The view from the Archive

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June 26th-July 3rd: Opening of the ESM’s first Summer Session

On the morning of Monday, June 26th, 1922, the Eastman School’s first-ever summer session opened its doors to students

April 24th-30th: An eclectic operatic double-bill at the Festival of American Music

on April 27th and 28th, 1959, the Eastman School’s Opera Workshop staged The Hunted, a chamber opera in one act by composition postgraduate Martin Mailman.

April 17th-23rd: Tribute to Rayburn Wright: three decades of Eastman Jazz      

On April 21st, 1990, a special concert promoted as “Three Decades of Eastman Jazz: A Tribute to Rayburn Wright” celebrated the life and career of the late Rayburn Wright, who had died several weeks earlier.

April 10th-16th: Milestone production of The Marriage of Figaro

On April 10th and 12th, 1948, Mozart’s beloved comic opera The Marriage of Figaro was staged in Kilbourn Hall, marking the Eastman School’s first complete production of this opera.

April 3rd- 8th: Sir Georg Solti conducts the Eastman Philharmonia

On the afternoon of Tuesday, April 7th, 1987, the Eastman Philharmonia performed under the direction of renowned conductor Sir Georg Solti

March 27th- April 2nd:The “Q” Club makes its dramatic debut in Kilbourn Hall

On April 1st, 1939, a select group of Eastman students became Thespians when their newly founded club staged Samson Raphaelson’s play Accent on Youth in Kilbourn  Hall.  

March 20th-26th: Fennell conducts the U of R Symphony Band

On March 23rd, 1936, Fred Fennell conducted the second annual concert of the University of Rochester Symphony Band in the Eastman Theater.

March 13th-19th: Rossini’s The Italian Girl in Algiers

On March 19th, 1971, Rossini’s opera The Italian Girl in Algiers (L’Italiana in Algeri) opened in the Eastman Theater for a two-night run.

March 6th-12th: “Stravinsky Week” at Eastman

Fifty seven years ago this week, five days in March, 1966 were officially known as “Stravinsky Week” at the Eastman School of Music,

February 27th-March 5th: New Eastman Symphony

On the evening of Monday, March 2nd, 1998, a unique student orchestra gave a concert under Brad Lubman’s direction in Kilbourn Hall. 

February 20th-26th: Symphony by William Grant Still

It seems appropriate during Black History Month to take note of a performance given in Kilbourn Hall eighty-four years ago this week, on the evening of February 23rd, 1939, of a new Symphony by William Grant Still (1895-1978)

February 13th-19th: Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande

On February 13th and 14th, 1950, the Opera Workshop of the Eastman School staged Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, marking the Eastman School’s first production of this opera in its entirety.

February 6th-13th: Eastman Wind Ensemble debut concert

On February 8th, 1953, the Eastman Wind Ensemble made its public debut with a concert in Kilbourn Hall

Dec 12th – 18th: Dr. Mann and Dr. Weinert, photographed by Louis Ouzer

Twenty-four years ago this week, on December 16th, 1998, photographer Louis Ouzer photographed Dr. Mann and Dr. Weinert at the Eastman School of Music

Dec 5th – 11th: Performances of George Frederic Handel’s Messiah

On the evenings of Friday, December 7th, 1981 and Friday, December 9th, 1983, the Eastman Chorale performed the George Frederic Handel’s beloved oratorio Messiah under conductor Donald Neuen

Nov 14th – 20th: Carnegie Hall debuts by two Eastman School ensembles

This week we mark two anniversaries of the first-ever Carnegie Hall appearances by two Eastman School ensembles.

Oct 24th-30th: Reconstruction of ballad opera The Disappointment (1767)

On October 29th and 30th, 1976, performing forces and an artistic team from the Eastman School mounted two performances of the newly reconstructed The Disappointment at the Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress

Oct 17th – 23rd: Benny Carter guest appearance with EJE and ENJE

On the evening of Friday, October 18th, 1996, the renowned Benny Carter appeared in concert with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble and the Eastman New Jazz Ensemble

Oct 10th – 16th: “Painting with Sound” makes its debut on Rochester TV

On the evening of Saturday, October 13th, 1956, a television series featuring Eastman School musicians made its debut on station WROC-TV (channel 5) in Rochester

Oct 3rd – 9th: ’Evening at Eastman’ makes its debut on the air

On the evening of Monday, October 6th, 1958, a new radio program comprised explicitly of Eastman School content made its debut on station WVET-AM in Rochester.

