The Nightingale in Rochester: Jenny Lind Visits the Flour City

In the summer of 1851, the arrival of Swedish singing sensation Jenny Lind created a wave of excitement around the City of Rochester. How did she get here, where did she perform, and what did she sing? This lively lecture, presented by Gerry Szymanski, librarian at the Eastman School of Music’s Sibley Music Library, will answer these questions and show the direct connection between her concerts and the founding of the Eastman School of Music.

This is the second of four free Lecture/Listening Series - Opera Unlocked: Stories, Sounds, and Secrets at Brighton Library.

Each spring, Opera Guild of Rochester invites opera lovers and the opera-curious alike to a free lecture series that is as entertaining as it is enlightening. Part talk, part curated video experience, these sessions provide historical background, musical insight, and dramatic context for operas and composers across the repertoire. Our goal is simple: to make opera more accessible, more understandable, and even more thrilling—especially works that can seem daunting at first encounter.

Open to the public...you'll love Jerry's talk!