Legendary jazz composer and performer Dave Brubeck will appear in two events that are free and open to the public during the Eastman School of Music’s upcoming Eastman Weekend.
At 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, in Eastman Theatre, Brubeck will talk about his music and career with Harold Danko, professor and chair of the Eastman School’s Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media Department. At 8 p.m. that evening, Brubeck will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Rochester at the start of a concert in Eastman Theatre. The concert features two of Eastman’s premier ensembles, the Eastman Wind Ensemble and the Eastman Philharmonia. The Eastman Wind Ensemble, under conductor Mark Davis Scatterday, will premiere the wind ensemble version of Jeff Tyzik’s “CityScape” and perform Michael Burritt’s “Duo Concertante.” Burritt, professor of percussion, is one of the newest faculty members at Eastman. The Philharmonia, under director Neil Varon, will present Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.”
Brubeck, born in 1920, has been designated a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress and continues to be one of the most popular musicians in both jazz and classical worlds. Famous for his innovative time signatures, counterpoint, and polyrhythm, he has earned numerous national and international honors for his musical contributions over a six-decade career, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Eastman Weekend combines traditional events such as class reunions and family weekend with lectures, discussions, concerts, and presentations to celebrate the creativity, innovation, scholarship, and lifelong learning that occur within Eastman School’s classrooms and performance halls. The four-day celebration is being held at the same time as the University of Rochester’s Meliora Weekend, Oct. 16 to 19.
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Calendar Listings:
October 18
1 p.m.
A Conversation with Jazz Legend Dave Brubeck. The musician will talk about his career with Eastman School of Music Professor Harold Danko.
Eastman Theatre
Free and open to the public
October 18
8 p.m.
Presentation of honorary degree to Dave Brubeck from the University of Rochester and concert by Eastman Philharmonia and Eastman Wind Ensemble. Program includes Jeff Tyzick’s “CityScape” and Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.”
Eastman Theatre
Free and open to the public