Faculty Chairs

Since the 1990s several donors have endowed chairs to honor Curtis’s outstanding faculty. A complete list of chairs funded to date is below.

Eleven chairs were established between 2008 and 2012 in response to a generous $17 million challenge grant put forth by Curtis Board Chairman H. F. "Gerry" Lenfest and Curtis Overseer Marguerite Lenfest to establish additional faculty chairs while raising funds for Curtis's endowment (* indicated below).

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Nina and Billy Albert Chair in Cello Studies*

Established by Nina and Billy Albert
Held by Carter Brey

Herbert R. and Evelyn Axelrod Chair in Violin Studies*

Established by Herbert R. and Evelyn Axelrod
Held by Pamela Frank ('89)

Maryjane Mayhew Barton Chair in Harp Studies

Established by Maryjane Mayhew Barton
Held by Elizabeth Hainen

A. Margaret Bok Chair in Double Bass Studies*

Established by A. Margaret “Stormy” Bok
Held by Harold Hall Robinson

Orlando Cole Chair in Cello Studies

Established by Bruce Jay Gould, M.D.
Held by Peter Wiley ('74)

Field-McFadden Chair in Audio-Visual Arts*

Established by Joe and Marie Field & John McFadden and Lisa Kabnick
Held by Greg Sharrow

Fondation Charidu Chair in Guitar Studies*

Established by Fondation Charidu and Baroness Nina von Maltzahn
Held by David Starobin

Haas Charitable Trust Chair in Organ Studies

Established by the Otto Haas Charitable Trust #2
Held by Alan Morrison ('93)

Rita and Gustave Hauser Chair in Conducting Studies

Established by Rita and Gustave Hauser
Held by Otto Werner-Mueller

Hirsig Family Head-of-Department Chair in Vocal Studies*

Established by Alan and Nancy Hirsig
Held by Mikael Eliasen

Gie and Lisa Liem Artistic Chair of Performance Studies*

Established by Gie and Lisa Liem
Held by David Ludwig ('01)

James and Betty Matarese Chair in Viola Studies

Established by James and Betty Matarese
Held by President Roberto Díaz

Rock Chair in Composition*

Established by Dr. Milton L. Rock
Held by Jennifer Higdon ('88)

Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Violin Studies

Established by the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation
Held by Aaron Rosand ('48)

Nina Von Maltzahn Chair in Violin Studies*

Established by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation
Held by Ida Kavafian

Neubauer Family Chair in Piano Studies

Established by the Neubauer Family Foundation
Held by Jonathan Biss ('01)

Penelope P. Watkins Chair in Piano Studies*

Established by Penelope Watkins
Held by Robert McDonald ('76, '77)

Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Chair of Liberal Arts*

Established by Ruth and Morris Williams
Held by Jeanne M. McGinn

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Contact

Charles Sterne III, director of principal gifts and planned giving, (215) 717-3126