Faculty Biographies

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VIRGINIA ALLEN: Elements of Conducting, Conductors' Forum, Academic Electives
Ms. Allen studied horn and conducting and earned a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Music in performance from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and a Diploma in conducting from the University of Calgary. A member of the conducting faculty at Juilliard, she is co-founder of the Juilliard Trombone Choir. She is also an instructor for the Professional Institute for Educators at the University of the Arts. Ms. Allen is former artistic director of the Sun Valley Summer Music Workshops and conductor of the Sun Valley Youth Orchestra in Idaho. She has performed around the United States and Europe as conductor of the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus in Washington, D.C.; U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point; and West Point Glee Club. Her published arrangements have been premiered, performed, and recorded by members of the Philadelphia and Washington Opera orchestras; Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, and Brazilian symphony orchestras; Buffalo Philharmonic; and Juilliard Trombone Choir. She is a former board member of the Conductors Guild. Ms. Allen joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2005.
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MISHA AMORY: Viola
Winner of the 1991 Naumburg Viola Award, Mr. Amory has performed with orchestras in the United States and Europe, and he has given recitals in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, and Washington, D.C. He has been invited to perform at the Marlboro Music Festival and the Vancouver and Seattle chamber music festivals, as well as with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Boston Chamber Music Society. He released a recording of the Hindemith sonatas on the Musical Heritage Society label in 1993. Mr. Amory is a founding member of the Brentano String Quartet, which won the inaugural Cleveland Quartet Award and the 1995 Naumburg Chamber Music Award. He holds degrees from Yale University and the Juilliard School, and his principal teachers were Heidi Castelman, Caroline Levine, and Samuel Rhodes. Currently on the faculty at Juilliard, Mr. Amory joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2006.
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SUSAN SHIPLETT ASHBAKER: Opera and Voice Coach
Ms. Ashbaker is an independent artistic advisor/consultant. Recent positions and projects have included serving as interim executive director of the Commonwealth Youthchoirs in Philadelphia and artistic consultant with the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Worth Opera Association, Opera America, and the CoOPERAtive Program at Westminster Choir College, among others. A sought-after master-class teacher, she has taught at programs such as the Florida Grand Opera, Manhattan School of Music, and Westminster Choir College. Ms. Ashbaker served as director of artistic and music administration at the Opera Company of Philadelphia for sixteen seasons, also collaborating with the producing artistic director for season planning and casting. Under her direction, the Opera Company established an intern program with Curtis. She has worked as assistant conductor and vocal coach with New York City Opera, European Center for Opera and Vocal Arts (Belgium), New Israeli Vocal Arts Institute, Theater am Goetheplatz (Bremen, Germany), and Academy of Vocal Arts. A frequent panelist with Opera America (and former chair of its Artistic Network), the National Opera Association, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Ms. Ashbaker also judges the Metropolitan Opera Competitions, Marian Anderson Emerging Artist Competition, and Richard Tucker Foundation Auditions, among others. She trained at Southern Illinois University and l'École Normale de Musique in Paris and received a second master's degree, in accompanying/coaching, from the University of Illinois. Ms. Ashbaker joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1993.
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JEROME ASHBY: Horn
Mr. Ashby joined the New York Philharmonic as associate principal horn in 1979 and in 1982 made his New York Philharmonic solo debut. A native of Charleston, S.C., but raised in the North, Mr. Ashby attended the Performing Arts High School in New York City. He subsequently attended the Juilliard School, where he was a student of James Chambers, former New York Philharmonic principal horn. An active recitalist and chamber musician, Mr. Ashby performs regularly with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles and has appeared with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, as well as at various music festivals around the world. A faculty member at the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and Aspen Music Festival School, Mr. Ashby joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2000. The entire Curtis family mourns the loss of Mr. Ashby. who passed away on December 26, 2007.
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SHMUEL ASHKENASI: Violin
Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Mr. Ashkenasi attended the Musical Academy of Tel Aviv and gave his first public performance at the age of eight. After studying with Ilona Feher, he came to the United States to study with Efrem Zimbalist at The Curtis Institute of Music. He won the Merriweather Post Competition, was a finalist in Belgium's Queen Elisabeth competition, and received second prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Mr. Ashkenasi has toured the former Soviet Union twice and concertized extensively in Europe, Israel, the Far East, and the United States. As first violin of the famed Vermeer Quartet, he has gained a reputation as one of the world's outstanding chamber musicians. From 1969 until 2007, Mr. Ashkenasi was professor of music and artist-in-residence at Northern Illinois University. For the last several years, he has taught at Roosevelt University in Chicago and the Musikhochschule Lübeck in Germany. Mr. Ashkenasi joins the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2007.
