When you step into our sanctuary, you'll notice painted tapestries, stained glass windows, the glint of organ pipes, and the history behind the wooden floors and pews.  But when a note is played, a chord is struck, or a voice is lifted, you'll feel the beauty and warmth of this sacred space.  Music is an essential part of worship here at First Universalist.  It helps us to go "beyond words."  Musical selections cover a broad range of styles and genres, from classical to contemporary to folk, and are carefully selected by our Music Director to reflect that Sunday's theme. Our choir rehearses every Sunday morning from September to June, and their voices regularly fill the sanctuary during service. Our congregation is blessed with many talented musicians, and we are especially grateful to have Keith Stott, a living composer in our congregation. 

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Eastman At Washington Square - Fall 2025 Season

We enjoy hosting free concerts presented by the Eastman School of Music every Thursday at 12:15 p.m. throughout the school year, running for roughly 30-45 minutes. The complete schedule can be found at the Eastman Community Music School website.  Admission is free.  

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Congratulations are in order! Our weekly Thursday concert series, Eastman at Washington Square, is celebrating 30 years!​

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Spring 2026 Performances:​

The Eastman Community Music School is proud to present free weekly concerts featuring artists from the Eastman School of Music and ECMS. Faculty and Student Performances from both schools offer an excellent opportunity to hear some of the best musicians that Rochester has to offer and all performances are absolutely free!

 

January 8

Spanish & French Renaissance Guitar Music

In a historically oriented performance played on a replica historical instrument presenting the earliest printed guitar music ever published, Pedro Sperb brings to modern audiences the first original Spanish and French Renaissance guitar music ever written specifically for the instrument.​​

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January 15

She Plucks Her Pen

Harpist Sunshine Quan presents solo harp works by female harpist-composers Pearl Chertok, Sophia Dussek, Caroline Lizotte, and Ekaterina Walter-Kuhne.

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January 22

Janus Trio

The Janus Trio is named after the Roman God depicted with two faces – one looking backwards and one looking forwards. In that vein, Logan Wadley, tuba and serpent, Benjamin Kim, trumpet and baroque trumpet, and Ethan Pound, trombone and sackbut, will bring to life both archaic and new music for brass chamber ensemble.

 

January 29

Piano Extravaganza

The students from the studio of Professor Alan Chow will dazzle you with piano masterpieces.

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February 5

Korean and Taiwanese Art Song

Join us for a celebration of the Lunar New Year of 2026! We’ll be featuring beautiful Korean and Taiwanese art songs performed by soprano Joanna Hyunji Kim and Yu Jen Tsai, with Samuel Ka-Ming Leung at the piano.

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February 12

All American

Soprano Tyler Cassidy-Heacock and composer/pianist Daniel Pesca will present a program of vocal music by American composers using texts from American writers.

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February 19

Music for Violin and Piano

David Bowlin, violin, and Tony Cho, piano, perform William Grant Still’s Pastorela and Sonata for Violin and Piano by Francis Poulenc.

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February 26

“A Woman’s Hand”

Lynn McGrath performs a program that highlights charming works of the 20th century by women guitarist-composers María Luisa Anido, Ida Presti, and Louise Walker.

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March 5

The Sound of Low Brass

Enjoy the magnificent sound of ESM Trombone Choir directed by Larry Zalkind and Mark Kellogg.

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Our Hope-Jones, Opus 2 Pipe Organ Circa 1908

Robert Hope-Jones is not exactly a household name, yet his innovations in organ building have profoundly influenced the history of the instrument in the 20th century. First Universalist is very fortunate to be connected with the Hope-Jones legacy in a very significant way, for it possesses one of the few surviving Hope-Jones organs in its original form.