Congratulations to Eastman Theory PhD students Ruixue Hu and Evan Martschenko for receiving honors from the national Society for Music Theory. Ruixue is a winner of the SMT-40 Dissertation Fellowship Award, which will support the completion of “Harmony in Diversity 和⽽不同: Theorizing Form, Performance, and Aesthetics in Traditional Qin Music.” Evan won honorable mention for…
Congratulations to the winners of Eastman‘s second annual songSLAM, held on Saturday, February 7 in Sproull Atrium at the Miller Center. Hosted by Associate Professor of Vocal Coaching Alison d’Amato, participants in this year’s competition included Eastman alumni and students, with eleven world premieres launched with impeccable performances, embodying a wide range of styles, languages,…
FEBRUARY 10, 2026 | Congratulations to Matthew Figel ’19E, ’22E (MM) for advancing to the Eastern Division of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist piano competition where he won second place. DECEMBER 3, 2025 | Three Eastman students from the studios of Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers were recognized at this year’s New York State…
Congratulations to first-year Eastman DMA student and classical guitarist Bruno Guedea ’25E (MM) for being accepted into the Guitar Foundation of America’s (GFA) 2026 Mentorship Program. As a mentee, he will participate in virtual career development workshops with leading figures in the classical guitar community, and attend the Guitar Foundation of America’s 2026 Convention and…
Congratulations to concert organist and Eastman DMA student Aaron Tan on the release of ten recordings featuring works from the largely forgotten early 20th-century organ collection, L’Orgue Moderne, curated by French pedagogues Charles-Marie Widor and Alexandre Guilmant. Supported initially by a Mentorship Grant from the Institute for Music Leadership at the Eastman School of Music,…
Congratulations to Master of Music student Joel Hoo who recently won an award at the Midwest Flim Festival for his score to Wind Walker, directed by Daniel Zhang. A composer, improviser, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, Joel has had his works performed nationwide at venues including San Francisco’s Heron Arts and Los Angeles’s Walt Disney Concert…
DECEMBER 10, 2025 | Congratulations to Eastman clarinetist and current master’s student Zhiwei “Victor” Ni ’24E for winning the clarinet position in the Albany Symphony Orchestra, beginning in 2026. He will join master’s clarinet student Daniel Ketter who currently serves as principal clarinet. Zhiwei is from the studio of Professor Michael Wayne. OCTOBER 21,…
DECEMBER 9, 2025 | Congratulations to baritone saxophonist and woodwind doubler Allison Young, chosen as one of five winners of the Jazz Education Network’s 2026 Sisters in Jazz Competition. In January, Allison will attend the 17th annual JEN Conference in New Orleans where she will rehearse and perform with the selected quintet, directed by world-renowned…
Congratulations to media composition graduate student Joe Osterstock, who has been recognized in the 2025 American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) competition. His piece Aria for piano trio earned second place in the Pat Williams Composing and Arranging division, along with a $500 prize. Joe is currently studying at the Eastman School of Music’s…