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DAVID BILGER: Trumpet
Mr. Bilger joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as principal trumpet in 1995; prior to that, he held the same position with the Dallas Symphony. He has performed in recital throughout the United States and Canada and appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra; Dallas, Houston, and Oakland symphonies; Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia; Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York; and Orchestra of St. Luke's. In 1998 he performed the Tomasi Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and on tour in North and South America. An active chamber musician, Mr. Bilger can be heard on the Delos label in a recording of Bach's Second Brandenburg Concerto with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He studied at the Juilliard School and the University of Illinois. Mr. Bilger joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1997.
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ALFRED BLATTER: Computers, Acoustics, Orchestration, Sound Technology
Dr. Blatter received his D.M.A. in composition-theory from the University of Illinois, where he studied with Robert Kelly, Ben Johnston, and Kenneth Gaburo. He is a hornist, published composer, and author of Instrumentation and Orchestration (second edition), published by Schirmer Books, and Revisiting Music Theory: A Guide to the Practice, published by Routledge. Dr. Blatter was the founding editor of Media Press and a United States panelist to the Ghent conference on new musical notation. His interests include computer and electronic music, pipe organ design, psycho-acoustics, and musical theater. He is professor emeritus at Drexel University, where he taught music theory and was head of the department of performing arts for twenty-three years. Dr. Blatter joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1989.
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BLAIR BOLLINGER: Bass Trombone, Chamber Music
Mr. Bollinger is the bass trombone of the Philadelphia Orchestra, which he joined in 1986. He has made solo appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and National Symphony of Taiwan, as well as at many international and domestic trombone conferences. Mr. Bollinger has given recitals and master classes in Brazil, Chile, China, Holland, Israel, Japan, Poland, Taiwan, and throughout the United States. His recordings include a solo CD (Fancy Free), two discs with Four of a Kind trombone quartet, and a disc with the Canadian Brass. Also active as a conductor, Mr. Bollinger is the music director of the Bar Harbor Brass Week in Maine and has guest-conducted Georgia's Dekalb Symphony, the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, and several benefit concerts. A 1986 Curtis graduate, he conducts the Curtis Brass and Percussion Ensemble, coaches chamber music, and teaches lessons. Mr. Bollinger joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1997.
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TONY BRAITHWAITE: Drama Workshop
Tony Braithwaite is a Philadelphia actor, comedian, emcee, and teacher. As an actor, he has worked with the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Company, People's Light and Theatre Company, 1812 Productions, Act 2 Playhouse, Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, and Hedgerow Theatre. Mr. Braithwaite's performance as Boyd in The Big Bang earned him the 2005 Barrymore Award for outstanding leading actor in a musical. As a stand-up comic, he counts more than one hundred celebrities, from Don Knotts to Ted Koppel, on his list of impressions. He served as master of ceremonies for the annual Barrymore Awards for four years and for both inaugural galas for Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. Mr. Braithwaite, a 1993 graduate of Georgetown University, directs drama at his other alma mater, St. Joseph's Prep, as well as at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Braithwaite joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2006.
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CORRADINA CAPORELLO: Italian Diction
Dr. Caporello, born in Rome, received a B.A. from Columbia University, an M.A. from Queens College, and an M.Ph. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. She has taught Italian language and literature at Columbia University, John Jay College, Queens College, Hofstra University, and C. W. Post campus, Long Island University. She is the author of The Boccaccian Novella: Creation and Waning of a Genre. Dr. Caporello, a member of the Italian Honor Society, trained with Evelina Colorni. She has coached Italian operas in the United States, Canada, Italy, Israel, and China and has taught master classes in Taiwan, Japan, and Mexico, as well as in the United States. She is a member of the board of directors of the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation and has been a member of the Juilliard School faculty since 1984. Dr. Caporello joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1995.
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NORMAN CAROL: Orchestral Repertoire (Violin)
A native of Philadelphia and a 1947 graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Efrem Zimbalist, Mr. Carol was concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1966 until his retirement in 1994. His professional career began at age seventeen, when he was invited to play in the first violin section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Carol has been a frequent soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and introduced to Philadelphia audiences the violin concertos of Britten, Hindemith, and Nielsen, and Bernstein's Serenade. With the composer conducting, he performed the world premiere of Skrowaczewski's violin concerto. He plays one of the world's most prized violins: the ex-Albert Spalding Guarnerius (del Gesù), dating from 1743. Mr. Carol joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1979.
