Eastman School of Music
Encyclopedia
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory
located in Rochester, New York
. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester
. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist
George Eastman
, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company.
Today, there are more than 900 students enrolled in the collegiate division of the Eastman School (approximately 500 undergraduate and 400 graduate students). Students come from almost every state of the United States
, and approximately 25% of students are from foreign countries.
Each year about 260 new students enroll (approximately 135 freshmen and 125 graduate students), selected from more than 2,000 applicants. Only about 13 percent of applicants are admitted.
About 1,000 students (ranging in age from 18 years to over 80 years of age) are enrolled in the Eastman School’s Community Music School.
In the 1997 and 2004 surveys conducted by U.S. News & World Report
, the Eastman School was ranked first among graduate school music programs in the United States
. In 1994, Eastman tied with The Juilliard School and the Jacobs School of Music
of Indiana University
among the top graduate programs in music.
, a Norwegian pianist, was the school's first director. He was succeeded by composer Howard Hanson
in 1924, who had an enormous impact on the development of the school, holding his post for four decades and continuing his involvement at Eastman after his retirement.
In the most recent U.S. News & World Report
rankings of speciality areas among music schools in the United States, Eastman was given the following ratings:
was appointed director of the school in 1924. Dr. Hanson is credited for transforming the Eastman School into one of the most prestigious music conservatories in the world. Upon his retirement in 1964, after serving as director of the school for 40 years, Hanson was then succeeded by conductor Walter Hendl
. Hendl served as director from 1964 to 1972, and was then succeeded by pianist and musicologist Robert Freeman who served from 1972 to 1996. Associate Director Daniel Patrylak served as the acting director from the time of Mr. Hendl’s resignation (May 1972) until Robert Freeman assumed the position in July 1973. Following the resignation of Robert Freeman in 1996, James Undercofler was then appointed Director and Dean of the Eastman School, and held that position until he resigned in 2006 to accept the position of C.E.O. and President of the Philadelphia Orchestra
. Jamal Rossi, an Eastman alumnus, was appointed Interim Dean of the Eastman School in April 2006. On May 21, 2007, composer/conductor Douglas Lowry, formerly the dean of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
, was appointed Dean of the Eastman School, to begin serving on August 1, 2007 http://www.esm.rochester.edu/news/?id=369.
The Eastman Theatre
opened on September 2, 1922 as a center for music, dance, and silent film with orchestral and organ accompaniment. Today, the 3,094-seat theatre is the primary concert hall for the Eastman School's larger ensembles, including its orchestras, wind ensembles, jazz ensembles, and chorale. Also, the Eastman Opera Theatre presents fully staged operatic productions in the theatre each spring. It also is the principal performance venue for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
. A $5 million renovation of the theatre was completed in October 2004. The Theatre is located at 60 Gibbs Street, on the corner of Main and Gibbs Streets. Due to a $10 million donation by Eastman Kodak Inc. in April 2008, the Eastman Theatre was officially renamed "Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre" upon the renovation's completion in 2010.
The Sibley Music Library
—the largest academic music library in North America—is located across the street from the main hall. Hiram Watson Sibley founded the library in 1904 using the fortune he made as first president of Western Union
. It moved to its current location in 1989, and occupies 45,000 square feet (4,000 m²) on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the Miller Center, formerly known as Eastman Place. The Sibley Music Library currently holds almost 750,000 items, ranging from 11th century codices to the latest compositions and recordings. Considered among its jewels are the original drafts of Debussy's impressionistic masterpiece, "La Mer".
The Student Living Center, which is located at 100 Gibbs Street, is the dormitory building of the Eastman School of Music. In 1991, the new building was opened at the corner of Main and Gibbs Streets, replacing the University Avenue dormitories built nearly 70 years earlier. It is a four-story quadrangle and 14-story tower surrounding a landscaped inner courtyard. The majority of students enrolled in the undergraduate program live on campus in this building.
(B.M.) degrees, Master of Arts
(M.A.) degrees, Master of Music
(M.M.) degrees, Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) degrees, and Doctor of Musical Arts
(D.M.A.) degrees in many musical fields. The school also awards a "Performer's Certificate" or "Artist's Diploma" to students who demonstrate exceptionally outstanding performance ability. The Institute for Music Leadership, which was formed in 2001, offers a variety of diploma programs designed to educate and give students the skills and experience necessary to meet the demands of performance and education in today’s changing musical world.
, author and journalist Michael Walsh
, trumpeter Allen Vizzutti
, Canadian Brass co-founder Charles Daellenbach
, and composer Maria Schneider
. Current faculty include musicians and pedagogues like the Ying Quartet
, Katherine Ciesinski
and Paul O'Dette
.
Music school
The term music school refers to an educational institution specialized in the study, training and research of music.Different terms refer to this concept such as school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department or conservatory.Music instruction can be provided...
located in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
George Eastman
George Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company.
