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Musicians of Rochester serves as a portrait of musical life in and around the greater Rochester, New York region.

Eastman composer David Liptak looks forward to the next chapter

Composer David Liptak
Hanna Hurwitz
Composer David Liptak

“It’s been wonderful, this has been for me a dream job.”

At the end of the 2022-23 academic year composer David Liptak will retire from his position teaching music composition at the Eastman School of Music. Liptak has a deep connection to Rochester, having completed his graduate studies at Eastman in 1976. Just ten years later in 1986 he would return to Eastman to join the composition faculty where he has taught since. His compositions have been championed locally by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Cordancia, and the Eastman School of Music.

To his students, Liptak is a master teacher and mentor, offering a free and supportive space to grow their musical imagination. He works with students at many points along their educational journey, from undergraduate students in their first year of study to doctoral students drafting their dissertations. Each student has a unique experience, as Liptak’s approach focuses on specific interests of the student.

“I don’t have a course of study that I offer them or a plan in mind other than to figure out where the student composer’s interest lies and the experience that they have. And to allow them to somehow come to an understanding of the kind of music they want to write and how to write it.”

David Liptak will remain in Rochester after his retirement. He plans to focus his working time on composing new pieces, and spend his leisure time with his grandson.

Listen to the full interview here:

Full Interview

Hear the New England Primer, composed in 2022 for Tony Arnold, William Sharp, and the Eastman Philharmonia to celebrate the Eastman Centennial.