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BOB CHAPRA: Feldenkrais Method
Mr. Chapra is one of the select group to advance train directly with the late Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais. He has been a certified Feldenkrais movement practitioner since 1977 and was awarded lifetime certification in 1997. He was on the theatre faculty of SUNY–Purchase, where his students included Stanley Tucci, Steven Weber, and Ving Rhames, and he later taught voice and movement at the George Morrison Studio, Michael Moriarty's Potter's Field Theatre Company, the Wilma Theater, and Villanova University. Mr. Chapra has frequently presented his work at the Voice Foundation's annual conferences, and he gave a lecture/class at the Associated Music Teachers League's seventy-fifth-anniversary celebration at Mannes School of Music. He has also taught courses and presented lectures at Thomas Jefferson, Doylestown, and Albert Einstein hospitals, among others, and conducted workshops in the United States, Europe, and South America. He has private practices in both New York and Philadelphia. Mr. Chapra joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1994.
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WAYNE CONNER: History of Singing, History of Opera
A 1957 graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, Mr. Conner received his master's degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. He was winner of the Walter W. Naumburg Competition and made his Town Hall debut as a tenor in 1956. He has been a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Bach Society, Marlboro Music Festival, and others. He is also on the faculty of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, and he is a guest lecturer of vocal literature at Johns Hopkins University and the vocal concerts of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Series. Mr. Conner joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1985.
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JONATHAN COOPERSMITH: Harmony, Counterpoint, Musical Studies for Singers, Music History
A native of Princeton, N.J., Jonathan Coopersmith has been the associate conductor of the Philadelphia Singers since 2000 and is a guest chorus director of the Philadelphia Orchestra. From 1998 to 2002, he served as associate conductor of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra. He has conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra Society, Westminster Conservatory Orchestra, Wilmington Orchestra, University of Pennsylvania Wind Ensemble, and Penn's Landing Orchestra. He has also served as music director for Philadelphia's Opera on the Square, Rittenhouse Row Festival, and Festival of the Arts. Mr. Coopersmith holds a master's degree in orchestral conducting from the Mannes College of Music, where he studied with David Hayes, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied music theory and composition with Richard Wernick and George Crumb. He also studied at the Pierre Monteux School of Conducting with Michael Jinbo. Mr. Coopersmith joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2005.
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ROBERT CUCKSON: Keyboard Studies, Counterpoint
Dr. Cuckson received his B.S. from the Mannes College of Music and his D.M.A. from Yale University. He studied theory with Carl Schachter, Ernst Oster, and Allen Forte and composition with Peter Pindar Stearns and Yehudi Wyner. He also studied piano with Ilona Kabos, Jeaneane Dowis, and Carlo Zecchi. From 1978 to 1987, he was dean of the Mannes College of Music, and he is co-chair of the techniques-of-music department and a member of the composition faculty there. His compositions include two operas, three concertos, chamber music, and piano works. Dr. Cuckson joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1991.
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JEFFREY CURNOW: Chamber Music (Brass)
Mr. Curnow, associate principal trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra, graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from Temple University, where he was a student of Seymour Rosenfeld. Soon after, he was appointed principal trumpet of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra and joined the New York Trumpet Ensemble. In 1987 Mr. Curnow left New Haven to record and tour as a member of the internationally renowned Empire Brass Quintet. In 1995 he was appointed principal trumpet of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He is well established as an educator, clinician, adjudicator, arranger, and producer and has taught at the universities of Connecticut, Scranton, and Boston; Tanglewood Institute; and the Royal Academy of Music in London. Mr. Curnow joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2003.
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VICTOR DANCHENKO: Violin
Mr. Danchenko has performed throughout the former U.S.S.R., Europe, and North and South America, and he has recorded for the Melodya label. Born in Moscow, he made his debut at age sixteen as soloist with the State Orchestra of the U.S.S.R. and entered the Moscow State Conservatory at seventeen as a student of violinist David Oistrakh. He won numerous national and international prizes and awards, including gold medals in the Soviet National Competition and in the World Youth and Student Festival, a top prize in the Jacques Thibaud International Competition in Paris, and the Ysaÿe Gold Medal. He has given master classes in the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, Israel, and Japan. Mr. Danchenko taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and the Cleveland Institute of Music and is a faculty member of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. In the summer he teaches at the Encore School for Strings and other summer festivals. Mr. Danchenko joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1994.
