In October and April of the 2025-26 school year, CMPI fellows, parents, and staff were invited to visit the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York to participate in Eastman Experience Day. These trips afforded members of the CMPI community the opportunity to bond while getting a taste of what life is like at a major U.S. music conservatory. On both trips, CMPI’s fellows were able to attend solo recitals by current Eastman students, take trial lessons with Eastman faculty members, participate in campus tours, and hear lectures presented by Eastman’s music education and musicology professors. CMPI alumni who currently attend Eastman joined us to talk about their experiences at the school, eat lunch, and in one case, even help us find our way around the music building.
Here is what three of our fellows had to say about their trip to Eastman in early April:
Aki Santibanez
This trip has helped tremendously in helping me decide if I hope to apply in the future! The Eastman campus was a bit smaller than I expected, however, because of this, the community seemed closer as well as very welcoming. I also found their performance halls to be incredibly beautiful with good acoustics. My favorite part of this trip was getting the opportunity to have trial lessons with two of the professors at Eastman. They were both very friendly and I found the advice they had given me to be clear and helpful!
Kevin Soto
The most memorable part of my experience at Eastman was the opportunity to have lessons with the amazing faculty. I loved observing how each professor taught, noticing their unique approaches while seeing how much they truly care about their students' development.
I also enjoyed watching the Ying Quartet perform. Their chemistry was unparalleled, and hearing them speak about the pieces beforehand made me listen for details I might have otherwise missed. Seeing their synchronized movements and breathing made the live performance quite exciting.
Additionally, the sense of community was different from what I expected. I arrive with the expectation of a more competitive or "cutthroat" conservatory environment, but it was surprisingly friendly. It was clear that while students are pushed to work hard, meaningful connections and friendships are being cultivated.
Itzel Sotelo
One of the things I found most interesting about my visit to the Eastman School of Music was seeing how differently it’s structured compared to other music programs I’ve experienced. It gave me a new perspective on how a conservatory environment can shape both the way students learn and how they grow as musicians. I also really enjoyed being in Rochester, the city itself was beautiful, and that added to how memorable the whole experience felt.
Thank you to the wonderful Admissions department at Eastman for hosting us!
Images
CMPI Fellows at Eastman Experience Day