Awards and Honors
Curtis alumni are regularly among the winners of the most prestigious awards and honors in the classical music world, including competitions, prizes, and career grants.
Among the awards alumni have received are these:
International Violin Competition of Indianapolis
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Concert Artists Guild
2009
Hye-Jin Kim (Violin '06)
2006
Jennifer Stumm (Viola '01)
2005
Daniel Chong (Violin '00)
Soo Bae (Cello '01)
2003
Maureen Nelson (Violin '94)
2000
Anthony Padilla (Piano '89)
1999
Che-Yen Chen (Viola '98)
1998
Judith Ingolfsson (Violin '92)
1997
Kyu-Young Kim (Violin '92)
1996
Scott Lee (Viola '96)
1994
Jennifer Koh (Violin '02)
1993
Ayako Yoshida (Violin '93)
1992
Miami String Quartet:
- Cathy Meng Robinson (Violin '83)
- Ivan Chan (Violin '88)
- Chauncey Patterson (Viola '84)
- Keith Robinson (Cello '84)
1989
Charlotte Hellekant (Opera '90)
Marie-Pierre Langlamet (Harp '88)
1986
Maria Bachmann (Violin '84)
1985
Sarah Kwak (Violin '84)
1984
Alexander Simionescu (Violin '85)
1981
Frederick Moyer (Piano '77)
1979
Sheryl Henze (Flute '76)
1978
Gwendolyn Bradley (Soprano '77)
1976
Katherine Ciesinski (Voice '76)
Stewart Newbold (Clarinet '75)
1975
Rapael Trio: Charles Castleman (Violin '63)
1973
David Shifrin (Clarinet '71)
Sandra N. Miller (Flute '72)
1971
Marioara Trifan (Piano '65)
1966
Ellen Hassman (Cello '63)
Jerome Rosen (Violin '59)
1965
Mertine Johns (Opera '73)
1964
Jean Kraft (Voice '47)
Winifred Dettore (Voice '56)
1963
William Steck (Violin '46)
1956
Hyman Bress (Violin '51)
Charles Castleman (Violin '63)
1954
Marvin Morgenstern (Violin '50)
1953
Stanley Babin (Piano '53)
1952
Leah Mellman (Piano '62)
1951
Nathan Goldstein (Violin '47)
Learn more about Concert Artists Guild
Curtis Alumni Awards
Established in 2000, the Alumni Award is the highest honor the Curtis Institute of Music confers on its alumni. The Award recognizes outstanding and long-term contribution of service to and involvement in Curtis as well as outstanding achievement in or contribution to the music profession. It is only awarded to living alumni.
2012
Plato Karayanis (Voice '56)
2011
Joseph Silverstein (Violin '50)
Gianna Rolandi (Voice '74, Opera '75)
2010
Guarneri Quartet
Arnold Steinhardt (Violin ’59)
John Dalley (Violin ’57)
Michael Tree (Violin ’55)
Peter Wiley (Cello ’74)
2009
Bob Fitzpatrick (Clarinet ’68)
Laila Storch (Oboe ’45)
2008
Seymour Lipkin (Piano ’47)
Abba Bogin (Piano ’49)
2007
Mary Lou Falcone (Voice ’66)
Aaron Rosand (Violin ’48)
2006
Gary Graffman (Piano ’46)
2005
Ralph Berkowitz (Accompanying ’35)
Richard Shapp (Voice ’75)
2004
Hershel Gordon (Cello ’50)
Mason Jones (Horn ’38)
2003
Roger Scott (Double Bass ’41)
David Schwartz (Viola ’37)
2002
Edith Evans Frumin (Voice ’48)
Edward Arian (Double Bass ’44)
2001
Eleanor Sokoloff (Piano ’38)
Diana Steiner (Violin ’49, ’57)
2000
Orlando Cole (Cello and Chamber Music ’34)
Frank Gorell (Horn ’34)
AVERY FISHER CAREER GRANTS
2012
Benjamin Beilman (Violin '12)
2011
Benjamin Hochman (Piano ’01)
Chu-Fang Huang (Piano ’04)
2010
Yuja Wang (Piano ’08)
2008
José Franch-Ballester (Clarinet ’07)
2007
Borromeo String Quartet:
- Nicholas Kitchen (Violin ’90)
- Yeesun Kim (Cello ’88)
2006
Efe Baltacigil (Cello ’02)
Erin Keefe (Violin ’03)
2005
Priscilla Lee (Cello ’03)
Miró Quartet: John Largess (Viola ’92)
2003
Demarre McGill (Flute ’96)
Scott St. John (Violin ’90)
Natalie Zhu (Piano ’97)
2002
Meng-Chieh Liu (Piano ’93)
2001
Timothy Fain (Violin ’98)
Daniel Lee (Cello ’01)
2000
Anthony McGill (Clarinet ’00)
1999
Jonathan Biss (Piano ’01)
1998
Soovin Kim (Violin ’99)
1997
Nokuthula Ngwenyama (Viola ’96)
1996
Sophie Shao (Cello ’95)
1995
Hilary Hahn (Violin ’99)
Jennifer Koh (Violin '02)
1994
Leila Josefowicz (Violin ’97)
Ignat Solzhenitsyn (Piano and Conducting ’95)
1991
Wendy Warner (Cello ’93)
1988
Pamela Frank (Violin ’89)
1987
David Shifrin (Clarinet ’71)
1985
Peter Wiley (Cello ’74)
Peter Zazofsky (Violin ’76)
1983
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (Violin ’75)
1977
André-Michel Schub (Piano ’73)
1976
Heidi Lehwalder (Harp ’71)
Learn more about Young Concert Artists.
