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Eastman School of Music

Overview

For over 100 years, the Eastman School of Music has been devoted to the pursuit of the highest level of musical artistry. Founded 1921 in Eastman was the University’s first professional school was brought into being due to the generosity of Rochester philanthropist and Eastman Kodak magnate George Eastman.

The School’s tradition of excellence in performance is reflected in its numerous renowned ensembles. Students can hear and perform the full spectrum of music: from opera to jazz, from medieval music to brand-new pieces composed by their fellow students. To name just a few:

  • The Eastman Philharmonia was founded by Dr. Hanson during the 1958-59 academic year to offer the orchestral department’s outstanding students performance opportunities. The Philharmonia’s credits include a three-month European tour (1961-62) under the sponsorship of the U.S. State Department.
  • The Eastman Wind Ensemble was organized in 1952 by Dr. Frederick Fennell (BM 1937, MM 1939) to be a virtuoso ensemble that could perform every type of music written for winds. Since 1964 the Wind Ensemble has been led by Dr. Donald Hunsberger (BM 1954, MM 1959, DMA 1963). It has undertaken numerous tours, both within the U.S. and abroad.
  • Musica Nova was launched in 1966 as an ensemble dedicated to performing new music. The ensemble has performed on tour as well as locally.
  • One of the newer ensembles, the Eastman School’s Balinese gamelan angklung “Lila Muni” (the name means “beautiful sound”) gave its first performance in 1991. The gamelan ensemble members have performed and demonstrated in Toronto and New Hampshire, as well as throughout New York State.

The School’s most well-known alumni have included Academy Award-winning film composer-arranger Alexander Courage (BM 1941), baritone William Warfield (BM 1942), Metropolitan Opera conductor and pianist Richard Woitach (BM 1956), jazz artist Chuck Mangione (BM 1963), and soprano Renée Fleming (MM 1983).

The School offers the degrees bachelor of music (BM), master of music (MM), master of arts (MA), doctor of musical arts (DMA), and doctor of philosophy (PHD). In addition, the performer’s certificate (PC) and the artist’s certificate (AC) both recognize outstanding performance ability. At the graduate level, the MM and DMA degrees are awarded in the field of performance; the MA and the PhD are awarded for research.

The Eastman School was the first music school in the nation to award the DMA degree. In 1951, thanks in large part to Dr. Hanson’s efforts, the National Association of Schools of Music authorized the DMA degree as a professional doctorate in music recognizing doctoral-level work in artistic attainment, with an emphasis on performance and teaching. The first DMA degree ever awarded in the United States was conferred on Eastman candidate Will Gay Bottje in 1955.