Eastman School of Music Holds its 101st Graduation Ceremony, Matías Tarnopolsky to Speak
The Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester is excited to announce details of its 101st Graduation Ceremony, as well as the University’s 176th Commencement. All Eastman activities are scheduled to occur on Friday, May 15, 2026. The University-wide ceremony will feature a performance by the Eastman Wind Ensemble, with a Commencement address delivered by Jeannine Shao Collins ’86, chief client officer at Kargo.
Class of 2026 University of Rochester Commencement Ceremony
All University of Rochester graduates.
8:45 a.m. in Fauver Stadium at the Brian F. Prince Athletic Complex
Class of 2026 Doctoral Graduation Ceremony
All students receiving Doctor of Musical Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
2:00 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
Class of 2026 Eastman School of Music Graduation Ceremony
Eastman students receiving Bachelor of Music, Master of Arts, and Master of Music degrees.
6:00 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
This year’s esteemed graduation speaker is Matías Tarnopolsky, the Linda and Mitch Hart President & CEO of the New York Philharmonic. Tarnopolsky is a prominent arts leader known for shaping major orchestras, with a career spanning organizations such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cal Performances, and the Chicago and BBC Symphony Orchestras. He champions the use of music to drive global diplomacy, sharing with The New York Times that “the New York Philharmonic can be among the nation’s premier cultural ambassadors.” That passion for developing how audiences experience classical music has forged connections between disparate musical and community groups the world over.
“The Eastman School of Music is an inspiring and impactful institution that has shaped generations of leading performing artists—some of whom play in the New York Philharmonic,” Tarnopolsky states. “It is an honor to address this year’s graduates as they embark on their journeys into the arts and into the world.”
Alongside Tarnopolsky, this year’s student addresses will be given by Students’ Association President Nichole Waligóra ’26E and Student Teacher of Horn at the Eastman Community Music School Hyejin Suzie Lee ’26E (MM). The ceremony will include performances by Project Nova, comprising members of the Eastman Saxophone Project, and the Eastman Trombone Choir.
For a detailed listing of commencement weekend activities, please visit University of Rochester’s commencement website. Eastman’s degree ceremony will be livestreamed here.
Photography credit: Jason Bell
Media Only: Lauren Sageer, Associate Director of Public Relations and Digital Content,
(585) 451-8492, lsageer@esm.rochester.edu
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About Matías Tarnopolsky:
Matías Tarnopolsky became the Linda and Mitch Hart President & CEO of the New York Philharmonic in January 2025, to lead the Orchestra with Gustavo Dudamel, Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Music & Artistic Director beginning in September 2026. Driven by a lifelong passion for music and an intrinsic connection to the arts, Tarnopolsky has forged civic connections and innovative partnerships, leading to the Philharmonic’s Radio City Music Hall debut, performances at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, and its debut at the United Palace, a New York City landmark, in a performance featuring the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. As president & CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts (2018–24), Tarnopolsky worked with Music & Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin to present vibrant, multi-genre programming across multiple venues; engineered the Kimmel Center’s groundbreaking merger with the orchestra; and spearheaded the rededication of its home as Marian Anderson Hall in perpetual honor of the legendary contralto and civil rights icon. Previously, as executive and artistic director of Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, he radically reimagined the relationship between performing arts presentation and learning within the university setting. Tarnopolsky served as Vice President, Artistic Planning, of the New York Philharmonic, 2005–09, after holding executive positions with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2015, received an honorary doctorate from Manhattan School of Music, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Avery Fisher Artist Program, Advisory Council of the Tianjin Juilliard School, and Viñoly Foundation. A native Spanish speaker, Tarnopolsky was born in Buenos Aires and raised in London.
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 comprising more than 170 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 1,000 concerts to the Rochester community. Additionally, over 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.