Eastman International Piano Festival: April 20-26
ROCHESTER, NY — The 2018 Eastman International Piano Festival will take place April 20-26 at the Eastman School of Music. The festival includes the Eastman Piano Competition, guest master classes, as well as a performance by guest artist Murray Perahia, as part of the Fernando Laires Piano Series.
The Eastman Piano Competition winner is given The Douglas Lowry Award, named in memory of former Eastman School of Music Dean Douglas Lowry. Dean Lowry became the sixth head of the Eastman School in 2007 and was named the first Joan and Martin Messinger Dean in 2011. A composer, conductor, and academic leader, Lowry, was committed to raising the profile of Eastman events and special programs around the country, most notably New York City.
The award bearing his name is presented each academic year to a graduate student majoring in piano to recognize outstanding levels of performance and creativity and provide the recipient the opportunity to present a recital in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The award is sponsored by the George D. and Frieda B. Abraham Foundation.
The final round of the 2018 Eastman Piano Competition, part of the International Piano Festival held April 20-26, will take place on Saturday, April 21 at 8:00 p.m. in Kilbourn Hall at the Eastman School of Music. Both rounds of the competition are free and open to the public.
Full Schedule of events includes:
- Friday, April 20, 10 a.m.: Eastman Piano Competition (Preliminary Round); Kilbourn Hall; 20-minute performances per student
- Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m and 2 p.m..: Guest master classes by members of the jury; Kilbourn Hall
- Saturday, April 21, 8 p.m.: Eastman Piano Competition (Final Round); Kilbourn Hall
- Wednesday, April 25, 8 p.m.: Murray Perahia (as part of the Fernando Laires Piano Series); Kilbourn Hall (Tickets Required)
- Thursday, April 26, 11 a.m.: Murray Perahia master class; Kilbourn Hall
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About Eastman School of Music:
The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman’s dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training. The current dean is Jamal Rossi, appointed in 2014.
About 900 students are enrolled in Eastman’s Collegiate Division—about 500 undergraduate and 400 graduate students. Students come from almost every state, and approximately 20 percent are from other countries. They are guided by more than 95 full-time faculty members. Six alumni and three faculty members have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music, as have numerous GRAMMY Awards. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members, and guest artists present more than 700 concerts to the Rochester community.
