Gateways Music Festival’s 2026 Fall Festival Expands the Sound—and the Story—of Classical Music
From October 9–12, Shana Tucker, Ric’key Pageot, George Taylor, Herb Smith, Kersten Stevens, Matthew D. Morrison, and more lead a constellation of artists taking center stage in Rochester to explore new possibilities in classical music.
Gateways Music Festival, in association with the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, returns to Rochester October 9–12 for a 2026 Fall Festival that asks audiences to hear classical music more expansively: as a tradition shaped not only in concert halls, but also through sacred spaces, improvisation, scholarship, storytelling, and the artists who continue to carry it forward.
Across four days at Eastman School of Music, the festival traces a living continuum of Black classical artistry—beginning with the legacy of violist George Taylor, whose 40 years as an artist, teacher and mentor at Eastman have influenced generations, and concluding with the future through Gateways’ Young Musicians Institute: Rochester Day for Strings, where young musicians take the Eastman stage. Between those bookends, cellist and vocalist Shana Tucker expands the possibilities of her instruments through ChamberSoul; in Classic Black, Steinway Artist Ric’key Pageot brings three centuries of music by Black composers into one expansive conversation through solo piano; Queen of the Violin Kersten Stevens; trumpeter, composer and conductor Herb Smith; and pianist Myron D. Brown celebrate Black sacred traditions in SANCTUARY: A Celebration of Black Sacred Music; and award-winning musicologist Matthew D. Morrison examines the artistry, authorship, ownership and influence behind the sound of America in BLACKSOUND.
Together, the programs reveal expansion not as a departure from classical tradition, but as part of its continuing life—grounded in Gateways’ history, alive in the work of today’s artists, and carried forward by the musicians who will shape what comes next.
“We’re thrilled to welcome our Rochester community into a Fall Festival that honors the living legacy and active expansion of Black classical artistry,” said Gateways Music Festival President & Artistic Director Alex Laing. “These artists show that tradition is not static—it is carried, questioned, reimagined, and passed forward. We hope audiences will hear something they already love, discover something they didn’t expect, and recognize themselves within a classical story that is still being written.”
A Festival of Living Legacy and Expanding Possibility
The festival opens Friday, October 9, with Celebrating 40 Years: George Taylor in Recital with the Gateways Chamber Players, presented with the Eastman School of Music as part of its Faculty Artist Series. One of the nation’s longest-serving Black professors in classical music, Taylor has influenced and served generations of performers, educators, and artistic leaders over four decades at Eastman. The program traces his artistic journey through music of deep personal significance, including Diane Monroe’s Duo for Violin and Viola, written especially for Taylor; works by Eric Kivnick and George Walker; and Bach’s deeply expressive Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008. The evening culminates with Brahms’ sweeping String Sextet No. 1, featuring Taylor alongside Gateways Chamber Players Diane Monroe and Kyle Lombard, violin; Juliet White-Smith, viola; and Alvin McCall and Tahirah Whittington, cello. Pianist Dianna White-Gould is also featured. The recital will be livestreamed as the inaugural presentation of Gateways’ 2026–27 digital season, extending the celebration beyond Rochester.
On Saturday, October 10, Gateways turns stage to sanctuary with a program rooted in classical artistry and moving freely through hymns, spirituals, gospel, sacred jazz, and contemporary devotional music. Featuring Queen of the Violin Kersten Stevens; trumpeter, composer and conductor Herb Smith; pianist Myron D. Brown; and additional artists to be announced; SANCTUARY: A Celebration of Black Sacred Music honors Black sacred music as both a sustaining tradition and an evolving expression of Black classical artistry.
The festival’s intellectual center, BLACKSOUND: A Paul J. Burgett Lecture and Community Conversation with Matthew D. Morrison, considers how Black musical artistry has shaped the sound of America. Spanning Black musical expression across classical music and other Western musical traditions, the award-winning musicologist, author, and Stanford University professor examines race, authorship, cultural ownership, influence, and the American musical canon—while highlighting the continuing innovation of Black artists across generations.
Saturday evening, classically trained cellist, vocalist, songwriter and composer Shana Tucker brings ChamberSoul—her signature blend of classical, jazz, soul, folk, and acoustic pop—to Gateways. A former cellist and vocalist with KÀ by Cirque du Soleil, Tucker places the expanding possibilities of the cello center stage through original songs, jazz standards, beloved music, and heartfelt storytelling.
On Sunday, October 11, Steinway Artist Ric’key Pageot presents two distinct invitations into the classical tradition. In an interactive family concert, children discover groundbreaking Black composers through live performance and storytelling. Later, Pageot continues Gateways’ long-standing tradition of presenting exceptional pianists—a tradition rooted in the legacy of its founder, pianist Armenta Hummings Dumisani—with Classic Black, a solo piano journey through three centuries of music by Black composers, including the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Robert Nathaniel Dett, William Grant Still, and George Walker. The youngest music director ever hired by Cirque du Soleil, Pageot brings the range of his global career to a recital honoring the artists who expanded the repertoire, and made new possibilities audible.
