2025 at Eastman: A Year in Photographs

Lauren Sageer| Associate Director of PR and Digital Content

December 29, 2025

As we reflect on another wonderful year at Eastman, our photographers look back at their favorite images from 2025 and share the stories behind them!

This feature highlights photos and insights from Lauren Sageer, associate director of public relations and digital content; Luke Juntunen, senior creative and design manager; and Kerry Lubman, graphic design specialist—all part of Eastman’s Marketing & Communications team.

Lauren Sageer

FOLLOW THAT STAR

If you ask me, an incredible benefit of not only studying at Eastman, but working here, is the access to guest lecturers. Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell gave an inspiring voice masterclass this fall, and as a musical theatre nerd for as long as I can remember, I needed to be in that room. Hearing this man sing “The Impossible Dream” just feet away from me is something I’ll never forget… having the opportunity to photograph him speaking with our students was icing on the cake.

Kerry Lubman

COMFORT

One of my favorite things about being behind the camera is capturing candid moments like this—something so human and genuine that may go unnoticed. This was at the retirement portrait unveiling where there was a bustling gathering of people and this moment stood out as a welcomed lull. You can almost feel the familiarity shared between her chin and his shoulder. (Pictured: Retiring Professor of English Jonathan Baldo and his wife Roberta.)

Luke Juntunen

SUMMERTIME

I had the chance to photograph some of the Eastman Summer institutes this year, including this masterclass with Professor of Flute Bonita Boyd ’71E. Boyd’s teaching style and expressive nature were fun to watch and photograph and, in my view, shows the knowledge and captivating personalities of Eastman professors.

Lauren Sageer

TERENCE BLANCHARD

This year marked Eastman’s inaugural Soundtrax Film Music Festival, and while this three-day conference brought many powerful acts and innovators to Rochester, a highlight for me was welcoming seven-time Grammy Award-winner Terence Blanchard to Kodak Hall. Being granted access to photograph such an iconic artist was an honor, particularly because many ESM alums—the E-Collective’s saxophonist Ben Wendel ’99E and members of the Gateways Festival Orchestra—were all up there with him!

Kerry Lubman

GATHERED AROUND

As neat as it already is seeing four people at one marimba, this instance was especially endearing. Perhaps emphasized since it was during Holiday Sing, but it was reminiscent of people gathered around a fire, coming together for shared warmth in the winter.

Luke Juntunen

GREAT OUTDOORS

It wouldn’t be a year-end photo roundup without a pick from photos of students playing around campus on a nice warm day. I enjoy this shot in particular since it doesn’t just showcase students in action playing but also the other side of things with people sitting and enjoying the performance.

Lauren Sageer

LOCKED IN

One of my favorite things to do is capture artists in their element and a perfect place to do that is the annual Rochester International Jazz Festival, held on our campus every June! Here are some of Eastman’s jazz students playing to a full house on a hot summer night. The simultaneous ease and intensity with which they approach making music is fun to watch and even more interesting to photograph.

Kerry Lubman

ARTISTRY

I couldn’t help but admire the way both the saxophones themselves and the ensemble were washed in this dramatic lighting. The contrast in sleek highlights and velvety shadows makes this feel more like an appreciation for the art of both the players and their instruments, rather than only a documentation.

Luke Juntunen

LEGACY

I always like seeing Eastman’s notable alumni guest appearances, but it is fitting in the year that launched Soundtrax Film Music festival, my first photographs of the year—all the way back in January—were from a talk given by the legendary, two-time Oscar-nominated composer Laurence Rosenthal ’47E, ’51E (MM) alongside Mark Watters, director of the Beal Institute for Film Music and Contemporary Media, in Kilbourn Hall.

Lauren Sageer

ALL SMILES

At the beginning of the academic year, I always look forward to the featured performance at Convocation. Very often, this is an opportunity for a new faculty member to be introduced to the ESM community, and this year we were graced by the talents of some of our Jazz & Contemporary Media professors. Notably included was our new Associate Professor of Jazz Drum Set Otis Brown III—the joy he exudes in this photo aligns with the warm energy that we hope all Eastman students feel from their studio faculty.

Kerry Lubman

AS ABOVE SO BELOW

This was a very special view to get. It’s during an opera rehearsal so the lights were on and I was able to see the pit orchestra as well as the performers on stage. It not only showcases the collaboration between performers, but also how there is as much performance going on below the stage as there is atop it.

Luke Juntunen

GOLDEN YEARS

Later in the year, towards the end of November, I was able to get off campus for this shoot of our New Horizons ensembles. Not only does it show Eastman’s further reach into the community and music beyond college ages, but it was also in a very interesting and architecturally significant church on Winton Avenue—a nice change of scenery from our normal performance halls!

Wait, there’s more!

To round out this reflection on 2025, enjoy these images from some of the freelance photographers who work with us to capture the excitement and activity at Eastman: Kurt Brownell, Nic Minetor, Nick Samper, John Schlia, Matt Wittmeyer, and Communications student worker Henry Foster.