Congratulations to Eastman School of Music students Alex Gagne and Austin Shilling for being top prize winners of the 2025 Nico Toscano Young Musician Competition, placing first in separate divisions. Each was awarded a cash prize of $400 and the opportunity to perform with the Cordancia Chamber Orchestra in 2026. A first-year student from the…
Congratulations to Eastman DMA candidate and cellist Isaac Moorman ’24E (MM) for winning the Jack Heller Young Artist Competition in Tampa, Florida, with pianist and fellow DMA candidate Veniamin Blokh accompanying. As winner of the competition, he will receive a cash prize of $3000 and will be the featured soloist in 3 performances with the…
OCTOBER 28, 2025 | Congratulations to DMA and Artists’ Certificate student Alexander Little for winning first place at the prestigious Albert Schweitzer International Organ Competition in Saarbrucken, Germany earlier this month, taking home a grand prize award of 15,000 euros. APRIL 15, 2025 | Alexander won first place and the “audience prize” at this year’s…
Congratulations to Eastman student Veniamin Blokh for recently placing in the Professional Categories of two prestigious music competitions, receiving a Gold Medal in the Manhattan International Music Competition and taking second prize in the Artists Category of the Pacific Stars International Piano Competition (Online Division), winning a certificate diploma along with an invitation to the…
Congratulations to Eastman student Huiping Cai for recently taking top prize in the Vancouver Piano Sessions Concerto Competition, which welcomed pianists from around the world to submit a single movement, chosen from an official repertoire list. She was 1 of 3 competitors in her age category to advance to the finals, where she performed her…
Congratulations to Eastman DMA candidate Andrew Johnson for recently winning the Alaska Pipe Organ Composition Competition, organized by Sitka Lutheran Church in Sitka, Alaska. Students from high schools, colleges, and universities nationwide submitted their works with specified criteria that entries must incorporate the melody Finlandia, by Jean Sibelius. Andrew’s composition, Fantasy on FINLANDIA, was awarded…
Congratulations to alumni and students of the Eastman School of Music’s Composition Department on their appointments to prominent tenure-track positions beginning this academic year: Nicolas Chuaqui ’21E (DMA) has been appointed Assistant Professor of Composition and Electronic Music at Ithaca College where he also serves as Director of their Electroacoustic Studios. A dedicated teacher and committed…
Congratulations to Eastman School of Music students Nathanael Kumar and Logan Wadley ’23E, ’25E (MM) for competing earlier this month (August) in the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival in Twin Lake Michigan, the country’s only annual solo competition for tuba and euphonium. Both advanced to the semifinal round after a preliminary adjudication of recorded…
Congratulations to recent Eastman graduate Timothy Coene ’25E (MM) for winning the Tenor Saxophone position in the West Point Band, the United States Army’s oldest, active-duty band, officially established in 1817 on the grounds of the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. He will be enlisting in August 2025. Timothy earned his Master…