marking her first documented visit to the school
March 14th-20th: Rudolf Serkin, Carl Fischer Archive
Fifty years ago this week, beloved concert pianist Rudolf Serkin made a guest appearance at the Eastman School.
March 7th-11th: Stravinsky Week, Guarneri Quartet & more
Fifty six years ago this week, five days in March, 1966 were officially known as “Stravinsky Week” at the Eastman School of Music,
February 28th-March 6th: Kilbourn hall, Khachaturian Week, Oliver Nelson & more
One hundred years ago this week, on March 3rd and 4th, 1922, Kilbourn Hall was formally opened to the public,
February 21st- 27th: Eastman Philharmonia homecoming, Eastman Jazz Ensemble
On February 25th, 1962, the 87 members of the Eastman Philharmonia and their accompanying entourage flew home to the U.S.A.
February 14th- 20th: Eastman Philharmonia, Isaac Stern, Demolition on Gibbs Street
Sixty years ago this week, the members of the Eastman Philharmonia were approaching the end of their landmark three-month tour.
February 7th-13th: EWE, Perendecki’s Partita, William Warfield & more
Sixty-nine years ago this week, the Eastman Wind Ensemble made its public debut with a Sunday afternoon concert in Kilbourn Hall.
January 31st-February 6th: Myra Hess, Eastman Philharmonia & Harold C. Schonberg
Eighty-nine years ago this week, on January 31st, 1933, English pianist Myra Hess appeared in recital in Kilbourn Hall.
January 24th-30th: Eastman Philharmonia in USSR & Weekly dozen
Sixty years ago this week, the 87 members of the Eastman Philharmonia were in Moscow, beginning their four-week sojourn in the USSR.
January 17th-23rd: Eastman Philharmonia, Janet Baker, Ron Carter & more
Sixty years ago this week, the members of the Eastman Philharmonia were more than halfway through their landmark tour of Europe, the Middle East, and the Soviet Union
December 20th-26th: Eastman Philharmonia in Cyprus
Sixty years ago this week, the members of the Eastman Philharmonia were continuing their landmark tour of Europe and the Middle East.
December 13th-19th: Eastman Philharmonia, Die Schweigsame Frau & more
On December 17 and 18, 1970, EOT scored yet another milestone with a production of Richard Strauss’ seldom performed Die Schweigsame Frau.
December 6th-12th: Eastman Philharmonia on tour & more
On December 6th, Eastman Philharmonia travelled to Rennes, principal city of Brittany and a sister city of Rochester, New York
November 29th- December 5th: The Weekly Dozen
A glimpse back at events in the school’s concert calendar in the past century.
November 22nd-28th:The Eastman Philharmonia & Jazz Ensemble
on November 24th, 1961, the members of the Eastman Philharmonia departed from Rochester to begin a landmark tour..
November 15th-21st: Rochester American Opera Co. debut & more
On November 20th, 1924, the Rochester American Opera Company made its public debut with a Mussorgsky/Leoncavallo double bill in the Eastman Theater.
November 8th-14th: Fiftieth Anniversary Season and more
Fifty years ago this week, an important faculty premiere took place in Kilbourn Hall when members of the Eastman Quartet gave the premiere performance of Warren Benson’s Capriccio for violin, viola, violoncello and piano.
November 1st-7th: Rochester American Opera Company & more
On November 1st through 6th, 1926, an ambitious Eastman-based group known as the Rochester American Opera Company performed each night in Kilbourn Hall.
October 25th-31st: Marian McPartland at Eastman
On October 29th, 1972, renowned jazz pianist Marian McPartland (1918-2013) was photographed while working with Eastman students in the classroom.
October 18th-24th: UN Concerts & Karel Husa
October 23rd, 1970, ESM Director Walter Hendl conducted the Eastman Philharmonia in what had by then become an annual event at Eastman: a United Nations Concert.
October 11th-17th: Day of Moratorium & more
On October 15th, 1969, a large-scale demonstration known officially as the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam was staged in many cities and towns.
October 4th-10th: The Gordon String Quartet
October 10th, 1927, the the Gordon String Quartet made its first appearance at the Eastman School of Music in a Kilbourn Hall recital.