Argento, from Beginning to End

Dominick Argento during a master class at Eastman in October 2004. Dominick Argento (PhD ‘58) has had a long, productive career as one of America’s best-known and most popular composers of music for the voice. That career began in the 1950s at Eastman, and continued through 14 operas and many vocal works that won him…

Fennell-ebration!

  On Friday, October 17 and on Sunday, October 19, during Eastman Weekend 2014, the community, students, faculty, and visiting alumni were invited to two auspicious occasions celebrating our late, great Eastman Wind Ensemble director and founder, Frederick Fennell.  The Friday afternoon session started with EWE director Mark Scatterday speaking about Fennell’s influence on him…

BRINGING HOME the GOLD

Photographs provided by Peggy Dettwiler: “This is the choir in the Mixed Youth Choir Category at the World Choir Games in Riga, where they received a Gold Medal and third place among 23 choirs from 14 countries.”  Peggy Dettwiler (DMA ’91), director of choral activities at Pennsylvania’s Mansfield University, brought her Mansfield College Concert Choir…

A Premiere with Previn

Conductor of the world’s great orchestras, composer for the concert hall, opera house, movies, Broadway, and the West End, classical and jazz pianist, writer, and television personality, André Previn is one of the most celebrated, distinctive, and varied contemporary musicians in the world.  Tonight, the Eastman Wind Ensemble will be celebrating Andre Previn and his…

Hanging Out with Great Hornists

For about a year, four other Eastman horn players (Nikki Labonte, Chelsea Nelson, Caroline Baker, and Rennie Cotner) and I have been on the lookout for the Berlin Philharmonic ticket sale for their tour performances at Carnegie Hall this month. With a horn section as famous and important as Berlin’s, we knew we couldn’t miss…