Sep 26th – Oct 2nd: Howard Hanson at the UNESCO Fourth General Conference.

Seventy-three years ago this week, in late September, 1949, Eastman School Director Howard Hanson was in Paris serving as a U.S. delegate to the Fourth General Conference of UNESCO. 

July 11th – 17th: Miss New York & Opera Under the Stars

On July 14th, 1972, an Eastman School student earned a distinction not in the musical world, but in the realm of beauty pageants.

July 4th – 10th: Eastman’s fourth annual Recording Institute in session

fifty-one years ago this week the Eastman School’s fourth annual Recording Workshop was in session.

June 26th – July 3rd: American Harp Society’s 6th annual conference

Fifty-three years ago this week, harp performance and pedagogy were much in evidence when the Eastman School hosted the American Harp Society’s sixth national conference, which took place on June 26th-29th, 1969

May 23rd – 29th: Anti-war activity & weekly dozen

On May 24th and May 27th, 1970, a pair of concerts were mounted in the Eastman Theater to raise funds for the national circulation of an anti-war petition that had been written by two University of Rochester faculty members.

May 16th – 22nd: Howard Hanson’s Merry Mount

Sixty-seven years ago this week, on Monday and Tuesday, May 16th and 17th, 1955, Howard Hanson’s opera Merry Mount was produced at the Eastman School’s annual Festival of American Music.

May 9th – 15th: Eastman String Quartet & the “new” Sibley Music Library

On May 9th, 1960, the members of the Eastman String Quartet returned from their nine-week tour that had taken them to Southern Europe, the Near East, and Northern Africa.

May 2nd – 8th: Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer & Ruth Watanabe

Forty-nine years ago this week, the renowned Thad Jones appeared as guest conductor and soloist with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble

April 25th-May 1st: The first American Composers’ Concert

On May 1st, 1925, a “Concert of New Works by American Composers” took place in the Eastman Theater, marking the first of what would be named the American Composers’ Concerts at the Eastman School

April 18th-24th: Clark Terry with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble

On Wednesday, April 23rd, 1980, trumpeter Clark Terry was the featured guest soloist with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble.  Professor Rayburn Wright, BM ’43, was the conductor. 

April 11th-17th: Jack End@Festival of American Music & EJE

On Tuesday, April 16th, 1946, a young faculty member and his student ensemble were invited to the stage at that year’s Festival of American Music

April 4th-10th: Memorial service for MLK & EWE gala concert

On April 9th, 1969, Director Walter Hendl called an all-School Convocation for a special memorial service honoring the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

March 28th-April 3rd: OSSIA does John Cage’s Song Books

Twenty-one years ago this week, on Friday, March 30th, 2001, “We connect Satie with Thoreau” was the leitmotif and overarching theme when OSSIA took the stage with a knock-out performance of John Cage’s Song Books

March 21st-27th: Marian McPartland’s first visit to Eastman

On March 23rd, 1971, Marian McPartland played a swingin’ session at the Eastman School of Music, marking her first documented visit to the school

March 14th-20th: Rudolf Serkin, Carl Fischer Archive

Fifty years ago this week, beloved concert pianist Rudolf Serkin made a guest appearance at the Eastman School.

March 7th-11th: Stravinsky Week, Guarneri Quartet & more

Fifty six years ago this week, five days in March, 1966 were officially known as “Stravinsky Week” at the Eastman School of Music,

February 28th-March 6th: Kilbourn hall, Khachaturian Week, Oliver Nelson & more

One hundred years ago this week, on March 3rd and 4th, 1922, Kilbourn Hall was formally opened to the public,

February 21st- 27th: Eastman Philharmonia homecoming, Eastman Jazz Ensemble

On February 25th, 1962, the 87 members of the Eastman Philharmonia and their accompanying entourage flew home to the U.S.A.

February 14th- 20th: Eastman Philharmonia, Isaac Stern, Demolition on Gibbs Street

Sixty years ago this week, the members of the Eastman Philharmonia were approaching the end of their landmark three-month tour.

