• OCTOBER 9-12 •
2026 GATEWAYS FALL FESTIVAL
• OCTOBER 9-12 • 2026 GATEWAYS FALL FESTIVAL
EARLY-BIRD ACCESS IS OPEN NOW
Use code EARLYBIRD for $25 tickets through Tuesday, September 15.
Choose your Festival events below and reserve your seats early.
THE SOUND EXPANDS. THE STORY CONTINUES.
This fall, Gateways Music Festival returns to Rochester for four days celebrating the depth, range, and expansion of Black artistry in classical music. Rooted in tradition and alive with possibilities, the 2026 Fall Festival brings together artists whose music moves from the concert hall to the sanctuary, from classical repertoire to jazz, soul, and beyond.
The Festival opens in celebration of violist George Taylor’s 40 years at Eastman and concludes with the next generation of string musicians at the Young Musicians Institute. Between those bookends, Shana Tucker brings her signature ChamberSoul center stage; Ric’key Pageot explores three centuries of Black composers and continues the Gateways piano recital tradition; Queen of the Violin Kersten Stevens, 35-year Rochester Philharmonic trumpeter Herb Smith, and award-winning pianist Dr. Myron D. Brown turn the stage into a SANCTUARY; and Matthew D. Morrison examines the artistry and influence behind the sound of America in BLACKSOUND.
At its annual festival, Gateways once again invites Rochester-area audiences to hear something they love, discover something unexpected, and experience a classical tradition that continues to expand.
October 9–12, 2026 | Rochester, New York
Join us for the music, the fellowship, and what comes next.
EARLY BIRD: YOUR SEAT AWAITS
Make your plans early and enjoy special pricing for the 2026 Gateways Fall Festival.
Get $25 tickets to select paid performances with code EARLYBIRD through September 15.
Standard $35 pricing begins September 16.
EXPLORE THE FESTIVAL
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Faculty Artist Series | Celebrating 40 Years: George Taylor in Recital with the Gateways Chamber Players
FRI. OCT 9 | 7:30 PM
Hatch Recital HallCelebrate violist George Taylor’s 40 years at Eastman with the Gateways Chamber Players honoring his artistry and enduring musical legacy.
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SANCTUARY: A Celebration of Black Sacred Music
SAT. OCT. 10 | 11:00 AM
Hatch Recital HallGateways turns the stage into a SANCTUARY, celebrating hymns, spirituals, gospel, sacred jazz, and classical music with Kersten Stevens, Herb Smith, and Myron D. Brown.
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BLACKSOUND: A Paul J. Burgett Lecture and Community Conversation with Matthew D. Morrison
SAT. OCT 10 | 1:00 PM
Hatch Recital HallBLACKSOUND explores how Black musical artistry has shaped American music, as Matthew D. Morrison leads a conversation on authorship, ownership, influence, and innovation.
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Shana Tucker: ChamberSoul
SAT. OCT 10 | 8:00 PM
Kilbourn HallIn ChamberSoul, classically trained cellist and vocalist Shana Tucker transforms original songs, jazz standards, and beloved music through classical artistry, heartfelt storytelling, and infectious grooves.
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BLACK COMPOSERS. BRILLIANT MUSIC. A Family Concert with pianist Ric’key Pageot
SUN. OCT 11 | 1:00 PM
Hatch Recital HallBring the children you love to a family concert with pianist Ric’key Pageot, discovering music by influential Black composers through live performance and storytelling.
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PIANO RECITAL: RIC'KEY PAGEOT'S CLASSIC BLACK
SUN. OCT 11 | 5:00 PM
Kilbourn HallPianist Ric’key Pageot journeys through three centuries of music by Black composers in Classic Black, a captivating evening of solo piano at Gateways Music Festival.
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Young Musicians Institute: Rochester Day for Strings
MON. OCT 12 | 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Kilbourn HallThe Young Musicians Institute, a Gateways Music Festival pillar, is a free, day-long program for young string players to learn and perform alongside professional artists.
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Young Musicians Institute: Showcase
MON. OCT 12 | 6:30 PM
Kilbourn HallCelebrate young string players in a free concert featuring music they’ve learned and co-created during Gateways’ inspiring Young Musicians Institute: Rochester Day for Strings.
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LIVESTREAM: George Taylor in Recital
FRI. OCT 9 | 7:30 PM
OnlineWatch the free livestream celebrating violist George Taylor’s 40 years at Eastman, featuring the Gateways Chamber Players in a moving tribute to his artistry and enduring legacy.
COME TOGETHER
Groups of 10 or more receive $25 tickets to all paid ticketed programs with code “GMF1993”.
Bring your friends, family, colleagues, organization, or community group and share in a Festival weekend of music, fellowship, and discovery.
a welcome from gateways president & artistic director, alex laing
Dear Friends,
This fall, Gateways Music Festival returns to Rochester with a celebration of the living legacy and expanding possibilities of Black artistry in classical music. Across four days, we invite you to experience music rooted in tradition, shaped by the distinctive voices of today’s artists, and carried forward by the next generation.
This year’s programs remind us that tradition is not static. It is carried, questioned, reimagined, and passed forward. From the sacred sounds of SANCTUARY to Shana Tucker’s ChamberSoul, Ric’key Pageot’s exploration of three centuries of Black composers, and Matthew D. Morrison’s examination of the sound of America, we celebrate artists who honor what has come before while making new possibilities audible.
At Gateways, the music has always been about more than performance. It is about the fellowship that brings artists back to one another, the audiences who recognize themselves in the music, and the young people discovering what is possible for their own artistic lives. It is about sharing a tradition that is both deeply rooted and continually evolving.
We hope you will hear something you already love, discover something you did not expect, and join us in celebrating a classical story that is still being written.
See you at the 2026 Gateways Fall Festival.
Alex Laing
President & Artistic Director
Gateways Music Festival
venue INFORMATION
Eastman School of Music
26 Gibbs St. Rochester, NY 14604
Phone: 585-274-1000
Business hours: Monday - Friday 9 AM - 5 PM
Kilbourn Hall is located in the Main Building of the Eastman School at 26 Gibbs St. The hall and its box office are located directly off the Main Hall of the School (to the right as you enter the building). View 3D tour of hall here.
Hatch Recital Hall is located at 433 East Main St. in the Eastman East Wing. Patron parking for all Eastman School concerts and events is available in the East End Garage (accessible from East Main St. in either direction and, via East Ave., Scio and Swan Streets), at a number of nearby lots, and on the street. View 3D tour of hall here.
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