On Monday, October 12, the Young Musicians Institute: Rochester Day for Strings carries that story forward. String players ages nine and older spend a free, immersive day in master classes, sectionals, improvisation, and collaborative music-making with Gateways teaching artists, including guest artist Shana Tucker. Students co-create original music and rehearse Tucker’s original work for string ensemble, selections from the Mosaic Collection of String Music by Black and Latino Composers, and multi-level works that allow musicians with different experience levels to perform together. The day culminates in a joyful, family-friendly showcase where students and teaching artists share the Eastman stage.
Gateways Names Kate Washington Board Chair and Welcomes Three New Members
Gateways Music Festival also announces Kate Washington, MBA, as chair of its Board of Directors and welcomes Gabriel Bender, Edward J. Lewis III, and Dr. Shaun Nelms as new board members.
Their leadership comes at a moment of artistic and organizational expansion for Gateways, as the Festival grows its performance, education, and digital programming while deepening both its affiliation with the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music and its roots in Rochester. Together, they bring wide-ranging expertise across business and economic development, arts administration and philanthropy, law and governance, and education and community engagement.
Washington is an accomplished business and economic development leader whose work has supported enterprises, governments, and communities around the world. She is the managing partner of Enterprise Solutions International, an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School, and former deputy commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development for the City of Rochester. Washington earned a Bachelor of Music from Syracuse University, studied jazz arranging at Berklee College of Music, and holds an MBA from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School.
Bender is an accomplished legal leader with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of law, privacy, and data governance. He is a director and associate general counsel at Meta, leading work in integrity risk, regulatory compliance, and privacy, and previously served as director of privacy and data governance, privacy officer, and assistant general counsel at Premera Blue Cross. Bender earned his J.D. and Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University, and holds a B.A. in economics from Northwestern University.
Lewis is an accomplished arts executive and fundraiser whose leadership has expanded artistic programming and generated transformative philanthropic support for cultural and educational institutions. He is senior vice president of institutional advancement at Berklee and previously served as president and CEO of Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and vice chancellor for advancement at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he led a campaign that raised more than $75 million. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University, and a Master of Music from the University of Michigan; he is also an accomplished violist.
Nelms is an accomplished education and community leader whose work has expanded student opportunity and advanced urban school transformation. He is vice president of community partnerships at the University of Rochester, and previously served as the founding director of the Warner School’s Center for Urban Education Success, superintendent of East Upper and Lower Schools, and chief of schools for the Rochester City School District. Nelms earned an Ed.D. in K–12 school leadership and an M.S. in educational administration from the University of Rochester, and holds a B.S. in education from SUNY Fredonia.
Gateways Presents a Series of Free Digital Programs
Drawing from more than three decades of performances and artistic history, Gateways will present a series of free digital programs—bringing performances, conversations, and defining moments from the Eastman School of Music and Gateways’ national engagements to audiences across the country and around the world. The series begins October 9 with the livestream of Faculty Artist Series | Celebrating 40 Years: George Taylor in Recital with the Gateways Chamber Players and continues monthly through June 2027 with live broadcasts, encore presentations, and specially curated programs. Highlights include the Gateways Brass Collective on November 9; the Gateways Festival Orchestra’s performance of Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony in Eastman’s Kodak Hall on Giving Tuesday, December 1; Matthew D. Morrison’s BLACKSOUND lecture during Black History Month 2027; and a culminating presentation on June 27, 2027 for the annual Gateways Giving Day. All digital programs are free with registration, with additional presentations to be announced.
Gateways Brass Collective Continues National Performance and Education Initiatives
A pillar of Gateways’ national presence, the Gateways Brass Collective—the only all-Black professional brass quintet in the country—continues its performance and education work this fall with engagements in North Carolina and Florida. On September 17, the ensemble performs at Elizabeth City State University as part of its Community Connections Performance and Lecture Series. From November 25–27, the Collective returns for a third year as a special guest at the Thanksgiving Parade of Bands at Walt Disney World Resort. The Gateways Brass Collective comprises trumpeters Herb Smith and Courtney Jones, horn player Larry Williams, trombonist Isrea Butler, and tuba player Jerome Stover.
Tickets and registration for the 2026 Gateways Fall Festival are now open. Early-bird tickets to select performances are $25 with code EARLYBIRD through September 15. Standard $35 pricing begins September 16.
Visit gatewaysmusicfestival.org for the complete schedule, tickets, and registration.
