Rachel Waddel

University campuses look and feel different this fall, but as we continue to social distance and limit the capacity of large spaces, Rochester musicians have found ways to stay connected with their audiences.

Rachel Waddell, musical director for the Department of Music, joins Mittsy the Rochester Red Wings mascot for a community concert celebrating “150 Years of Baseball.” The University’s Chamber Orchestra and Concert Choir joined students from Rochester’s Roberto Clemente School No. 8 for a concert mimicked at night at the stadium.

Jamie Bernstein, writer, broadcaster, and narrator, will discuss her father’s legacy as part of a series of events celebrating “Leonard Bernstein and American Musical Theater.”

In her new role in the Department of Music, Rachel Waddell encourages people to “listen to classical music in a different way,” connecting an upcoming performance of Antonin Dvořák’s New World Symphony to issues of immigration, and the meaning of “home.”

Rachel Waddell, director of orchestral activities, conducts a brass and percussion ensemble composed of Department of Music students as they perform Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man to mark the beginning of classes. (University photo / J. Adam Fenster)

Waddell joins the faculty of the Department of Music as the director of orchestral activities. She will teach and also conduct both the Symphony and Chamber Orchestras.