Christopher Rouse, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer who taught at Eastman from 1981 to 2002, died on Saturday, September 21 in Baltimore of complications from kidney cancer. “Christopher Rouse was one of the world’s foremost composers of the last half-century,” says Jamal Rossi, the Joan and Martin Messinger Dean of the Eastman School of Music. “With…
Music schools and conservatories face constant challenges, from attracting students across the world, to offering relevant curricula, to seeking out funding to support their endeavors. Participants from around the country gathered for the Eastman Leadership Conference on June 21 – 24, 2017. Outstanding presentations, interactive work sessions, conversations, and social events highlighted this conference dedicated…
The renowned composer Dr. Eric Ewazen (BM ’76) was celebrated as an honored alumnus during Meliora Weekend at Eastman. Ewazen’s visit included a master class of his music performed by Eastman students on Friday, October 9, and receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award during Saturday afternoon’s Brass Cavalcade (October 10). As a brass player and performer…
Happy 200th birthday to Adolphe Sax (1814 – 1894), the Belgian musical instrument designer who invented the saxophone, which he patented on June 28, 1846. He is shown above next to a photograph of four of his surviving original instruments. In the ensuing 165 years, the saxophone has become an essential part of military…
The appointment of Jamal J. Rossi as the Joan and Martin Messinger Dean of the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music was formally celebrated today, Sunday, Oct. 26, during a ceremony in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. In his remarks, Rossi described the event as “our day to celebrate the future of our school.” …
I remember meeting the dean for the first time, in the Eastman Student Living Center. I was naught but a callow freshman, reeling from the thought of having to start school over again, when I was greeted warmly by the Joan and Martin Messinger Dean of the Eastman School of Music—Douglas Lowry. His wit, sincerity,…
Grade schools used to talk of teaching the Three Rs: reading, (w)riting, and ‘rithmetic. For the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year at Eastman, talking about the Three Cs might be more appropriate. On this coming Tuesday, September 2, the following “C”s will be prominent: CLASSES. International, freshman, and returning students are all here and…