Page 8 - Endowment Report 2022 | University of Rochester

Dedicated to music:

Belle Ra and James Marshall ’21E (MM)

JOHN AND MARY CELENTANO ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

James Marshall, a viola player from Washington, and Belle in an orchestra, the conductor calls the shots. In the quartet,
Ra, a cellist from Texas, love all things music—especially we do.” Adds Ra, “Playing chamber music complements the
chamber music. Both are pursuing advanced degrees at experience of being in an orchestra and performing solo,
the Eastman School of Music: Marshall, his doctorate in which is rewarding but can be isolating. In our quartet, we
music, and Ra, her master’s. For the last two years, they work hard and challenge and learn from each other. It has
have been part of Eastman’s graduate chamber seminar, created such a bond between us.”
which has given them opportunities to learn from great
teachers, collaborate with other musicians, and perform It was after a high school performance that Ra knew
recitals in beautiful venues such as the school’s Hatch Hall. she wanted to dedicate her life to music. That’s when an
audience member told her how moved to tears she was by
The musicians’ chamber experience has been funded Ra’s performance. The young musician then realized the
through a scholarship established by John Celentano ’37E, impact of music on people’s lives and knew she wanted to
’41E (MM) and his wife, Mary, who died in 2017. Before pursue a career in it.
his death in 2009, John Celentano was a violinist and
professor emeritus of chamber music at Eastman. The Ra was drawn to Eastman for its reputation and because
Celentanos were passionate about supporting chamber she wanted to study with one particular instructor: Steven
music and the opportunity for talented musicians to study Doane. “He is a great performer and teacher,” says Ra, who
with world-class faculty.
is also a recipient of the Lowell and Sally Weitkamp Merit
Scholarship Fund. “I play better because of him, and, by
Marshall and Ra are doing both. As a result of being in the
graduate seminar, they have participated in several chamber example, he teaches me pedagogical skills.”
groups and are now playing together in a piano quartet.
Their instructors coach them, but all the musical decisions Marshall felt similarly called to play music, having fallen in
are up to them. The foursome plays music by a range love with the viola’s deep sound during a summer music
of musicians, too, from Debussy, a 19th-century French camp in high school. At Eastman, Marshall studies with
composer, to contemporary composers like Danny Elfman, Masumi Per Rostad. “I met him at a winter camp in 2019
who has scored more than 100 feature films. and was captivated by his performance,” he says. “Learning
from Professor Per Rostad has transformed my playing,
Chamber music dates back to the late 17th century as a given me a new way of thinking about music, and taught me
form of classical music composed for a small group of how to play to the audience.” After completing his studies,
instruments, usually a trio, quartet, or quintet. It started with Marshall plans to pursue performing and teaching.
such greats as Bach, Haydn, and Mozart, and it was usually
played in a palace chamber or a large room. Because of the Celentano scholarship, Marshall and Ra can
focus full-time on their music and do not need to work part-
“In a chamber group, there’s no one to cover us, which time jobs or take out additional loans. Both are incredibly
provides a very different experience than playing in an grateful. “I can attend Eastman because of the support of
orchestra,” says Marshall. “I enjoy both types of playing, but people like the Celentanos,” says Ra.

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