Alumni Now
Curtis Celebrates the Class of 2012
Curtis’s imprint on the music world grew a bit when thirty-six students graduated on May 12.
Some of the new alumni already have professional careers in full swing. One received first prize at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Another has been assistant conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony for the past year. Two are joining orchestras: the Atlanta Symphony and China’s Guiyoung Symphony Orchestra. Some will be nurturing chamber groups, like ensemble39, that they formed at Curtis. Several will stay in Philadelphia to carve out a musician’s life, freelancing and auditioning.
Several alumni will pursue master’s degrees at other institutions, including Juilliard, New England Conservatory, Yale, University of Southern California, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. A few are heading to Europe for further study.
Many of the opera singers are joining young artists programs—at the Houston Grand Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago, as well as opera houses in Frankfurt, Dresden, and Munich.
At the seventy-ninth Curtis commencement exercises, fourteen different majors were represented. Eighteen students received Bachelor of Music degrees, seven were awarded Master of Music degrees in opera, and eleven received diplomas.
We look forward to following them over the years, and welcoming members of the Curtis family back soon and often as alumni.
Congratulations, Class of 2012!
View the Commencement Slideshow.
Ryan Johnstone (Trombone ’03) brings big musical ideas to middle schoolers.
Ryan Johnstone (Trombone ’03) was surprised when, in February 2012, he was named Texas’ outstanding young bandmaster of the year by Phi Beta Mu, an honorary international bandmasters fraternity.
To John B Hedges (Composition ’02), Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s composer-in-residence, it was no surprise at all. He wrote Wrangling Wildfire for the Aledo Middle School Band, which Ryan directs. “Those kids shouldn’t have been able to play what I wrote,” explains John B. “There’s something almost superhuman about what Ryan’s getting out of these young kids down there. It’s really exceptional.”
Ryan commissioned John B to write a memoriam for Ryan’s mother, who died of cancer in 2009. Ryan wanted to challenge his students on two levels: to understand that music can address our most powerful shared human experiences and to play musically and technically at a very high level—a Curtis level, even.
He loved the substantive music John B wrote for the low brass in his compositions at Curtis. “We were more active in his pieces,” says Ryan, “and a lot of work went into it.”
John B chose wildfires as a metaphor for the uncontrollable spread of cancer that claimed Mrs. Johnstone’s life. It wasn’t until a few weeks before the premiere in December 2010, when the students hit a plateau, that Ryan explained the more personal and more universal meaning. They dug down deep.
John B spent a week in residence, the premiere was a huge success, and the band was included on a special CD compilation of Texas school bands. Ryan heard from many fellow band directors, who said, “Thank you for showing all of us what middle school kids are capable of.”
Ryan moved back home to Texas in 2005 after receiving his bachelor’s at Curtis and master’s at Yale. Although bandmaster may not be a typical Curtis aspiration, Ryan is proud of his career and his work with young musicians. “I’ve moved past the feeling of ‘I really didn’t accomplish what I wanted to,’” he says, “because I’m able to accomplish a lot and I feel very satisfied—musically even—in the job that I do.”
Texas is proud of him, too.
Keith Lipson (Clarinet '98) is our man in Beijing.
It was 2003. Keith Lipson (Clarinet ’98) was freelancing and teaching in Los Angeles and New York—and he wanted to do something completely different. So he took a Chinese-language class and felt a fire in his belly. He moved to Beijing, quit music, and to pay the bills, he worked in business, translating, and teaching English.
Three things delighted him about Chinese: its ancient writing system, the opportunity to read philosophers Confucius and Lao Tzu in their original language, and the musicality of the spoken language.
“Thanks to my musical training,” Keith explained, “I could pick up the differences in tones more easily than someone without a musical background.” Now he speaks fluently.
In 2005 Keith returned to music when he met up with another Curtis alumnus, Eli Marshall (Composition ’03), in Beijing. Eli encouraged Keith to play clarinet again, and together they formed the Beijing New Music Ensemble, the only independent music ensemble in China dedicated to new music. “When I practice, there’s a little Montanaro voice in my head,” Keith says, citing his Curtis teacher, Donald Montanaro (Clarinet ’54). Keith’s own private students may hear it as well. Just ask first-year Curtis students Fan Hongmin and Xue Guangyao who took private lessons with Keith last year and now study with Mr. Montanaro at Curtis.
Keith’s life in China is now deeply rooted. In March 2011 he married Katy Ye Dan, a traditional pipa player. In September he became principal clarinet of the Beijing Symphony. “For me it was good to get the distance from music,” he says of his professional detour. “I know from experience that I prefer doing this to any other job.” And even better, he gets to do it in Beijing.
Yvonne Lam (Violin '05) flew out of the pit and onto the stage when she joined eighth blackbird, the new-music sextet, in August 2011.
"It was electric,” she said of performing with them in April for her audition, “and so much fun on stage.” Her first performance as a member was August 22 when they played Chicago Counterpoint at a festival of the music of Steve Reich in Millennium Park.
“Yvonne has tremendous intelligence and integrity,” said Ida Kavafian, who recommended Yvonne for the position, “and I thought she had an affinity for new music.”
Yvonne is excited to embark on a new path after three years as assistant concertmaster with the Washington National Opera Orchestra. In addition to learning voluminous repertoire for eighth blackbird—much to be performed from memory—she will gain experience in the business side of music while helping to run the ensemble.
The original members of eighth blackboard united at Oberlin in 1996. Recently the ensemble premiered and recorded On a Wire, a concerto for the sextet with orchestra, by Jennifer Higdon (Composition ’88) with Robert Spano (Conducting ’85) and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble is in residence at the University of Chicago and the University of Richmond.
Read The Washington Post article about Yvonne's appointment.
