The Student Degree Recital represents the culmination of several years of work and preparation. For many individuals who are completing a single degree program at Eastman School of Music it is the only time when they will be afforded the opportunity to perform a full-length solo recital in the school’s most prestigious venues. Because of this, there are many rules and guidelines regarding the booking of performances in these spaces. Students preparing for a degree recital should carefully study the following information.
For Students, Faculty & Staff
Scheduling Your Degree Recital
- The Concert Office will email all eligible students and performance faculty when the lottery opens with instructions for how to enter and the deadline for submitting.
- Expect this initial email in October for Spring recitals and in March for Fall recitals (*note: for Fall recitalists, this will be March of your junior year).
To enter the lottery, students will need to submit this form.
- Before completing the form, please discuss your intention to schedule a degree recital with your professor and gather their availability. You will be asked to list any dates your professor is not available.
- Please note that students in the Jazz and Contemporary Media department, the Jeff Beal Film Institute, and the Percussion department should not enter the lottery. Information about scheduling your recitals will come via your professors.
- DMA students who need to complete more than one recital in the same semester should only submit the form once. Note that lecture recitals are not scheduled via the lottery process.
- After the lottery entry deadline passes, all students who entered the lottery and are eligible for a degree recital will receive an email with instructions on booking a zoom scheduling appointment.
- Students are advised to book the earliest available appointment you can attend, as there will be fewer available slots at later appointments.
- In the email with the appointment scheduling link, students will also receive a document with all available slots in Hatch and Kilbourn.
- Students are encouraged to check this document frequently in the days before their appointment, as it will be kept up to date when recital times are taken by other students.
- Recitals, whether on or off campus, must occur during the academic semester, defined as the first day of classes through the last day of classes. Recitals may not occur over academic breaks, during jury week or finals period, or on university holidays.
Before your appointment, please make sure you are prepared with:
- Multiple options for your recital date, in case your top choice is not available
- Professor’s availability
- Family’s availability
- Collaborative artists’ availability
- Intention to use an ensemble of 9 or more
- Requests for any video projection, amplification or other technology
- Any special instruments requests, including duo piano, harpsichord, percussion, etc.
DMA students who need to complete more than one degree recital in the same semester should prepare to schedule both recitals in the same appointment. Please note that students are limited to one recital in Kilbourn per semester and one recital after spring break per academic year.
- At your appointment, you will be able to select any available recital slot in Hatch or Kilbourn.
- Scheduling appointments are limited to 15 minutes. If you miss the appointment or are not able to confirm a recital and dress rehearsal within your time, you will need to schedule an additional appointment, and none of the dates or times discussed will be held for you. This means being late or unprepared for your appointment may cost you the opportunity to secure your preferred recital date or hall.
- While the lottery is still running: Changes can be made by scheduling a new appointment with the Concert Office. This option ends on the last day of classes for the semester in which the lottery occurs (the semester before the recital).
- After the lottery ends: Any changes to the recital date, time, or venue require a cancellation form, which can be printed from our website or picked up from the Concert Office.
- Cancellations require Dean approval and should be an absolute last resort only for circumstances beyond the control of the performing student, such as injury or illness (physician’s note required), family emergency, or force majeure. Scheduling conflicts and lack of preparation are not considered legitimate causes to cancel a recital.
- Note that all reschedule requests are considered cancellations – the Concert Office will not assign a new recital date for any student until we receive a signed cancellation form.
- Due to the high demand of the various performance spaces within Eastman School of Music, availability for a new date on campus in not guaranteed, even when a recital is cancelled with legitimate cause.
Preparing For Your Degree Recital
- Recital bookings last 90 minutes from the start of concert. All belongings must be removed from the hall and the green room by the end of your reserved time, out of respect for the next recitalist. With transitions, an intermission, and clean up time, 60 minutes of repertoire is the most that can be completed.
- In your planning, note that any piece with more than 9 performers will require Concert Office approval. Recitalists performing in Hatch will not be permitted to have more than 9 performers, and recitalists performing in Kilbourn will not be permitted to have more than 25 performers.
