Eastman School of Music Chamber Music Department

The Kilbourn Quartet (Chloe Yofan, Emilie Tupper, Wednesday Hsu, and Noah Janowicz) introduced RCSD School #15 second and third graders to string quartets and the art of composition with their recent mini-residency and interactive performance at the Winton Road Public Library. Joined by Clayton Trumbell and Adrian Jackson, the quartet's Chamber Music Certificate Capstone Project was a huge success! Bravo to all and thanks to teacher Eric Williamson at School 15 and the ESM Institute for Music Leadership for supporting this project. 👏

Emma Milan, Cole Leonard, and Tony Chen played the first movement of the Arensky Trio for pianist Seth Knopp on Saturday. Great job to the trio!

Only a few days left until we begin our 2022 James E. Clark Chamber Music Residency featuring former members of the Cleveland Quartet. First up: a chamber music masterclass at 5pm Friday April 1, given by former second violinist and quartet guru Peter Salaff. All events are free and open to the public, and a complete schedule of events can be found here:
https://www.esm.rochester.edu/chamber/

We are so excited to welcome members of the Cleveland Quartet back to town this coming weekend (violinists Donald Weilerstein and Peter Salaff, violists Martha Strongin Katz, Atar Arad, and James Dunham, and cellist Paul Katz). Join us for a 3-day celebration of this legendary quartet's contributions to chamber music and to the musical history of Eastman. There will be masterclasses, private coachings, panel discussions, and even a movie screening--all part of the annual Dr. James E. Clark Chamber Music Residency. Complete schedule to come!

Congratulations are in order to two duos from the Duo Piano class here at Eastman. The Tseng/Borick and Chen/Park Piano Duos were both named finalists in the MTNA–Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano Competition this month. They will both represent ESM in the national (virtual) competition in March.
Bravo and good luck to both!

IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD begins Season 13 on Sunday, 10/24 at 7:30pm at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Admission is a donation of non-perishable food items or cash, directly benefitting Foodlink. Profs. Mark Kellogg, Christopher Azzara, Jeff Campbell, Melissa Matson and Mimi Hwang are among the performers.

Congratulations to all the performers on yesterday's wonderful Morning Chamber Music concert! A full house welcomed back Alumnus Curtis Smith ('08) who joined current students Boubacar Diallo, Gavin Gray, Chihiro Kakashima, Aditi Prakash and current faculty members Renée Jolles, Bob Sneider, Janet Ying, Phillip Ying, and David Ying for music ranging from Marvin Gaye to Mendelssohn. So exciting to have audiences back in the building!

Congratulations to the Sequoia Reed Quintet (candidates for the Certificate in Chamber Music) on their performance last night at the Fringe Festival! If you missed it, you can catch their repeat performance this Thursday, 9/23, at 7:30pm again at the Dawn Lipson Canalside Stage at the Jewish Community Center. For tickets go to www.rochesterfringe.com

So wonderful to see a full house at today's chamber music departmental informational meeting! Welcome back students and here's to a great semester of chamber music study and performance!

Congratulations to all the chamber music students who performed in their final concerts yesterday. Lots of wonderful music, beautifully performed! Thank you to all the students for your hard work, dedication, and perseverance during this very difficult semester.

As we head into the final week of classes, Eastman chamber music groups are getting to share the music that they've worked hard on all semester. Here are Claire An (vln), Mac Taback (cello), and Michele Wong (piano) [with Leo Matsuoka as the fearless page turner 🙂] playing Beethoven's "Archduke" Trio virtually for clinical workers and staff at the University of Rochester's Medical Center. Thank you to Eastman's Performing Arts Medicine program for sponsoring this concert!

When clarinetist Erica Smith graduates this May, she will be part of the first cohort of seniors receiving the "Certificate of Achievement in Chamber Music." For her Certificate Capstone Project, she designed "Harmonies for Healing," a initiative that will bring her recorded performances of chamber music to the bedsides of patients in three local hospice/palliative care facilities. With a grant from the Institute for Music Leadership Grant and Mentorship Program, Erica will also purchase technology that will stay at each care facility and provide a means for the project to continue beyond her time at Eastman. Bravo to Erica who's making the world "ever better!"