Eastman School of Music Posts and Musings

Musical Solidarity In a War-torn Iraq

We all know how dire the situation is in Iraq. Every day new reports surface conveying the conditions there, and we—American citizens—wonder constantly: will it ever end? If Zuhan Sultan ever has her way, it will. Pianist Zuhan Sultan, pictured above, who at age 17 founded the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq, is currently using…

Read more

A New Competition Honors an Eastman Flutist

John Hunter and Zach Sheets after the first Tal Perkes Competition in April 2015. This spring, one Eastman alumnus remembered another by supporting a current student. A flute competition, open to all Eastman graduate and undergraduate flute students, was held to honor the memory of Eastman flutist Tallon Perkes (BM ’84). Tal’s friends and family…

Read more

The End of the Chapter

When you’re an incoming freshman, Commencement seems a million miles away. It wasn’t on my radar. I believed my road would contain too many twists and turns for me to even think of a time when I would have to say goodbye to my friends. But like a hunter stalking its prey, time eventually catches…

Read more

James VanDemark Featured at ISB 2015

Photograph of James VanDemark by Kurt Brownell, 2013 Eastman’s longtime professor of double bass, James VanDemark, will be the featured recitalist at ISB 2015 – this year’s convention of the International Society of Bassists, to be held at Colorado State University from June 1-6, 2015. His ISB Convention recital will be held Friday, June 5.…

Read more

Always in Your Corner

Eastman RAs greeting the Class of 2017 in August 2013: Top row, left to right: Alexa Tarantino, Mary Baron, Micah Gharavi, Nick German, Alina Jeon, Calvin Chan. Bottom row: Eric Metzgar, Andrew Psarris, Rachel Beninghof, Melissa Zgouridi. One of the most interesting things I have done at Eastman was participating in Eastman Residential Life as…

Read more