© Gateways Music Festival, September 2026
2026 GATEWAYS FALL FESTIVAL | October 9–12, 2026
Friday, October 9 | 7:30 pm | Hatch Recital Hall
Faculty Artist Series | Celebrating 40 Years: George Taylor in Recital with the Gateways Chamber Players
Gateways Music Festival and Eastman School of Music celebrate George Taylor’s 40 years at Eastman as professor of viola. Joined by the Gateways Chamber Players, Taylor performs works of personal significance by George Walker, Brahms, Bach, and more in a moving tribute to his enduring artistic and academic impact.
Purchase Tickets | $10
Livestream | Free with RSVP
Saturday, October 10 | 11:00 am | Hatch Recital Hall
SANCTUARY: A Celebration of Black Sacred Music
Gateways turns the stage into a SANCTUARY in this celebration of hymns, spirituals, gospel, sacred jazz, and classical music. Featuring violinist Kersten Stevens, trumpeter Herb Smith and pianist Myron D. Brown, exploring the intersection of Black sacred music and Black artistry in classical music.
Purchase Tickets | $35
$25 with code EARLYBIRD through September 15
Saturday, October 10 | 12:15 pm | Hatch Recital Hall Lobby
Community Fellowship Reception
Festival artists and audiences are invited to gather between programs for conversation and community.
No RSVP required | Free
Saturday, October 10 | 1:00 pm | Hatch Recital Hall
BLACKSOUND: A Paul J. Burgett Lecture and Community Conversation with Matthew D. Morrison
BLACKSOUND explores how Black musical artistry has shaped the sound of America. Led by award-winning musicologist and Stanford professor Matthew D. Morrison, the conversation spans Black expression across classical music and other Western musical traditions to examine race, authorship, cultural ownership, influence, and innovation.
RSVP Required | Free
Saturday, October 10 | 8:00 pm | Kilbourn Hall
Shana Tucker: ChamberSoul
Classically trained cellist and vocalist Shana Tucker brings ChamberSoul—her blend of classical, jazz, soul, folk, and pop—to Gateways. A former Cirque du Soleil performer, Tucker transforms originals, jazz standards, and music made famous by Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder, and others through heartfelt storytelling.
Purchase Tickets | $35
$25 with code EARLYBIRD through September
Sunday, October 11 | 1:00 pm | Hatch Recital Hall
BLACK COMPOSERS. BRILLIANT MUSIC. An Interactive Family Concert with pianist Ric’key Pageot
Bring the children you love to a family concert with pianist Ric’key Pageot, and discover what becomes possible when their ideas enter the room. Through performance and storytelling, they’ll discover music by influential Black composers Florence Price, William Grant Still, and the Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
Purchase Tickets | $35
$25 with code EARLYBIRD through September
Children under 17 | Free
Sunday, October 11 | 5:00 pm | Kilbourn Hall
Piano Recital: Ric’key Pageot’s Classic Black
Continuing Gateways’ tradition of presenting exceptional pianists—rooted in the legacy of founder Armenta Hummings Dumisani—Steinway Artist Ric’key Pageot presents Classic Black, spanning three centuries of music by Black composers, revealing the depth, range, and endurance of the classical tradition through a captivating evening of solo piano.
Purchase Tickets | $35
$25 with code EARLYBIRD through September
Monday, October 12 | 8:30 am – 6:30 pm | Eastman School of Music, various locations
Young Musicians Institute: Rochester Day for Strings
The Young Musicians Institute: Rochester Day for Strings invites string players ages nine and older with at least one year of study to spend a free, immersive day with Gateways teaching artists. Through master classes, sectionals, improvisation, and rehearsal, students deepen their artistry and perform together.
Register | Free for participants
Young Musicians Institute: Showcase
Monday, October 12 | 6:30 pm | Kilbourn Hall
Celebrate young string players in a free concert featuring music they’ve learned and co-created during Gateways’ inspiring Young Musicians Institute: Rochester Day for Strings.
RSVP Required | Free
Visit GatewaysMusicFestival.org for a complete listing of upcoming events.
For high-resolution photos and promotional materials, click here.
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CONTACT:
Eastman School of Music
Lauren Sageer | Associate Director of Public Relations
lsageer@esm.rochester.edu | 585-451-8492
Gateways Music Festival
Kersten Stevens | Head of Marketing
press@gatewaysmusicfestival.org
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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 and EMMY Award 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 and beyond. Additionally, over 1,700 community members, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.
About Gateways Music Festival:
Founded in 1993 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by concert pianist Armenta Hummings Dumisani, Gateways Music Festival was established as a space where Black classical musicians could gather in affirmation, artistry, and fellowship. What began as a local convening has grown into a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating Black artistry in classical music, and inspiring communities through the power of performance.
For more than thirty years, Gateways has created opportunities for Black classical artists to connect, collaborate, and perform at the highest artistic level while welcoming audiences of all backgrounds into meaningful cultural exchange. Through festivals, residencies, ensembles, education initiatives, and national broadcasts, Gateways uplifts excellence, sustains the living tradition of Black classical artistry, and affirms the essential contributions of Black artists across the classical music landscape.
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.