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…
Eastman DMA students Shangru Du and Jonathan Mamora are among an exceptional group of pianists competing at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, TX from May 21-June 7, 2025. The concluding rounds of this year’s competition include 28 musicians, narrowed from 340 applicants representing 45 countries. Those reaching the finals will have played four+ hours…
Congratulations to recent Eastman graduate Alexander Lehmann ’25E for winning the Tallon Perkes Flute Competition on May 9, 2025, performing the Prokofiev Sonata first movement for his solo piece, in addition to the memorized Mozart concerto exposition and excerpts. The jury was comprised of this year’s clinician, Timothy Hutchins, principal flute of the Montreal Symphony,…
Congratulations to Eastman students Zachary Costello (Master of Music candidate in Saxophone Performance), Kai Gray (undergraduate student in Percussion Performance), and Yanzuo Nicole Liu (Master of Music candidate in Performance and Literature) for winning the 36th Annual Yamaha Young Performing Artists (YYPA) Competition. As winners, they will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the YYPA Celebration…