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RICHARD DANIELPOUR: Composition
Mr. Danielpour has been commissioned by many international music institutions, festivals, and artists, including soloists Yo-Yo Ma, Jessye Norman, Dawn Upshaw, Emanuel Ax, Frederica von Stade, Thomas Hampson, and Gary Graffman; the Guarneri, Emerson, and American string quartets and Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio; and conductors Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Masur, Charles Dutoit, David Zinman, Zdenek Macal, and Leonard Slatkin. His first opera, Margaret Garner, with Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, was premiered by co-commissioners the Michigan Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera, and Opera Company of Philadelphia. Mr. Danielpour has received a Grammy Award, Charles Ives Fellowship and Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Guggenheim Fellowship, Bearns Prize from Columbia University, and grants and residencies from the Barlow Foundation, MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, Copland House, and American Academy in Rome. In 2002 he was awarded a fellowship to the American Academy in Berlin, and he was the third composer—after Stravinsky and Copland—to be signed to an exclusive recording contract by Sony Classical. On the Manhattan School of Music's composition faculty since 1993, Mr. Danielpour joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1997.
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JOSEPH DE PASQUALE: Viola, Orchestral Repertoire (Viola)
A 1942 Curtis graduate, Mr. de Pasquale studied with Louis Bailly, Max Aronoff, and William Primrose; he also prizes his association with Jascha Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky, with whom he recorded and performed in Carnegie Hall. Mr. de Pasquale joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra as principal viola in 1947. In Boston he premiered a concerto composed for him by Walter Piston, and he gave the first Boston performances of concertos by Walton and Milhaud. He joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as principal viola in 1964, a position he held until his retirement in 1996. He has appeared as a soloist frequently with the Philadelphia Orchestra and has made numerous appearances as a soloist with other orchestras in the United States and abroad, including the Hanover Symphony under Aldo Ceccato and the Hamburg Symphony under Klaus Tennstedt. Mr. de Pasquale has served on the faculties of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, Indiana University School of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, and Tanglewood Institute. Albany Records released his CD Soaring Spirit in 2005. A member of the de Pasquale String Quartet, Mr. de Pasquale joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1964.
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ROBERTO DÍAZ: President, Viola
Mr. Díaz's biography can be found here.
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MIKAEL ELIASEN: Artistic Director of Vocal Studies and the Curtis Opera Theatre, Opera and Voice Coach
Danish-born coach and accompanist Mr. Eliasen received his early training in Copenhagen, Montreal, and Vienna. He has collaborated with numerous singers in recital worldwide, including Robert Merrill, Tom Krause, Theodor Uppman, John Shirley-Quirk, Elly Ameling, Edith Mathis, Florence Quivar, Mira Zakai, Sarah Walker, and Joan Patenaude-Yarnell. He has recorded for CBC, Hilversum Radio, Polish State Radio, Kol Israel, Irish Radio and Television, London Records, MHS, and Supraphon. Mr. Eliasen has given master classes at the Shanghai Conservatory, Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Moscow), Jerusalem Music Center, National Opera of Prague, and the young artist's program at the Metropolitan Opera (New York City). He is closely affiliated with the Royal Opera Academy (Copenhagen), Netherlands Opera Studio (Amsterdam), and Pittsburgh Opera Studio. He teaches at Chautauqua's Voice Program, for the Santa Fe Opera's young artist program, and in Italy. Mr. Eliasen was music director of the San Francisco Opera Center from 1994 to 1996 and artistic director of the European Center for Opera and Vocal Art in Belgium from 1984 to 1994. Mr. Eliasen joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1986 and became the head of the department in 1988.
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NORMAN ELLMAN: French
Mr. Ellman graduated magna cum laude with an A.B. degree in French from Dartmouth College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received an M.A. in Romance languages from the University of Pennsylvania and completed all exams and coursework toward the doctorate. He has studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and at the University of Strasbourg and was appointed assistant diplômé, conducting English-conversation classes at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He has taught French language and literature at Saint Joseph's University and at Rutgers University in Camden and has instructed all levels of French at the Alliance Française in Philadelphia. Mr. Ellman was professor-in-residence for semester-abroad programs in La Napoule, France and in Strasbourg. In 2006 and 2007 Mr. Ellman taught French Literature in English Translation at Rutgers University, a course that included a trip to the Loire Valley, Versailles, and Paris. In addition to French, he speaks German, Italian, and Spanish. Mr. Ellman joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2004.
