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The Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center will host its first conference this weekend since the start of the pandemic. The College Music Society will host its 64th National Conference at the convention center from Oct. 7 through Oct. 9.
The College Music Society is a national membership organization comprising music professionals in higher education. College Music Society members are college, conservatory, university and independent musicians and scholars interested in all disciplines of music.
More than 350 members of the CMS will meet in Rochester for the organization’s annual conference. The event will take place at both the Floreano Convention Center and the Eastman School of Music.
“As program chair for the 2021 CMS National Conference, I am excited that our conference participants will be able to engage in events both in the beautiful Floreano Convention Center and at the outstanding facilities in the Eastman School of Music, just a short walk away,” said Tracy Cowden, department chair, Roland K. Blumberg Endowed Professor in Music at the University of Texas at San Antonio. “This will likely be the first face-to-face conference for our participants in quite a while, and I am grateful that we have received such wonderful hospitality from Visit Rochester and our various event hosts. And, as an alumna of the Eastman School of Music, I know that October is a lovely time to be in this city.”
The conference will feature performances, papers, workshops, panels, campfire discussions and more that will highlight the pivotal role of music in the intersections among higher education, music and social justice movements, officials said.
The meetings and conventions industry nationwide has been hard hit by COVID-19. The return of conferences like the College Music Society signal the gradual return of meetings and conventions that draw attendees from around the country to Rochester and Monroe County.
“The venue industry has faced challenges like never before, but we have a resilient, innovative staff that is prepared and ready to safely welcome guests back through our doors,” said Convention Center Executive Director James Brown. “Our facility has installed touchless technology, improved our air filtration systems and received a GBAC STARTM Accreditation, demonstrating our ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the pandemic. We are thrilled to be hosting the College Music Society National Conference and look forward to hosting more local, state and national events as our community continues to recover.”
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