Unfolding at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, and across New York City—including the iconic Carnegie Hall—the Gateways Spring Festival 2025 invites audiences through a tapestry of intimate recitals, bold new works, thought-provoking discussions, and inspiring educational initiatives, crowned by The Gateways Festival Orchestra—composed of Black professional musicians from the nation’s leading orchestras and music faculties—under the baton of Anthony Parnther.

Join us to celebrate the past, present, and future of classical music.

Schedule of the Event:

April 21, 2025

Rochelle Sennet Piano Recital - 7:30 PM

Hatch Recital Hall, Rochester, NY

Bridging classical tradition and contemporary innovation, Dr. Rochelle Sennet's Bach to Black recital pairs J.S. Bach's keyboard suites with works by Black composers, including Bonds, Coleridge-Taylor, and Walker.

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April 22, 2025

Curtis Stewart: Seasons of Change - 7:30 PM

Hatch Recital Hall, Rochester, NY

Curtis Stewart's Seasons of Change reimagines Vivaldi's Four Seasons, weaving recorded voices and digital soundscapes into an Afrofuturist meditation on climate change, memory, and resilience.

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April 23, 2025

Gateways Brass Collective Live at Hochstein - 12:00 PM

Hochstein Performance Hall, Rochester, NY

The nation's only all-Black professional brass quintet, Gateways Brass Collective brings its dynamic blend of classical, jazz, and contemporary music to WXXI's Live from Hochstein series.

Free With RSVP

Paul J. Burgett Lecture and Community Conversation - 7:00 PM

Hatch Hall, Rochester, NY

Dr. Louise Toppin explores William Levi Dawson's legacy, spirituals in symphonic music, and Black composers' contributions, with a recital by Amber Rogers.

Free With RSVP

April 24, 2025

Gateways Festival Orchestra - 7:30 PM

Kodak Hall, Eastman Theatre, Rochester, NY

Anthony Parnther conducts Gateways Festival Orchestra in Dvo?ák, Dawson, and the world premiere of Damien Sneed's Reflections of Resilience, with Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges.

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Gateways Brass Collective

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

The Harlem School of the Arts, New York, NY

Gateways Brass Collective - the nation's only all-Black professional brass quintet-inspires young musicians at Harlem School of the Arts through a masterclass, sectionals, and a closing performance.

Free With RSVP

April 25, 2025

Curtis Stewart: Seasons of Change - 7:30 PM

Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufman Music Center, New York, NY

Violinist-composer Curtis Stewart bridges tradition with innovation, performing Seasons of Change, his reimagining of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, plus the world premiere of his visionary American Caprices.

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April 26, 2025

WILLIAM LEVI DAWSON Symposium

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Resnick Education Wing, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

Drs. Louise Toppin, Wayne Barr, and Yi Cheng lead lectures, performances, and discussions honoring William Levi Dawson's legacy and Black composers' profound impact on classical music.

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Young Musicians Institute: Masterclasses

3:00PM - 5:00PM

Weill Music Institute, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

Aspiring NYC musicians join Gateways Festival Orchestra members for masterclasses, gaining performance techniques and career insights at the Young Musicians Institute.

By Invitation Only

Rochelle Sennet Piano Recital - 7:30 PM

Harlem School for the Arts, New York, NY

Dr. Rochelle Sennet's Bach to Black recital bridges classical tradition and contemporary innovation, pairing J.S. Bach's keyboard suites with works by Black composers.

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April 27, 2025

Gateways Festival Orchestra - 2:00 PM

Gateways Festival Orchestra, led by Anthony Parnther, performs Dvo?ák, Dawson, and the New York premiere of Damien Sneed's Reflections of Resilience, featuring mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges.

Carnegie Hall, New York, NY

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Date: April 21-27, 2025

Location: Various Location in NY

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