Nominees to the Rochester Music Hall of Fame

By Alex Crichton

Rochester, NY – Rochester has a rich musical heritage, from the Eastman School to Cab Calloway...Chuck Mangione to the RPO...Renee Fleming to Mitch Miller.
Now, a group wants to recognize the accomplishments of these artists and more through the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.
Tracy Kroft is a member of the board of directors, and she says the Rochester Music Hall of Fame is the vision of long-time musician Karl LaPorta.
Kroft says LaPorta looked at the way other cities celebrate their musical heritage, and he felt Rochester had a bigger, better musical heritage.
Kroft says LaPorta helped build a non profit group to recognize the musical contributions from people with ties to Rochester.
And Kroft says 23 people will be nominated to the Rochester Music Hall of Fame during a launch party tonight at the German House on Gregory Street.
She says the Hall hopes to have yearly inductions, help local musicians and teach students about Rochester's rich musical heritage.
She says the local hall of fame will recognize all musical genres.
Right now it's only a "virtual" Hall of Fame, but Kroft says they hope someday to find a physical home for the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.

Here's the list of the nominees as provided by the Rochester Music Hall of Fame:

-David Hochstein, violin virtuoso and the namesake of the Hochstein School of Music and Dance.
-Emily Sibley Watson, one of Rochester's first and most generous supporters of fine art and music and the driving force behind the creation of the Hochstein School of Music and Dance.
-George Eastman - philanthropist, creator, visionary and music aficionado. -Howard Hanson, Director of the Eastman School of Music from 1924 to 1964 and the man most responsible for it becoming the world class school that it is today. -Cab Calloway, born on Christmas Day in 1907 and living on Sycamore Street in the Swillburg neighborhood for 11 years, Calloway's biggest hit "Minnie the Moocher" was recorded in 1931.
-Mitch Miller - Eastman graduate, professional musician, record industry executive and hit TV show host.
-Alexander Courage - Emmy Award winning television and movie composer who wrote the music for the original Star Trek series, Lost in Space, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
-William Caesar Warfield - Raised in Rochester, after majoring in voice at the Eastman School of Music, he performed on Broadway and in Europe.
-Doriot Anthony Dwyer, a gifted flutist and Eastman graduate and second cousin of Susan B. Anthony, became the first woman to win a principle chair on a major orchestra in 1952.
-Charles Strouse - Eastman School graduate and three-time winner of a Tony Award, two-time winner of a Grammy Award, composer and lyricist for stage and screen.
-Paul Hoeffler - RIT graduate and photographer of jazz musicians whose work was showcased throughout Ken Burns documentary, Jazz.
-Ron Carter - An Eastman graduate and one of the most original, prolific and influential jazz bassists, he can be heard on over 2000 albums.
-Chuck Mangione, one of Rochester's most favorite sons, he is a Grammy-winning flugelhorn player and composer.
-Gene Cornish learned his chops on guitar in the garages and clubs of Rochester and is a founding member of the Young Rascals.
-Steve Gadd, born in Rochester and having attended the Eastman School, he is considered to be the most influential contemporary drummer in the world. -Joe English, born in Rochester, he joined Paul McCartney's Wings and played on four albums before pursuing other endeavors.
-Lou Gramm, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and founding member of the band Foreigner.
-Jeff Tyzik, educated at the Eastman School, he is now Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for the last 16 years.
-Renee Fleming, Grammy-winning international opera and recording star, she grew up in Rochester and finished her graduate studies at the Eastman School.
-Charlie Lowell and Matt Odmark - two members of Jars of Clay, a Christian rock band with a solid and very active fan base, pianist Lowell and guitarist Odmark are from Rochester.
-Corinthian Hall - built in 1849 and considered to be state-of-the-art with the finest acoustics of any hall in the country, it was located on Corinthian Street at State Street.
In July of 1851, Rochester experienced two of the most unforgettable performances to date - The performances of "The Swedish Nightingale," Jenny Lind.