The Eastman School of Music, of the University of Rochester, is pleased to announce several details of the 2024-25 Eastman Presents season. The concerts are organized into five categories: the Kilbourn Concert Series, the Eastman Piano Series, the Eastman-Ranlet Series, the Barbara B. Smith World Music Series and the Kodak Hall Series. These performances feature some of the world’s greatest artists performing in the spectacular halls of the Eastman School of Music: the acoustic and historic splendor of Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre; Kilbourn Hall, one of the finest chamber music halls in the world; and Hatch Recital Hall, a gorgeous, modern performance space. In addition to the five aforementioned series, several Faculty Artist Series concerts featuring members of Eastman’s esteemed faculty will take place throughout the season. As in years past, stay tuned for additional concerts to be added throughout the season.

Tickets to all concerts are now available at EastmanTheatre.org or by calling 585-274-3000.

“Once again, we are thrilled to present an extraordinary array of international artists as part of the 2024-25 season of Eastman Presents, many of whom are making their debuts on our stages,” shares Mike Stefiuk, Director of Concert Operations. “There may be some names that are new to you, but I invite you to experience the creativity and artistry of all of these guests as a community of one.”

Kilbourn Concert Series in Kilbourn Hall

William Prince | Friday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m.

“William Prince’s voice stopped me in my tracks.” (Paste Magazine) Guided by a practical yet profound gratitude, William Prince’s songs convey the power of wonder and humility. Prince’s career trajectory is marked by accolades and milestones: an opening slot for Neil Young, a JUNO Award, a Tiny Desk and a return to the studio with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb.

Endea Owens and The Cookout | Friday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Known as one of jazz’s most vibrant emerging artists, bassist and composer Endea Owens has been mentored by icons the likes of Marcus Belgrave, Rodney Whitaker and Ron Carter, and has toured and performed with Wynton Marsalis, Diana Ross, Solange and Jon Batiste, to name a few. Her work has appeared on Jon Batiste’s Grammy Award-winning album “We Are,” Oscar-nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah and H.E.R’s widely acclaimed Super Bowl LV performance.

Brandee Younger Trio | Saturday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m.

“Younger has almost single-handedly made a persuasive argument for the harp’s role in contemporary jazz…” (The New York Times) In 2022, Brandee Younger made history by becoming the first black woman to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. That same year, she was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Ever-expanding as an artist, she has worked with cultural icons including Common, Lauryn Hill, John Legend and Moses Sumney.

Gateways Brass Collective | Friday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m.

The mission of Gateways Music Festival is to connect and support professional classical musicians of African descent and enlighten and inspire communities through the power of performance. The Gateways Brass Collective, the only all-Black professional brass quintet in the country, returns to Eastman.

Dan Tyminski Band | Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Throughout his 30+ year career, Dan Tyminski has left his mark in every corner of modern music. Tyminski’s voice famously accompanies George Clooney’s performance of the Stanley Brother’s classic song, “I Am a Man Of Constant Sorrow,” in the film, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, bringing bluegrass into focus for millions of new fans. His vocal collaboration with Swedish DJ Avicii on the song “Hey, Brother” was a global smash, having been streamed over one billion times to date. “All in all, The Dan Tyminski Band struck me as one of the finest of its kind ever assembled.” (Bluegrass Today)

Barbara Hannigan, soprano & Bertrand Chamayou, piano | Sunday, December 8 at 3:00 p.m.

Embodying music with an unparalleled dramatic sensibility, Canadian soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan is an artist at the forefront of creation. “Here is the singing of someone totally unafraid, leaping securely over vast distances, stamina yoked with high emotions.” (The Times) Hannigan will be joined by celebrated French pianist Bertrand Chamayou.

Fred Hersch Trio | Thursday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Proclaimed “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade” by Vanity Fair and “an elegant force of musical invention” by Los Angeles Times, Fred Hersch has regularly garnered jazz’s most prestigious awards, including those from the Doris Duke Foundation and the Jazz Journalists Association. He has also received an impressive 15 Grammy nominations during the course of his career.

Ladysmith Black Mumbazo | Sunday, March 23 at 3:00 p.m.

South Africa’s renowned singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo was founded in the early 1960s and went on to record over 70 albums, earning them five Grammy-wins and 19 nominations — more than any other World Music group. Ladysmith Black Mambazo carries a message of “peace, love and harmony” as they travel the world year after year. They bring this message through song and dance to every theatre they perform in and invite audiences to join them in celebration of their culture.

Trio Wanderer | Friday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Trio Wanderer quite deserves their stage-name. Indeed, “Wanderer” pays homage to Schubert, and more widely to German Romanticism which is often imbued with the leitmotif of the wandering traveler. These three French musicians are avid open-minded wandering travelers, who explore the musical world, spanning the centuries from Mozart and Haydn to nowadays. Acclaimed for its extraordinarily sensitive style, almost telepathic understanding of each other and technical mastery, the Trio Wanderer is one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles.

