Eastman School of Music Posts and Musings
By Kameron Ghanavati Eastman voice students and opera faculty members are hard at work diving into a subject that seems too surreal to be true. Grief stricken characters in Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s newest opera, Out of Darkness, retell their chilling experiences at concentration camps during World War II. What is most fascinating about…
By Kameron Ghanavati Five ordinary people walk into a prison…. No, this is not the beginning of a joke with a clever punch line. Rather, it was the beginning of a life-changing week for a group of five Eastman students and alumni. This winter break, Hannah Harrow (MM ‘18), Stephen Morris (BM ‘17), Kameron Ghanavati…
By Kameron Ghanavati On Thursday, January 19, students from the Eastman Voice Department were selected to perform songs composed by Jake Heggie for an unforgettable Masterclass. Gene Scheer, an Eastman alumnus and current lyricist, was also present to offer insight for the performers. Many of the performers were asked how the text resonates with them…
Fred Sturm By Dan Gross Two area high school band directors plan a tribute concert celebrating renowned jazz composer, arranger and teacher Fred Sturm, who died in August of 2014 following a long battle with cancer, and who directed the Eastman School of Music Department of Jazz and Contemporary Media from 1991 to 2002. Maestro:…
The University, and the city, of Montréal, Quebec by Andrea Schuler, Summer@Eastman Program Coordinator Summer@Eastman Director Dr. Sylvie Beaudette is a native of Québec, but she has lived in the United States for more than half her life. Although she feels quite at home in Rochester, she has returned to her homeland to make and…
By Kameron Ghanavati This coming winter break, a group of Eastman students and alumni will head to prison to lead a five-day music workshop. In an effort to better serve its inmates, Rikers Island Correctional facility recently opened a new housing unit in the George Motchan Detention Center, where inmates receive positive rehabilitation through community…
Karel and Simone Husa and Mark Davis Scatterday The Czech-born American composer Karel Husa died on December 14 at the age of 95. Mark Davis Scatterday, director of the Eastman Wind Ensemble, was a close associate of Husa’s and performed several of his scores with the EWE. He has written this tribute to Karel Husa.…
By Erik Elmgren Tonight, Wednesday, December 7, the Eastman Philharmonia will present a concert consisting entirely of concertos performed by Eastman students. The first piece on the concert is the Morceau de Concert, Op. 151 for solo harp and orchestra by Camille Saint-Saens, performed by Elizabeth Ojeda. Next Chan Song (Christina) An will perform the…
by Kameron Ghanavati ‘ The upcoming holiday season brings an abundance of music to Eastman. This year, Dr. William Weinert will present a double bill featuring two of J.S. Bach’s highly revered pieces: the “Credo” from the Mass in B minor (1749) and Parts 1, 2, and 3 from the Christmas Oratorio (1734). Both pieces…
By Dan Gross Long time friends, Eastman School colleagues, and frequent collaborators Bonita Boyd (Professor of Flute), Barry Synder (Professor of Piano), and Steven Doane (Professor of Cello) perform an unusual program of trios tonight at 8 p.m. in Hatch Recital Hall/ Tickets are $10 (free for Eastman/University of Rochester ID holders), available at the…