Alumni Are Here
“Curtis takes great pride in the large number of its students who have achieved world renown. Equally, Curtis is proud of its many students who may not have achieved a similar degree of fame but who, in various roles, have brought music, intelligently understood and discriminatingly presented, to innumerable communities and thereby have helped cheer the heart and raise the spirits of countless people.”
This introduction to Curtis's 50th-anniversary book, Overtones, in 1974-75, by M. Todd Cooke, Curtis's board president at the time, is as true now as it was then.
Curtis alumni dot the musical and geographic landscape. The lists below give a snapshot of the many places where they perform, teach, artistically direct and otherwise support music-making at its finest.
Major Symphony Orchestras in North America, 2011-12 Season
This list of 25 orchestras represents the 25 largest by budget according to the League of American Orchestras.
Orchestra |
% Members Who Are Curtis Alumni |
% of Principals Who Are Curtis Alumni |
Other Alumni |
| Atlanta Symphony Orchestra | 8 | 31 | Music Director |
| Baltimore Symphony | 8 | 13 | |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra | 16 | 25 | |
| Chicago Symphony Orchestra | 5 | 6 | |
| Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | 5 | 13 | |
| Cleveland Orchestra | 11 | 13 | |
| Dallas Symphony Orchestra | 11 | 31 | |
| Detroit Symphony Orchestra | 3 | 13 | |
| Houston Symphony | 7 | 6 | |
| Indianapolis Symphony | 5 | 19 | |
| Los Angeles Philharmonic | 7 | 19 | |
| Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra | 7 | 13 | |
| Minnesota Orchestra | 16 | 25 | |
| Montreal Symphony Orchestra | 5 | 13 | |
| Nashville Symphony | 1 | 19 | |
| National Symphony Orchestra | 14 | 25 | |
| New York Philharmonic | 12 | 13 | Music Director |
| Philadelphia Orchestra | 40 | 25 | |
| Pittsburgh Symphony | 19 | 31 | |
| Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra | 8 | 6 | |
| Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra | 14 | 13 | |
| San Diego Symphony | 5 | 19 | |
| San Francisco Symphony | 9 | 6 | |
| Seattle Symphony | 14 | 19 | |
| Utah Symphony & Opera | 6 | 6 | |
| AVERAGE | 10 | 17 |
Opera Companies in North America and Europe, 2009-10 Season
This list represents the top-tier opera houses according to OPERA America.
Opera Company |
Curtis Alumni |
Roles Performed by Alumni |
Alumni Young Artists |
| Bavarian State Opera | 1 | 1 | |
| Canadian Opera Company | 5 | 5 | |
| English National Opera | 1 | 1 | |
| Glyndebourne Festival Opera | 2 | 3 | |
| Houston Grand Opera | 2 | 3 | |
| Los Angeles Opera | 1 | 1 | |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago | 2 | 2 | |
| Metropolitan Opera | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| New York City Opera | 2 | 2 | |
| Opera Company of Philadelphia | 1 | 1 | |
| Pittsburgh Opera | 1 | 1 | |
| Salzburg Opera Festival | 1 | 1 | |
| San Francisco Opera | 2 | 3 | |
| Santa Fe Opera | 1 | 1 | |
| Seattle Opera | 3 | 3 | |
| Teatro alla Scalla | 1 | 1 | |
| Vienna State Opera | 2 | 3 | |
| Washington National Opera | 1 | 1 | |
| TOTAL | 32 | 41 | 3 |
Chamber Ensembles in North America, Europe, and Asia that include alumni
The ensembles below include at least one alumnus or alumna, and in some cases the whole ensemble comprises Curtis alumni.
- America’s Dream Chamber Artists
- Borromeo String Quartet
- Brentano Quartet
- Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
- CMS Two
- Dolce Suono Ensemble
- Daedalus Quartet
- eighth blackbird
- Johannes Quartet
- Miami String Quartet
- Muir String Quartet
- Old City String Quartet
- Schumann Trio
- Sixth Floor
- SPARX
- Tecchler Trio
- Time for Three
Higher Education in North America, Europe, and Asia (full-time faculty)
- Berklee College of Music
- Colburn Conservatory of Music
- Curtis Institute of Music
- Eastman School of Music
- Juilliard School
- New England Conservatory
- Peabody Conservatory
- Manhattan School of Music
- New School Mannes
- Stanford University
- Seoul National University
- University of Southern California Thornton School of Music
Community Engagement Programs in the United States
- The Academy
- The Harmony Effect
- Project 440
- Play on, Philly!
- Reading Summer Music Institute
- Philadelphia Orchestra Teaching Artists
Festivals in the United States directed by Alumni
- Atlantic Music Festival (Solbong Kim)
- Chamber Music Festival of Lexington (Nathan Cole)
- Delft Chamber Music Festival (Liza Ferschtman)
- Kingston Chamber Music Festival at the University of Rhode Island (Natalie Zhu)
- Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival (Soovin Kim)
- Matthew Rose and Friends (Matthew Rose)
- Salt Bay Chamberfest (Wilhelmina Smith)
- Taos School of Music (Robert McDonald)
Contact
Anne O'Donnell, director of alumni and parent programs, (215) 717-3128