In the 19th century, Franz Liszt was a “rock star.” Composer, arranger, transcriber, promoter, author, pianist who drove female audience members into a frenzy—“Lisztomania,” it was called by German poet Heinrich Heine—the artist revolutionized performance with his virtuosity. Generally considered the greatest pianist who ever lived, Liszt is the subject of a three-day event at…
Conductor David Zinman, who was named Distinguished Visiting Artist at the Eastman School of Music in Fall 2016, will be in residence at the school on Feb. 20 and 21. During his visit, Zinman will give a public presentation, conduct rehearsals with Eastman School orchestras, hold a masterclass, and meet with conducting students. Jamal Rossi,…
Updated February 23, 2017 Three Eastman School of Music alumni, Sean D. Connors, Geoff Saunders, and Shane Shanahan, were winners in the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc.’s 59th GRAMMY Awards Sunday, Feb. 12. I Connors (BM 04) is a member of the ensemble Third Coast Percussion, which won the Best Chamber Music…
Jazz pianist and Eastman School of Music professor Bill Dobbins was surprised no one had ever talked to legendary composer/arranger Bill Holman about his life and music. So Dobbins traveled to the California home of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, where he recorded Holman’s reflections on his career and his thoughts on…
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—The University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music has announced the appointments of Chelsea Burns and Orit Hilewicz as faculty members in the Music Theory Department, and of Mara Culp as a faculty member in the Music Teaching and Learning Department. They will begin teaching at Eastman during the 2017-2018 academic year. “I am…
Media Contact: Erik Elmgren, eelmgren@u.rochester.edu The critically acclaimed New York City-based JACK Quartet returns to the Eastman School of Music to present a concert with OSSIA New Music and Musica Nova on Wednesday, February 15, at 8 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The free concert, featuring works by Morton Feldman, Steve Reich, and…
By Kameron Ghanavati Five ordinary people walk into a prison…. No, this is not the beginning of a joke with a clever punch line. Rather, it was the beginning of a life-changing week for a group of five Eastman students and alumni. This winter break, Hannah Harrow (MM ‘18), Stephen Morris (BM ‘17), Kameron Ghanavati…
By Kameron Ghanavati On Thursday, January 19, students from the Eastman Voice Department were selected to perform songs composed by Jake Heggie for an unforgettable Masterclass. Gene Scheer, an Eastman alumnus and current lyricist, was also present to offer insight for the performers. Many of the performers were asked how the text resonates with them…
Fred Sturm By Dan Gross Two area high school band directors plan a tribute concert celebrating renowned jazz composer, arranger and teacher Fred Sturm, who died in August of 2014 following a long battle with cancer, and who directed the Eastman School of Music Department of Jazz and Contemporary Media from 1991 to 2002. Maestro:…
The University, and the city, of Montréal, Quebec by Andrea Schuler, Summer@Eastman Program Coordinator Summer@Eastman Director Dr. Sylvie Beaudette is a native of Québec, but she has lived in the United States for more than half her life. Although she feels quite at home in Rochester, she has returned to her homeland to make and…