Today, there are more than 900 students enrolled in the collegiate division of the Eastman School (approximately 500 undergraduate and 400 graduate students). Students come from almost every state of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and approximately 25% of students are from foreign countries.
Each year about 260 new students enroll (approximately 135 freshmen and 125 graduate students), selected from more than 2,000 applicants. Only about 13 percent of applicants are admitted.
About 1,000 students (ranging in age from 18 years to over 80 years of age) are enrolled in the Eastman School’s Community Music School.
In the 1997 and 2004 surveys conducted by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
, the Eastman School was ranked first among graduate school music programs in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1994, Eastman tied with The Juilliard School and the Jacobs School of Music
Jacobs School of Music
The Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, is a music conservatory established in 1921. Until 2005, it was known as the Indiana University School of Music...
of Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
among the top graduate programs in music.
History
Alfred KlingenbergAlfred Klingenberg
Alf Klingenberg , a Norwegian pianist of great distinction, was the Eastman School of Music´s first director . He was succeeded by composer Howard Hanson in 1924. Klingenberg started the DKG Institute of Musical Art in Rochester 1912. This School would later become the Eastman School of Music....
, a Norwegian pianist, was the school's first director. He was succeeded by composer Howard Hanson
Howard Hanson
Howard Harold Hanson was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American classical music. As director for 40 years of the Eastman School of Music, he built a high-quality school and provided opportunities for commissioning and performing American music...
in 1924, who had an enormous impact on the development of the school, holding his post for four decades and continuing his involvement at Eastman after his retirement.
Rankings
Eastman was named the "Hottest School for Music" in the US by the Kaplan/Newsweek How to get into college guide for 2008.In the most recent U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
rankings of speciality areas among music schools in the United States, Eastman was given the following ratings:
- 1st in instrumental performance
- 1st in piano performance
- 1st in music education
- 1st in composition
- 2nd in conducting
- 2nd in opera/vocal performance
- 2nd in jazz
Administration
Since the founding of the Eastman School of Music in 1921, the school has been directed by six men. Alfred Klingenberg served as the school’s first director from 1921 to 1923. After a one-year interim under Acting Director Raymond Wilson, the young American composer and conductor Howard HansonHoward Hanson
Howard Harold Hanson was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American classical music. As director for 40 years of the Eastman School of Music, he built a high-quality school and provided opportunities for commissioning and performing American music...
was appointed director of the school in 1924. Dr. Hanson is credited for transforming the Eastman School into one of the most prestigious music conservatories in the world. Upon his retirement in 1964, after serving as director of the school for 40 years, Hanson was then succeeded by conductor Walter Hendl
Walter Hendl
Walter Hendl was an American conductor, composer and pianist.-Biography:Hendl was born in West New York, New Jersey, and later went on to study with Fritz Reiner at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. From 1939 to 1941 he taught at Sarah Lawrence College in New York City...
. Hendl served as director from 1964 to 1972, and was then succeeded by pianist and musicologist Robert Freeman who served from 1972 to 1996. Associate Director Daniel Patrylak served as the acting director from the time of Mr. Hendl’s resignation (May 1972) until Robert Freeman assumed the position in July 1973. Following the resignation of Robert Freeman in 1996, James Undercofler was then appointed Director and Dean of the Eastman School, and held that position until he resigned in 2006 to accept the position of C.E.O. and President of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
. Jamal Rossi, an Eastman alumnus, was appointed Interim Dean of the Eastman School in April 2006. On May 21, 2007, composer/conductor Douglas Lowry, formerly the dean of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
The University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music is the performing arts college of the University of Cincinnati and is one of the nation's leading music conservatories. In its most recent rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Cincinnati sixth nationally among university programs...
, was appointed Dean of the Eastman School, to begin serving on August 1, 2007 http://www.esm.rochester.edu/news/?id=369.
- Alfred Klingenberg (Director, 1921–1923)
- Raymond Wilson (Acting Director, 1923–1924)
- Howard HansonHoward HansonHoward Harold Hanson was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American classical music. As director for 40 years of the Eastman School of Music, he built a high-quality school and provided opportunities for commissioning and performing American music...
