Eastman School of Music

The Eastman School of Music (also known more simply as The Eastman School, Eastman, or ESM) is a music conservatory located in the United States. The school is considered among the most prestigious music institutions in the world. Centrally located downtown in the metropolitan city of Rochester, New York, the Eastman School is the professional school of music associated with the University of Rochester. Along with its fellow leading conservatories, The Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, the Eastman School has achieved international prominence through its commitment to the highest standards of musical leadership and excellence. The school was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company.

Today, there are more than 900 students enrolled in the collegiate division of the Eastman School (approximately 500 undergraduate and 400 graduate students). Students come from almost every state of the United States, and approximately 25% of students are from foreign countries. Each year about 260 new students enroll (approximately 135 freshmen and 125 graduate students), selected from more than 2,000 applicants. About 1,000 students (ranging in age from 18 months to over 80 years of age) are enrolled in the Eastman School’s Community Music School.