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ROBERT FITZPATRICK: Dean
Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Fitzpatrick attended The Curtis Institute of Music from 1966 to 1968 and studied clarinet with the late Anthony Gigliotti. Mr. Fitzpatrick received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Temple University. His posts have included those of music director and chairman of fine arts at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia from 1969 to 1980; principal conductor, Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, 1980 to 1982; and music director, Garden State Philharmonic, 1976 to 1982. Mr. Fitzpatrick joined the staff of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1980.
Read Meet the Faculty profile on Robert Fitzpatrick from Overtones, Spring 2006.
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LEON FLEISHER: Piano
Born in San Francisco, Mr. Fleisher began playing piano at the age of four and was accepted as a pupil of Artur Schnabel at nine. At fifteen he made his debut at Carnegie Hall with Pierre Monteux and the New York Philharmonic. In 1952 he became the first American to win a major European competition, the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium International Competition. Since 1959 Mr. Fleisher has held the Andrew W. Mellon Chair at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, and for five years he was associate conductor of the Baltimore Symphony. He was the artistic director of the Tanglewood Music Center from 1986 to 1997. He performs and conducts with many national and international orchestras and recently completed a tour of the United States with the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester. Mr. Fleisher was awarded the rank of Commander in the French government Order of Arts and Letters in 2006. Two Hands, a short documentary film about Mr. Fleisher's battle and triumph over right-hand focal dystonia, was a 2007 Academy Award nominee. Mr. Fleisher is the first living American pianist to be inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame. He joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1986.
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CLAUDE FRANK: Piano
Mr. Frank began piano studies in his native Germany and continued in France and then the United States with Artur Schnabel and Karl Ulrich Schnabel. He studied composition at Columbia University and conducting with Serge Koussevitzky at Tanglewood. Since his debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in 1959, he has performed with most major symphony orchestras in the United States, Europe, and South America, and he has toured on six continents. He has recorded all thirty-two Beethoven piano sonatas for RCA, as well as Mozart concertos and chamber music. His late wife is the pianist Lilian Kallir, and their violinist daughter, Pamela, graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music in 1989. Mr. Frank is on the faculty of the Yale School of Music, and he joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1988.
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PAMELA FRANK: Violin, Chamber Music (Strings)
Ms. Frank, a 1989 Curtis graduate, has performed regularly with today's most distinguished soloists and ensembles, including such orchestras as those of Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Baltimore, as well as the Berlin, St. Petersburg, and Israel philharmonics. As a recitalist, she has performed in the major cities of the world. Her chamber music projects include performances with such artists as Peter Serkin, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and her father, Claude Frank, and frequent appearances with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Musicians from Marlboro. With Claude Frank at the piano, she has recorded the complete Beethoven sonata cycle for Music Masters Classics and an all-Schubert disc. For Sony Classical Ms. Frank recorded the Chopin Piano Trio and Schubert Trout Quintet with Mr. Ax and Mr. Ma. On Decca she has recorded all of the Mozart violin concertos, the Dvorak concerto, and, with Peter Serkin, the complete Brahms sonata cycle. In 1999 she was awarded a coveted Avery Fisher Prize. Ms. Frank joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1996.
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PETER GAFFNEY: Language and Literature, Modernism
Born in Seattle, Dr. Gaffney received his B.A. from Stanford University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in comparative literature and literary theory. He has taught courses in American literature, French and Italian language, and English composition at University of Pennsylvania and the Université de Paris X-Nanterre, and he has worked as art director at Leo Burnett advertising agency in Prague. His interests include avant-garde art and literature, psychoanalysis, and experimental cinema, and he is editing a collection of essays on philosopher Gilles Deleuze. Dr. Gaffney joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2006.