(Director, 1924–1964) - Walter Hendl (Director, 1964–1972)
- Daniel Patrylak (Acting Director, 1972–1973)
- Robert Freeman (Director, 1973–1996)
- James Undercofler (Acting Director, 1996–1997; Director, 1997–2006)
- Jamal Rossi (Acting Director, 2006–2007)
- Douglas Lowry (Director, 2007–present)
Campus and facilities
The Eastman School occupies parts of five buildings in downtown Rochester, New York. The main hall includes the recently-renovated 3,094-seat Eastman Theater, the 455-seat Kilbourn Hall, and offices for faculty.The Eastman Theatre
Eastman Theatre
The Eastman Theatre is the main building of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, located in downtown Rochester, New York....
opened on September 2, 1922 as a center for music, dance, and silent film with orchestral and organ accompaniment. Today, the 3,094-seat theatre is the primary concert hall for the Eastman School's larger ensembles, including its orchestras, wind ensembles, jazz ensembles, and chorale. Also, the Eastman Opera Theatre presents fully staged operatic productions in the theatre each spring. It also is the principal performance venue for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is an American orchestra based in the city of Rochester, Monroe County, New York. Its primary concert venue is the Eastman Theatre at the Eastman School of Music....
. A $5 million renovation of the theatre was completed in October 2004. The Theatre is located at 60 Gibbs Street, on the corner of Main and Gibbs Streets. Due to a $10 million donation by Eastman Kodak Inc. in April 2008, the Eastman Theatre was officially renamed "Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre" upon the renovation's completion in 2010.
The Sibley Music Library
Sibley Music Library
Sibley Music Library is the library of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY. It was founded in 1904 by Hiram Watson Sibley in honor of his father Hiram Sibley and is currently the largest university music library in the US.-History:...
—the largest academic music library in North America—is located across the street from the main hall. Hiram Watson Sibley founded the library in 1904 using the fortune he made as first president of Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
. It moved to its current location in 1989, and occupies 45,000 square feet (4,000 m²) on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the Miller Center, formerly known as Eastman Place. The Sibley Music Library currently holds almost 750,000 items, ranging from 11th century codices to the latest compositions and recordings. Considered among its jewels are the original drafts of Debussy's impressionistic masterpiece, "La Mer".
The Student Living Center, which is located at 100 Gibbs Street, is the dormitory building of the Eastman School of Music. In 1991, the new building was opened at the corner of Main and Gibbs Streets, replacing the University Avenue dormitories built nearly 70 years earlier. It is a four-story quadrangle and 14-story tower surrounding a landscaped inner courtyard. The majority of students enrolled in the undergraduate program live on campus in this building.
Degrees offered
The school offers Bachelor of MusicBachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
(B.M.) degrees, Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
(M.A.) degrees, Master of Music
Master of Music
The Master of Music is the first graduate degree in Music awarded by universities and music conservatories. The M.Mus. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy...
(M.M.) degrees, Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(Ph.D.) degrees, and Doctor of Musical Arts
Doctor of Musical Arts
The Doctor of Musical Arts degree is a doctoral academic degree in music. The D.M.A. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy. The D.M.A...
(D.M.A.) degrees in many musical fields. The school also awards a "Performer's Certificate" or "Artist's Diploma" to students who demonstrate exceptionally outstanding performance ability. The Institute for Music Leadership, which was formed in 2001, offers a variety of diploma programs designed to educate and give students the skills and experience necessary to meet the demands of performance and education in today’s changing musical world.
Faculty and alumni
Eastman alumni include artists like singer Renée FlemingRenée Fleming
Renée Fleming is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also...
, author and journalist Michael Walsh
Michael Walsh
- Sportspeople :* Michael Walsh , retired English soccer player* Michael Walsh , English football player with Bangor City who played professionally for Chester City...
, trumpeter Allen Vizzutti
Allen Vizzutti
Allen Vizzutti is an American trumpeter, composer and music educator.Allen Vizzutti very recently recorded his first solo jazz album in some time. "Ritzville" which will be available November 1st, as announced by Vizzutti himself...
, Canadian Brass co-founder Charles Daellenbach
Charles Daellenbach
Charles "Chuck" Daellenbach is an American-Canadian tuba player. He is one of the founders of the Canadian Brass and remains the quintet's tuba player.-Early life and personal life:...
, and composer Maria Schneider
Maria Schneider (musician)
Maria Schneider is an American arranger, composer, and big-band leader who has won multiple awards. In 2005, her album Concert in the Garden won a Grammy for "Best Large Ensemble Album"...
. Current faculty include musicians and pedagogues like the Ying Quartet
Ying Quartet
The Ying Quartet is an American string quartet. The Ying siblings from Winnetka, Illinois, formed the quartet in 1988 while studying at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music. The quartet began performing in the farm town of Jesup, Iowa, as the first artists involved in the National...
, Katherine Ciesinski
Katherine Ciesinski
Katherine Ciesinski is a leading American mezzo-soprano, stage director, and voice professor.Ciesinski was born to Delaware Sports Hall of Famer Roman Ciesinski and Katherine Hansen Ciesinski. She is the sister of opera singer Kristine Ciesinski...
and Paul O'Dette
Paul O'Dette
Paul R. O'Dette is an American lutenist, conductor, and music researcher specializing in early music.O'Dette began playing classical guitar, and while in high school also played electric guitar in a rock band in Columbus, Ohio, where he grew up...
.