- Large Ensemble Requests
- Recitalists performing in Hatch will not be permitted to have more than 9 performers, and recitalists performing in Kilbourn will not be permitted to have more than 25 performers.
- All large ensemble requests are subject to review by the Stage Manager prior to any decision and are processed on a case-by-case basis.
- Download a Large Ensemble Request Form
- Special Keyboard Requests
- Use of a harpsichord, fortepiano, positive organ, or prepared piano is subject to the approval of the Instrument Office. To obtain this approval, submit a signed Instrument Request to the Instrument Office (Room 505) at least three weeks in advance. You will also need to provide two non-performing stagehands to assist with harpsichord moves during the performance and rehearsals.
- Piano Lid Removal
- It is generally not possible to remove piano lids for student performances. Special requests to remove lids will be approved by the Instrument Office only if submitted in advance and then only if it is possible to schedule a technician to remove and restore the lids. Students are not permitted to remove or restore lids under any circumstance.
- A typist will reach out to you asking for your program information. This information is due three weeks before your recital.
- Program and staging information is shared with the Concert Office team via the Student Degree Recital Program Information Form. You will receive an email request to complete this form one month before your recital, but you are welcome to submit it earlier.
- Programs:
- Program production by the Concert Office costs $20 (50 printed copies) or $30 (100 print copies). By submitting program information to the Concert Office, you are consenting to pay the appropriate fee. You will get an opportunity to review a draft of your program before it is printed, and we will deliver the finished programs to our ushers in advance of your performance.
- If you opt to produce your own programs, you are responsible for submitting a digital PDF or 5 hard copies of your program to the Concert Office at least 1 week before your recital. This is required for recording, archival, and copyright liability purposes, and it’s also a necessary step in the process of your professor or committee indicating your pass status for the recital.
- The Concert Office will not prepare texts, translations, program notes, or artist biographies for student recitals. If you wish to include these, you must make your own arrangements to have them produced, printed, and brought to the recital. Our ushers are happy to distribute self-produced documents along with the programs.
- Piano Choice:
- Students performing in Kilbourn can indicate a preference between the two available Steinway pianos on the Recital Information Form. Requests to change which piano you’re using should be directed to the House Manager, Jess Green (jgreen51@esm.rochester.edu).
- Students may also submit a headshot for use on the online events calendar via the Recital Information Form or by emailing the photo and your recital date, hall, and time to Megan Goodsell (mgoodsell@esm.rochester.edu). Headshots will not be included in programs.
- Dress rehearsals are 90 minutes. You are not permitted to arrive early or stay late to accommodate set up or to reset the stage. Please plan accordingly.
- Ushers are not provided to assist with stage set up and changes at rehearsal.
- During your rehearsal, please note the following policies:
- Food and drink (except water) are prohibited in concert halls, both on stage and in the audience.
- Tape may not be used on any surface in the Eastman building, including on walls and on the stage floor to mark positions.
- Recitalists are expected to treat the halls with respect, to clean up after themselves in both the hall and green room spaces, to reset the stage to the condition they found it, and to avoid any actions which may result in damage to the stage or pianos (eg. setting items on the piano lid).
- Rehearsals are scheduled during your recital scheduling appointment. If you need to make a change to your rehearsal time, please reach out to the Concert Office with your request as early as possible. Availability to reschedule a rehearsal is not guaranteed.
- On the day of the recital, the hall and the green room become available to you for set-up and warm-up beginning one half-hour before the start of the performance. The hall will open to the public ten minutes before the recital start time. Please do not arrive earlier than one half hour before your assigned recital time, as the hall and green room will likely be in use by another performer.
- The Concert Office is not responsible for items left in the green room. Please use the safe in the green room to keep your belongings.
- The Concert Office provides ushers for student degree recitals to distribute programs, adjust lighting, and set the stage between pieces. You are responsible for arranging for any extra personnel you need for larger stage changes and/or page turning. Ushers are not available to turn pages under any circumstances.
- Remove your belongings from the green room and the hall before going to greet your audience. All belongings need to be removed by the end of your reservation, which is 90 minutes after the start of your performance.
