Eastman Theatre, Rochester

Located in the heart of downtown Rochester, the Eastman Theatre is the city’s premier performance venue and a cornerstone of its cultural life. Opened in 1922 through the vision and philanthropy of George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Company, the theatre was designed as a grand setting for music, dance, and silent film, complete with orchestral and organ accompaniment. Its original capacity of 3,352 seats has since been refined to a more acoustically focused 2,326-seat concert hall, following a series of careful renovations completed in 2004 and 2009.

Architecturally, the theatre is a visual marvel of 1920s elegance. Its opulent interior features a towering chandelier composed of 20,000 hand-cut crystals from Italy and the Czech Republic-measuring 14 feet in diameter, 35 feet high, and weighing 2.5 tons. This iconic centerpiece, along with widened aisles, improved seating, and updated acoustics, helps preserve the historic character of the venue while supporting modern performance needs. A full-scale reproduction of Maxfield Parrish’s painting Interlude still graces the hall, a nod to its artistic heritage.

Kodak Hall serves as the principal concert hall for the renowned Eastman School of Music and is home to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. It's also the main venue for the school’s larger ensembles, Eastman Opera Theatre productions, and a wide range of musical genres-from symphonic to jazz and beyond. The hall anchors the annual Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival and continues to host a vibrant lineup of world-class performers.

Over the decades, the Eastman Theatre stage has welcomed musical luminaries such as Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, Leonard Bernstein, and Wynton Marsalis, as well as jazz icons like Keith Jarrett and Dave Brubeck. Beyond music, the theatre’s legacy includes moments like Sir Winston Churchill’s 1932 visit and nearly three decades of Metropolitan Opera performances. Today, Kodak Hall remains a living monument to George Eastman’s cultural vision-an enduring space where tradition, innovation, and artistry converge.