Cleveland's Dohnányi to conduct Eastman Philharmonia

Music school will honor esteemed conductor with honorary doctorate

Dohnányi

Christoph von Dohnányi, one of the world's pre-eminent orchestral and opera conductors, will come to Rochester to guest conduct the Eastman School's premier symphony orchestra, the Eastman Philharmonia, in concert at 8 p.m., Tuesday, October 6, in the Eastman Theatre.

Admission to the concert is free for faculty, staff, and students with University ID.

Dohnányi, the current and longtime music director of the Cleveland Orchestra--considered by many to be the nation's finest--will lead the Philharmonia in the Rochester premiere of a cello concerto by Samuel Adler, professor emeritus of composition at Eastman, and the magnificent Fourth Symphony by Robert Schumann. Cellist Steven Geber, an Eastman alumnus and principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra, will be the featured soloist.

During the concert, Eastman will present an honorary doctoral degree to Dohnányi.

"We are proud to recognize Maestro Dohnányi's significant contributions to music by awarding this degree," said James Undercofler, director of the Eastman School. "We are honored by his visit to Eastman, and our students are privileged to perform under his legendary direction."

Eastman also will present an Alumni Achievement Award to Geber, who is in his 26th season with the Cleveland Orchestra and is the longest-serving principal cellist in the orchestra's history. Adler's concerto was commissioned specifically for him.

Dohnányi became the orchestra's music director in the 1984-85 season. In January 1994, Time proclaimed, "Under Dohnányi, the Cleveland Orchestra has risen to the forefront of American ensembles," and declared it "the best band in the land."