Eastman Piano Series in Kilbourn Hall (unless other venue is noted)

Yunchan Lim | Sunday, November 3 at 3:00 p.m. | Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre

Millions of viewers took note of this amazing pianist’s talents in the 17 days of intense competition at the 2022 Cliburn Competition. Rising to the top as the gold-winner of that competition was Korean-born pianist, Yunchan Lim. As Jury Chair Marin Alsop expressed, “Yunchan is that rare artist who brings profound musicality and prodigious technique organically together.”

Vadym Kholodenko | Friday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m.

A Gold Medalist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Vadym Kholodenko’s distinguished pianism and profound artistic gifts have led to invitations from many of the world’s finest orchestras and concert halls. Combining fierce pianism with an unrivalled breadth of repertoire and interpretative refinement, Kholodenko rises to take his place among greats.

Alexandre Kantorow | Thursday, January 30 at 7:30 p.m.

In 2019, aged 22, Alexandre Kantorow became the first French pianist to win the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition, where he also won the Grand Prix (which has only been awarded three times before in the competition’s history). Hailed by critics as the “young tsar of the piano” (Classica) and “Liszt reincarnated” (Fanfare), he has received numerous other awards and has been invited to perform worldwide at the highest level.

Haochen Zhang | Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

“[Zhang’s] aim for lightness, transparency and directness yields poetic results.” (Gramophone) Since his gold medal win at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, Haochen Zhang has captivated audiences in the United States, Europe and Asia with a unique combination of deep musical sensitivity, fearless imagination, and spectacular virtuosity. In recent seasons, Haochen debuted with the New York Philharmonic and Lucerne Festival Orchestra.

Anna Fedorova | Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Ukrainian pianist Anna Fedorova’s live recording of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto has over 37 million views on YouTube and is highly acclaimed by critics and world-renowned musicians. Celebrated pianist, the late Menahem Pressler, said “Anna Fedorova’s beautiful sound and natural freedom in making music with total technical security makes for one of the finest Chopin performances I have heard in a long, long time.”

Eastman-Ranlet Series in Kilbourn Hall

Ying Quartet | Sundays, September 15, January 26 and March 30 at 3:00 p.m.

The Ying Quartet occupies a position of unique prominence in the classical music world, combining communicative performances with a fearlessly imaginative view of chamber music in today’s world. As quartet-in-residence at the Eastman School of Music, the ensemble performs three Eastman-Ranlet Series concerts during the season.

Cuarteto Casals | Sunday, November 10 at 3:00 p.m.

After winning first prizes in the international competitions in London and Hamburg, the Casals Quartet, founded in 1997 in Madrid, regularly performs in the most prestigious concert halls in the world, from Carnegie Hall in New York City to the Cité de la Musique in Paris. “Cuarteto Casals shatter a glass ceiling of historic inhibitions and camouflage nothing.” (Gramophone)

Verona Quartet w. Wu Man | Sunday, April 6 at 3:00 p.m.

The interdisciplinary collaboration between the Verona Quartet - who The New York Times calls “…cohesive yet full of temperament…vibrant, intelligent…” — and Wu Man shines a light on the complex fabric of “what is home” and cultural identity in the modern age through a nostalgic and visionary exploration of both ancient and contemporary repertoire from traditions across the globe.

Barbara B. Smith World Music Series in Kilbourn Hall

A Moving Sound | Tuesday, October 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Fusing traditional Taiwanese influences with a global sensibility, award-winning ensemble A Moving Sound, built a worldwide following through their joyous mix of original music and dance. Featuring the distinctive timbres of the erhu (fiddle) and zhong ruan (lute), and the transcendent vocals of Mia Hsieh, A Moving Sound has devised a unique and compelling style that is all their own ­­­­– a Taiwanese whirlwind that veers between the meditative and the exuberant with irrepressible spirit.

Salar Nader, tabla and Homayoun Sakhi, rubab  | Wednesday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Salar Nader is one of the most sought-after young percussionists of his generation. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, at age 7 he began studying with the legendary tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain. Nader is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the musical tradition he belongs to while simultaneously weaving the tabla into today’s hip-hop, EDM and popular musical genres.

From age ten, Homayoun Sakhi immersed himself in mastering the national instrument of Afghanistan, the double-chambered rubab, under his father’s tutelage in the traditional ustâd-shâgird apprenticeship.

Kodak Hall Series in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre

Mountain Stage with Kathy Mattea | Friday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m.

For nearly 40 years, Mountain Stage has stood as one of the most beloved and enduring programs in public radio history. Hosted by Kathy Mattea, this series broadcasts thousands of raw, unforgettable performances from seasoned legends and emerging stars alike.

Gateways Music Festival Orchestra | Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Gateways Music Festival in association with Eastman School of Music feels right at home in Kodak Hall. The cornerstone of this program will be William Levi Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony. “I’ve not tried to imitate Beethoven or Brahms, Franck or Ravel — but to be just myself, a Negro,” William Dawson remarked in a 1932 interview. “To me, the finest compliment that could be paid my symphony when it has its premiere is that it unmistakably is not the work of a white man.”

Location: Eastman School of Music, 26 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604

To learn more about these performances, and other upcoming events from the Eastman School of Music, visit our website.

Tickets to all Eastman Presents concerts are on sale now and can be purchased online, in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (located at 433 East Main Street; hours: M-F 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) or by calling 585-274-3000.