The University of Rochester Beal Institute for Film Composition and Contemporary Media is expanding significantly thanks to the generous donations of the Institute’s founders, Joan & Jeff Beal.
This multimillion-dollar donation is the largest gift ever awarded to the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music in its 104-year history. The gift comes from vocalist, music and education champion, and University Trustee Joan Beal and Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal as part of For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, fostering the development of music, technology, and education for university students and beyond.
The Beal Institute was first established during the University’s last landmark campaign, The Meliora Challenge, in 2016. Their newest contributions will provide immediate support for several of the school’s upcoming ventures. Most notably, it will fund the Beal Innovation Hub, a state-of-the-art collaborative center spanning 6,000 square feet of the University’s Miller Center. In this reimagined space will be labs, creative spaces, workstations, recording booths, and teaching studios, as well as SoundSpace, a new center merging the Eastman School of Music with the technological innovations at the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences.
On top of the Innovation Hub, the Beals’ generosity will fund new scholarships for both graduates and undergraduates, ensuring the University of Rochester can house the greatest emerging musical talents of the next generation, regardless of financial status. New undergraduate and graduate programs made possible by the Beals are also set to launch in fall 2027 under the leadership of Associate Professor Dennis DeSantis.
“This latest gift is another example of the many ways that they support the next generation of Eastman musicians. Their philanthropy will have a lasting impact. The Beals exemplify our Meliora mission—making the world ‘ever better’ every day. We are proud to count Joan and Jeff Beal as Rochester alumni and dear friends.”
-Sarah Mangelsdorf, University of Rochester President
Joan and Jeff Beal both attribute their many successes to the education they received at the University of Rochester, and they are happy to be giving back to the community that fostered their careers. For more information, check out the full official announcement here.
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