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BERNARD GARFIELD: Bassoon
Mr. Garfield joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as principal bassoon in 1957, a position from which he retired in 2000. He was a winner of the orchestra's C. Hartman Kuhn Award. A graduate of New York University, he holds a master's degree in composition from Columbia University and an associate's diploma from the Royal College of Music in London. In 1946 he organized the New York Woodwind Quintet. He has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Little Orchestra Society of New York. Among Mr. Garfield's recordings are the Mozart's Bassoon Concerto, Weber's Hungarian Rondo, Vivaldi's “La Notte” concerto, Hindemith's sonata, and much of the woodwind chamber music repertoire. Mr. Garfield's compositions include three quartets for bassoon and string trio, a string quartet, piano solos, bassoon pieces, and songs. He is a member of the Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet, retired adjunct professor at Temple University's Boyer College of Music, and an honorary member of the International Double Reed Society. Mr. Garfield was a member of The Curtis Institute of Music faculty from 1975 to 1980 and rejoined it in 1985.
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MATTHEW GLANDORF: Music History, Counterpoint, Preparatory Solfège, Chamber Chorus, Sacred Music Seminar
Mr. Glandorf has an active career as a conductor, educator, organist, church musician, and composer. Prior to his 2004 appointment as artistic director of the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, he served as director of music in numerous Philadelphia churches, including historic Old St. Joseph's, Old Pine Street Presbyterian, and Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion. He was also the conductor of In Clara Voce, a chamber choir devoted to the performance of early and contemporary music. Mr. Glandorf now serves as organist at St. Mark's Church in Philadelphia. He was raised in Germany, where he received early instruction at the organ at the Bremen Cathedral with Wolfgang Baumgratz. At age sixteen he entered The Curtis Institute of Music as a student of John Weaver and Ford Lallerstedt. He pursued graduate studies with McNeil Robinson at the Manhattan School of Music. He has served on the faculties of Swarthmore College and Westminster Choir College and has been featured on several recordings, including Philadelphia Organbuilder on the Raven label. Mr. Glandorf joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1995.
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GARY GRAFFMAN: Piano
Mr. Graffman's association with The Curtis Institute of Music began in 1936 at the age of seven, when he was accepted as a piano student of Isabelle Vengerova. He graduated in 1946 and shortly thereafter made his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy. He continued his studies with Vladimir Horowitz and, at the Marlboro Music Festival, with Rudolf Serkin. At age twenty Mr. Graffman won the Leventritt Award, which launched his international concert career. In 1979 an injury to his right hand limited his concertizing to repertoire for the left hand alone. Since then, seven left-hand works have been commissioned for him, and he has an active concert career with major orchestras and chamber ensembles around the world. Mr. Graffman joined the Curtis piano faculty in 1980 and, from 1986 through May 2006, served as director of Curtis, as well as president from 1995.
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GORDANA-DANA GROZDANIC: German
Ms. Grozdanic's undergraduate work was in philosophy, sociology, and German language and literature at the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, where she also completed her M.A. in linguistics and philology. She has studied in Köln, Germany, and has taught a wide range of introductory and upper-level German language and literature courses. Ms. Grozdanic will defend her dissertation in December at the Germanic languages and literatures department at the University of Pennsylvania.
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ELIZBETH HAINEN: Harp
Ms. Hainen has won international acclaim performing as a recitalist and concerto soloist throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. Solo engagements have included the Anchorage, Mexico State, and New World symphonies; Chicago Civic Orchestra; Dance Theater of Harlem; Paris Opera Ballet; and Vienna Boys Choir, in addition to numerous performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center, and Orchestra Hall in Chicago. An active chamber musician, Ms. Hainen has performed at the Grand Tetons, Kingston, and Marlboro festivals. She performed the closing recital for the 2005 Korean National Harp Festival and the opening recital for the 2004 American Harp Society's National Conference. Ms. Hainen can be heard on her debut recording of nineteenth-century romantic solo works on the Naxos label and on a series of recordings by Lyon & Healy's Egan label. She is the principal harp of the Philadelphia Orchestra and founding director of the Lyra Society Fund, an organization to promote new works for the harp and educate young harpists. Ms. Hainen teaches at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University and joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2005.
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NITZAN HAROZ: Trombone
Mr. Haroz, who was born in Israel, joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as principal trombone in 1995. He served as assistant principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic and principal trombone of the Rishon-Le Zion Symphony and Opera Orchestra. He was also first trombone of the Israel Defense Forces Orchestra and performed with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Haroz has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Rishon-Le Zion Symphony, and the Swedish Army band, among others, and is an active chamber musician. He won first prize at the François Shapira Competition and received America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarships. He has commissioned and premiered several works for trombone and harp and has given recitals at the Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C.; the International Harp Congress in France; and the Tel Aviv Museum. Mr. Haroz has also performed with the New York, Philadelphia, and Israel brass ensembles and the Rishon-Le Zion and Israel Defense Forces brass quintets. Mr. Haroz is on the faculty of Temple University and joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1998.
