Eastman School of Music
Overview
For over 100 years, the has been devoted to the pursuit of the highest level of musical artistry. Founded in 1921, Eastman was the University’s first professional school and 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 . Students can hear and perform the full spectrum of music: from medieval music and opera all the way to jazz and brand-new pieces composed by their fellow students. Here are some highlights:
- The Eastman Philharmonia was founded by Dr. Howard Hanson during the 1958-59 academic year to offer the orchestral department’s outstanding students more 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. Beginning in 1964, the Wind Ensemble was led by Dr. Donald Hunsberger (BM 1954, MM 1959, DMA 1963) and is now led by Dr. Mark Scatterday. Since its founding, the Eastman Wind Ensemble has undertaken numerous tours, both within the U.S. and abroad, and released several groundbreaking albums of wind ensemble music.
- Musica Nova was launched in 1966 as an ensemble dedicated to performing new music and is currently led by Brad Lubman.
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, Eastman offers a one-year Advanced Diploma (AD) in performance. 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 of Music 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.