The University of Rochester with its Eastman School of Music has been ranked the world’s 18th best university for the study of performing arts, according to the 2017 QS World University Rankings released on March 8. Eleven U.S. universities ranked in the top 25, with the University of Rochester No. 8 among them.
The University was No. 28 for performing arts in 2016, which was also the first year that QS World University Rankings provided these global rankings focused on music, drama, and dance study. The rankings are based on based largely on academic and employer reputation.
This past year, the Eastman School of Music amplified its global engagement activities by having its ensembles in high-profile performances on the international stage. Throughout the summer, members of the school’s Wind Ensemble performed at iconic musical venues in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany; the Eastman BroadBand Ensemble was in residence at a major music festival in Italy; and the Eastman Saxophone Project went on tour in China, giving performances and master classes to hundreds of students. Back in the United States, Eastman also made a strong national impression through the Music in the American Wild program, which featured Eastman students, faculty, and alumni who came together to celebrate the centenary of the National Parks Service by premiering new compositions outdoors in some of America’s most beautiful national parks. In the fall, the school’s Philharmonia orchestra performed the world and New York City premieres of Letters from Georgia, written for the ensemble and internationally renowned soprano Renée Fleming by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts, both of who are alumni of Eastman.
The University’s Institute for Performing Arts is also giving new cohesiveness to the performance programs on River Campus, including those in the Department of Music, Department of English, the International Theatre Program, and the recently expanded Program of Dance and Movement. Launched in 2015, the Institute aims to further inspire students with or without prior training or experience to explore an art form or performance opportunity, while strengthening the arts relationships and collaboration among the College, Eastman School of Music, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