February 7th-13th: EWE, Perendecki’s Partita, William Warfield & more

Sixty-nine years ago this week, the Eastman Wind Ensemble made its public debut with a Sunday afternoon concert in Kilbourn Hall.

January 31st-February 6th: Myra Hess, Eastman Philharmonia & Harold C. Schonberg

Eighty-nine years ago this week, on January 31st, 1933, English pianist Myra Hess appeared in recital in Kilbourn Hall.

January 24th-30th: Eastman Philharmonia in USSR & Weekly dozen

Sixty years ago this week, the 87 members of the Eastman Philharmonia were in Moscow, beginning their four-week sojourn in the USSR.

January 17th-23rd: Eastman Philharmonia, Janet Baker, Ron Carter & more

Sixty years ago this week, the members of the Eastman Philharmonia were more than halfway through their landmark tour of Europe, the Middle East, and the Soviet Union

December 20th-26th: Eastman Philharmonia in Cyprus

Sixty years ago this week, the members of the Eastman Philharmonia were continuing their landmark tour of Europe and the Middle East.

December 13th-19th: Eastman Philharmonia, Die Schweigsame Frau & more

On December 17 and 18, 1970,   EOT scored yet another milestone with a production of Richard Strauss’ seldom performed Die Schweigsame Frau.

December 6th-12th: Eastman Philharmonia on tour & more

On December 6th, Eastman Philharmonia travelled to Rennes, principal city of Brittany and a sister city of Rochester, New York

November 29th- December 5th:The Weekly Dozen

A glimpse back at events in the school’s concert calendar in the past century.

November 22nd-28th:The Eastman Philharmonia & Jazz Ensemble

on November 24th, 1961, the members of the Eastman Philharmonia departed from Rochester to begin a landmark tour..

November 15th-21st: Rochester American Opera Co. debut & more

On November 20th, 1924, the Rochester American Opera Company made its public debut with a Mussorgsky/Leoncavallo double bill in the Eastman Theater.

November 8th-14th: Fiftieth Anniversary Season and more

Fifty years ago this week, an important faculty premiere took place in Kilbourn Hall when members of the Eastman Quartet gave the premiere performance of Warren Benson’s Capriccio for violin, viola, violoncello and piano.

November 1st-7th: Rochester American Opera Company & more

On November 1st through 6th, 1926, an ambitious Eastman-based group known as the Rochester American Opera Company performed each night in Kilbourn Hall.

October 25th-31st: Marian McPartland at Eastman

On October 29th, 1972, renowned jazz pianist Marian McPartland (1918-2013) was photographed while working with Eastman students in the classroom.

October 18th-24th: UN Concerts & Karel Husa

October 23rd, 1970, ESM Director Walter Hendl conducted the Eastman Philharmonia in what had by then become an annual event at Eastman: a United Nations Concert.

October 11th-17th: Day of Moratorium & more

On October 15th, 1969, a large-scale demonstration known officially as the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam was staged in many cities and towns.

October 4th-10th: The Gordon String Quartet

October 10th, 1927, the the Gordon String Quartet made its first appearance at the Eastman School of Music in a Kilbourn Hall recital.

September 27th-October 3rd: The Note Book and more

On September 27th, 1921, one hundred years ago this week, an occasional issue of The Note Book was published and was circulated to students.

September 20th-26th: Robert Freeman inauguration and more

The inauguration of Robert Freeman as the Eastman School’s fourth Director on September 20th, 1973 marked the beginning of a new era for the school.

School opens, David Burge, Verne Reynolds and The Weekly Dozen

On September 19th, 1921, the Eastman School of Music opened its doors for instruction and welcomed students into the building.

Gateways, Howard Hanson Plaza, and more firsts

On September 10th, 1995, the third annual Gateways Music Festival concluded with a gala concert in the Eastman Theater…

Eastman Theatre Grand Opening

On Monday September 4th, 1922, which happened also to be Labor Day, the Eastman Theater was opened to the public for the first time.

Renovation and new construction

On August 27th, 1975, this workman was part of a team who were sandblasting the Eastman School’s façade, the first phase of work in a two-year renovation project.