Eastman School of Music, of the University of Rochester, is pleased to share that Katharine Schimmer has been named to the newly created position of Associate Dean For Artistic Planning.
Beginning June 9, 2025, Schimmer will work with leadership, faculty, staff, guest artists, and students at Eastman, and throughout the University, to implement a wholistic and strategic approach to Eastman’s concert season and related events. Her work will include festivals, conferences, and collaborative endeavors that span interdisciplinary or cross-departmental initiatives, while also building capacity for local and national performances.
“I am delighted that Katharine is joining Eastman at an exciting time for the school. Her experience at The Philadelphia Orchestra, working with musicians, audiences, and community members to implement meaningful initiatives will be a perfect fit for us,” states Kate Sheeran, Joan and Martin Messinger Dean at Eastman. “This new role will help to seamlessly tie together our educational mission, performance season, and key partnerships. Our students’ experience will be all the richer, and we are looking forward to bringing music from Eastman to even more people in Rochester and beyond.”
Prior to her appointment at Eastman, Schimmer was the Director of Strategic Initiatives at The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts, where, among other projects, she spearheaded the dedication of Marian Anderson Hall and played a central role for the Orchestra’s musicians and guest artists. During her decade with the organization, she also served as Manager of Artist Services and Assistant Artistic Administrator, focusing on artistic logistics, working with the Music Director, and developing collaborations with partners such as the National Science Foundation, NASA and the National Portrait Gallery.
Schimmer has also held positions with the San Francisco Symphony, the Boston Symphony, singer-songwriter James Taylor, and the Berkshire Theatre Group. She holds a master’s degree from the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania and is a magna cum laude graduate of Tufts University and the New England Conservatory.
“I am honored and excited to be joining the Eastman community,” shares Katharine Schimmer. “It is a storied institution, and I am looking forward to contributing to its bright future.”
Media Only: Jessica Kaufman, Executive Director of Marketing & Communications,
(585) 278-4743, jkaufman@esm.rochester.edu
###
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 winners, Emmy 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 900 concerts to the Rochester community. Additionally, more than 1,700 members of the Rochester community, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.
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.