Read Meet the Faculty profile on Nitzan Haroz from Overtones, Spring 2005.
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MARY-JEAN B. HAYDEN: English as a Second Language
Ms. Hayden received her B.A. in English literature from Oberlin in 1955 and her M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1987 in TESOL/Intercultural Communication. A piano student of Moshe Paranov and George Reeves, she taught solfège at the New School of Music from 1976 to 1986, as well as English as a Second Language from 1984 to 1986. A faculty member of Temple Music Prep from 1986, Ms. Hayden joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1986 and served as director of student services from 1990 to 2001, and international student advisor from 1995 to 2001.
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DAVID HAYES: Staff Conductor
Trained as a violinist and violist, Mr. Hayes received his Bachelor of Music in musicology from the University of Hartford and a Diploma in conducting from The Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Otto-Werner Mueller. He also studied with Charles Bruck at the Pierre Monteux School. He is music director of the Philadelphia Singers, a member of the conducting staff of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and director of orchestral and conducting studies at the Mannes College of Music. Mr. Hayes has conducted several operas in Belgium and the Czech Republic. At Curtis he has led Adams's Death of Klinghoffer, Britten's Albert Herring and The Rape of Lucretia, Bizet/Brook's La Tragédie de Carmen, Weill's Mahagonny and Happy End, Handel's Alcina, Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims, Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and La rondine, and Stravinsky's Les Noces. Guest conducting engagements include concerts with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Louisiana Philharmonic, and a debut in 2003 with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. Hayes joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1990.
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SARAH HATSUKO HICKS: Staff Conductor
Ms. Hicks is assistant conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, and cover conductor for the National Symphony. She has served as resident conductor of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and assistant conductor to both the Reading Symphony Orchestra and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. Guest conducting appearances include the National Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Silesian State Philharmonic (Poland), East Slovak National Opera Theater, and New National Theatre (Tokyo). Also a pianist and composer, Ms. Hicks received her Diploma in conducting from The Curtis Institute of Music. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University with a B.A. degree in music composition. Ms. Hicks joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2000.
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ARIEL WEISS HOLYST: Alexander Technique
Ariel Weiss Holyst brings over thirty-five years of movement training as a modern dancer and choreographer to her Alexander teaching practice. She has maintained a lively private practice in Philadelphia since 1988. She earned her master's degree in movement and dance from Wesleyan University and is a teaching member of Alexander Technique International. Ms. Holyst joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1998.
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FRANK KADERABEK: Trumpet
Mr. Kaderabek served as principal trumpet with the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1975 until his retirement in 1995. His previous appointments included principal of the Dallas and Detroit symphonies and assistant principal of the Chicago Symphony. Born in Chicago, he studied with Edward Masacek and Adolph Herseth, then with Harry Glantz and Nathan Prager in New York. Mr. Kaderabek has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Grant Park Symphony, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, the Bach Festival in Cranbrook, and Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. In 1982 he was the first American judge at the International Trumpet Competition in Czechoslovakia. His recordings include the solo CDs An American Trumpet in Prague and Virtuoso, trumpet and cornet solos with the Allentown Band, conducted by Ronald Demkee. The 1991 Annual New York Brass Conference honored Mr. Kaderabek for his contribution to performance and teaching. He serves on the executive board of the International Trumpet Guild, which presented him with the Award of Merit in 2004. Mr. Kaderabek teaches at West Chester University and joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1975.
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PHILIP J. KASS: History of the Violin, Curator of String Instruments
Philip J. Kass is a respected expert, appraiser, consultant, and writer on fine classic stringed instruments and bows. From 1977 until 2002, he was an associate of William Moennig & Son, Ltd. of Philadelphia, where he handled many of the world's great stringed instruments. He has published numerous articles in such journals as the Strad, the journal of the Violin Society of America, Smithsonian, and Strings, as well as preparing numerous entries for both the previous and current editions of the New Grove's Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians and Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart. He was a contributing author to The British Violin, published by the British Violin Makers Association in 1999. Since 1981 he has been a frequent lecturer for the Violin Society of America, the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers, and the British Violin Makers Association. A member of the Violin Society of America since 1975, he has served on its board of directors since 1976, as vice president from 1985 to 1997, and as president from 1997 until early 1999. Mr. Kass joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2006.