International Violin Competition of Indianapolis
2010
Benjamin Beilman (Violin) Third place
2006
Celeste Golden (Violin '05) Third place
2002
Soovin Kim (Violin '95) Third place
Susie Park (Violin '04) Fifth place
1998
Judith Ingolfsson (Violin '92) First place
Ju-Young Baek (Violin '97) Third place
1994
Juliette Kang (Violin '91) First place
1990
Ivan Chan (Violin '88) Third place
1986
Chin Kim (Violin '79) Fourth place
Learn more about International Violin Competition of Indianapolis
Naumburg Competition
Competition Winners
1998
Jasmine Lin (Violin '98)
1986
Peter Wiley (Cello '74)
1984
Carmit Zori (Violin '81)
1981
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (Violin '75)
1974
Andre-Michel Schub (Piano '73)
1960
Joseph Silverstein (Violin '50)
1958
Elaine Lee (Violin '58)
1957
Michael Grebanier (Cello '58)
1956
Donald McCall (Cello '56)
1955
Ronald Leonard (Cello '55)
1954
Jules Eskin (Cello '52)
1952
Diana Steiner (Violin '49, ‘57)
1949
Lorne Munroe (Cello '47)
1948
Paul Olefsky (Cello '47)
Theodore Lettvin (Piano '49)
1947
Abba Bogin (Piano '49)
1942
Annette Elkanova (Piano '41)
1940
Abbey Simon (Piano '39)
Harry Cykman (Violin '31)
1939
Zadel Skolovsky (Piano '37)
1937
Jorge Bolet (Piano '40)
1935
Benjamin De Loache (Voice '34)
Recording Awards
1980
George Rochberg (Composition '48): Slow Fires of Autumn
Philip Naumburg Solo Recording Prize
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (Violin '75)
1961
George Rochberg (Composition '48): Symphony No. 2
1957
Lukas Foss (Composition '40, Piano '42): The Song of Songs, conducted by Leonard Bernstein (Conducting '41)
Learn more about Naumburg Competition
Pulitzer Prize
2010
Jennifer Higdon (Composition ’88), Violin Concerto
1996
George Walker (Piano and Composition ’45), Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra
1976
Ned Rorem (Composition ’44), Air Music
1963
Samuel Barber (Composition ’34), Piano Concerto No. 1
1958
Barber, Vanessa
1955
Gian Carlo Menotti (Composition ’33), The Saint of Bleecker Street
1950
Menotti, The Consul
Learn more about the Pulitzer Prize
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (2009)
Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal: Haochen Zhang (Piano, current), China
Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1981)
First Prize: André-Michel Schub (Piano ’73), USA
Fifth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1977)
First Prize: Steven De Groote (Piano ’71), South Africa
Third Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (1969)
First Prize: Cristina Ortiz (Piano ’71), Brazil
Young Concert Artists
2011
Andrew Tyson (Piano ’10)
2010
Benjamin Beilman (Violin '12)
Chris Rogerson (Composition ’10)
2008-09
Ray Chen (Violin ’10)
Bella Hristova (Violin ’08)
2008
Pius Cheung (Timpani/Percussion’04)
2006
Chu-Fang Huang (Piano ’04)
2005
Efe Baltacigil (Cello ’02)
2004
Jose Franch-Ballester (Clarinet ’04)
2002
Daniel Kellogg (Composition ’99)
Nicolas Kendall (Violin ’01)
2000
Ju-Young Baek (Violin ’97)
1999
Timothy Fain (Violin ’98)
Mimi Stillman (Flute ’99)
1994
Nokuthula Ngwenyama (Viola ’96)
1992
St. Lawrence String Quartet:
Lesley Robertson (Viola ’87)
1991
Borromeo String Quartet:
- Nicholas Kitchen (Violin ’90)
- Ruggiero Allifranchini (Violin ’90)
- Ensik Choi (Viola ’90)
- Yeesun Kim (Cello ’88)
1989
Juliette Kang (Violin ’91)
Scott St. John (Violin ’90)
1988
David Fedele (Flute ’87)
1986
Marcy Rosen (Cello ’77)
Ory Shihor (Piano ’84)
Maurice Sklar (Violin ’83, ’84)
1981
Mendelssohn String Quartet: Marcy Rosen (Cello ’77)
1980
Toby Appel (Viola ’70)
1974
Robert Routch (Horn ’75)
1971
Rolf Schulte (Violin ’71)
1962
Robert Martin (Cello ’62)
1961
Shmuel Ashkenasi (Violin ’63)
Richard Goode (Piano ’64)
Contact
Anne O'Donnell, director of alumni and parent programs, (215) 717-3128