Paul Burgett (1946-2018) was one of Gateways’ earliest supporters and began serving on the board when the Festival first arrived in Rochester in 1995. With a bachelor’s degree in violin performance and a master’s and PhD in the aesthetics of Black music from Eastman School of Music, Paul served in many roles at the University of Rochester, including Dean of Students at Eastman and University Dean. In

2001, he was appointed University Vice President and served as Senior Advisor to four University presidents.

Paul’s passionate leadership was transformative and his deep love for Gateways’ mission was infectious. In addition to nearly doubling the size of the board, Paul oversaw the extraordinary artistic and audience growth experienced in recent years; orchestrated the partnership with the Eastman School of Music; and played a pivotal role in securing the largest donation in the Festival’s history – a $300,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support capacity building.