University of Rochester

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Eastman School of Music have agreed to postpone all RPO concerts in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre effective immediately through April 15.

A statement from the RPO notes that following Governor Andrew Cuomo declaring a ‘state of emergency’ over the weekend, the University of Rochester issued plans to restrict campus events, including Eastman Theatre, in an attempt to limit the impact of the coronavirus.

In the late 1880s, the Edison Manufacturing company was producing wax cylinders for their Ediphone. These wax cylinders were fragile, wore out quickly, and the audio quality was much to be desired. However, for the first time, we were able to record live music, store that recording, and play it back at our leisure.  In 1982, the compact disc popularized digital audio, and we’ve since continued to push the limits of quality and immersion when it comes to digital audio recordings.

(This story has been updated to reflect an interview CITY had with Eastman School of Music Dean Jamal Rossi on Wednesday, October 30.)

Facing harsh public criticism, the dean of the Eastman School of Music backpedaled Tuesday on a plan to remove three South Korean students from an upcoming orchestral tour of China to appease that country’s conditions for the tour.

Acclaimed American composer Dominick Argento died Wednesday in Minnesota.  He was 91.

In a 2016 interview, the Pulitzer Prize-winning  composer had advice for younger composers: "Look for a community that needs you."

City of Rochester officials are still interested in pushing for a downtown performing arts center, but reports indicate that instead of looking at Parcel 5 on Main Street as the location, they are now focused on the site of the Rochester Riverside Hotel.  According to CITY Newspaper, partners in the project include Dave Christa, RBTL and the Riverside Convention Center.  Media reports indicate that developers would look at tearing down the hotel, and in its place putting up a Broadway-style theater, along with a smaller theater, a new hotel and housing and retail space.  

To those who knew him, Paul Burgett was a professional encourager.

In the video below, see him tell his story.

It starts with his arrival as a student at the Eastman School of Music in 1964, where he entered what he called the "fiery furnace."

 We must all enter the fiery furnace, he says.

A well-known figure in the University of Rochester community  has died. Paul Burgett died Wednesday after a brief illness, he was 72.