- Any pre- or post-recitals receptions on campus are strictly prohibited.
- All student degree recitals in Hatch, Kilbourn, Howard Hanson, or the Ray Wright Room are recorded and livestreamed. If you would prefer your recital not be streamed, please notify the Technology and Media Production department at least 3 business days before your performance.
- Video recordings will be delivered to the recitalist via Box. Depending on the time of year, recordings may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to be delivered.
- Any questions regarding recital recordings should be directed to T&MP at support@eastmanschoolofmusic.freshdesk.com
Studio Specific Information
Certain instrumental groups have specific criteria that must be followed regarding the booking of Student Degree Recitals. That information is listed below as a reference to assist students as they prepare for their lottery appointment
- Percussion: Percussion Student Degree Recitals are scheduled by the chair of the percussion department; percussion majors should not enter the lottery.
- Jazz and Contemporary Media Department(JCM): The JCM faculty selects dates and locations in advance. All JCM degree recitalists should not enter the lottery.
- Jeff Beal Film Institute: The Film Institute faculty selects dates and locations in advance. All Film Institute degree recitalists should not enter the lottery.
- All orchestral majors should ensure they are aware of major school orchestral performances around the time of their desired recital dates.
Lecture Recitals
Note: students who need to schedule Lecture recitals should not enter the degree recital lottery.
Lecture recital scheduling requests are accepted only after the degree recital lottery is finished for a given semester (May for fall recitals, December for spring recitals). Scheduling requests can be made in person at the Concert Office or via email, and times are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Any requests for rescheduling or cancellation should be sent directly to Julia Ng via email at jng@esm.rochester.edu.
DMA Lecture Recitals are scheduled by the Concert Office in the Ray Wright Room, Howard Hanson Recital Hall, or Ciminelli Lounge. Students may also choose to book a classroom for their lecture recital. Lecture recitals are not held in Kilbourn Hall, Hatch Recital Hall, or EEW 415.
Copies of the DMA Lecture Recital policy are available in the Graduate Office (ESM 103). All Lecture Recital proposals should be submitted directly to the Graduate Office. The Concert Office assists in securing your venue but not in approving your proposal.
Dress rehearsals for lecture recitals are limited to a maximum of 90 minutes (inclusive of set-up and teardown needs). The dress rehearsal time will be scheduled as part of the recital scheduling process. Students are responsible for setting up and clearing the stage after rehearsals, returning all chairs and stands backstage, covering pianos, restoring percussion, removing electronic set-ups, and removing all personal belongings and debris.
On the day of the recital, the hall will be available for set-up and warm-up one half-hour before the event. The total recital time (including intermissions, encores, and all clean up/tear down) may not exceed 90 minutes.
The Concert Office does not provide ushers, stagehands, programs, livestreaming/recording, or technical support for lecture recitals. Any requests for technology needs, including use of built in projectors and audio playback systems, should be directed to the Technology and Media Production department and are subject to approval. All special instrument requests must be approved four weeks in advance by the Instrument Office.
Cancellation & Rebooking
Due to the high demand of the various performance spaces within Eastman School of Music, cancellation of a recital should be an absolute last resort and should only be considered if the circumstances are beyond the control of the performing student. The following list contains examples of what is considered a legitimate reason for recital cancellation:
- Injury or illness (physician’s note required)
- Family emergency
- Force majeure (weather catastrophe, travel emergency)
The following list contains examples of what are NOT considered to be legitimate reasons for recital cancellation:
- Program not ready for performance
- Scheduling conflicts (this includes conflicts with outside engagements)
- Problems with assisting artists
To cancel a recital the student must complete a Cancellation Form (available in the Concert Office), have it signed by the relevant professor, and return it to the Concert Office. This request will be sent to the relevant Dean for approval. Cancellation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If a degree recital in Kilbourn Hall or Hatch Recital Hall is cancelled without the necessary authorization, the student responsible will be prohibited from scheduling further performances in these spaces for the remainder of the current semester, and until after the following semester’s lottery process is completed.