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IDA KAVAFIAN: Violin
Internationally acclaimed as a violist as well as violinist, Ms. Kavafian is an artist-member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and former violinist of the Beaux Arts Trio. She performs as a soloist; in recital with her sister, Ani; as a guest with ensembles such as the Guarneri, Orion, and American string quartets; and as artistic director of music for Angel Fire in New Mexico. She is also on the faculty of the Bard College Conservatory of Music. Ms. Kavafian has premiered numerous works, toured and recorded with jazz greats Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis, and had a solo feature on CBS Sunday Morning. Cofounder of the group Tashi, Ms. Kavafian also cofounded the piano quartet OPUS ONE. Born in Istanbul of Armenian parentage, she is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where she studied with Oscar Shumsky. She resides with her husband, violist Steven Tenenbom, in Philadelphia and Connecticut, where they breed and train prize-winning Hungarian vizsla show dogs. Ms. Kavafian joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1998.
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LISA KELLER: Opera and Voice Coach
Ms. Keller was educated at Catholic University and the Brevard Music Center summer program, receiving a degree in piano performance, summa cum laude. She received her master's degree with the same distinction from Duquesne University, where she studied with Metropolitan Opera coach Warren Jones. Upon finishing her graduate work, Ms. Keller was invited by Pittsburgh Opera general director Tito Capobianco to join the company as principal répétiteur, as well as coach and accompanist for its young artist program. She later served as pianist and vocal coach for the Hartt School of Music, Connecticut Concert Opera, and West Chester University School of Music. Ms. Keller has studied with Maurizio Arena and served as vocal coach for the Ezio Pinza Council for American Singers of Opera program in Oderzo, Italy. She serves on the music faculties of the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Colorado, New Jersey Opera Theater, and Wexford Festival Opera. Her recent engagements include the Santa Fe Opera during the summer of 2007. Ms. Keller joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2004.
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JEFFREY KHANER: Flute, Chamber Music (Woodwinds)
In 1990 Mr. Khaner joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as principal flute, a position he had held with the Cleveland Orchestra since 1982. Prior to his Cleveland appointment, Mr. Khaner was principal flute of the Atlantic Symphony in Halifax, Canada, and the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York, and co-principal flute of the Pittsburgh Symphony. A native of Montreal, Mr. Khaner studied with Julius Baker at the Juilliard School, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree with honors in 1980. Mr. Khaner has given recitals and master classes across North and South America, Europe, and Asia, and he has appeared as a soloist with the Montreal Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and many others in the United States and abroad. Additional information is available at his website: www.iflute.com. Mr. Khaner, who also teaches at the Juilliard School, joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1985.
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JUNGEUN KIM: Staff Pianist, Administrative Coordinator of Concerts and Recitals
Ms. Kim began piano studies at age three and made her public debut at age eight. After winning a Presidential Prize in the Korean National Music Competition, she performed with the Korean National Philharmonic. As a scholarship recipient, she earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School. She has won numerous awards, including the Young Musicians Foundation Competition and VOCE Competition in Los Angeles. In addition Ms. Kim has performed as a recitalist and guest artist with orchestras and ensembles in the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, and the Far East, and she has appeared on CBS, CBC, Voice of America, and NPR broadcasts. She has been featured in the Philadelphia Orchestra's chamber music series and from 2002 to 2005 served as director of the Hartwick College Summer Music Festival and Institute. In fall 2005 she founded the New York Summer Music Festival, where she serves as the executive director. Ms. Kim became a staff pianist at The Curtis Institute of Music in 1999 and administrative coordinator of concerts and recitals in 2004.
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MERL F. KIMMEL: History
Mr. Kimmel received his bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the Pennsylvania State University and holds a J.D. from Temple University School of Law. Prior to teaching at Curtis, he taught at Hollidaysburg Senior High School. Mr. Kimmel joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1984.
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MICHAEL KRAUSZ: Aesthetics
Dr. Krausz is the Milton C. Nahm Professor of Philosophy at Bryn Mawr College. Trained at the universities of Toronto (Ph.D.) and Oxford, he has been visiting professor at leading universities in the United States, England, Germany, Israel, Egypt, and India. Dr. Krausz is the author of the recently published Interpretation and Transformation: Explorations in Art and the Self and Rightness and Reasons: Interpretation in Cultural Practices, Limits of Rightness. He is co-author of Varieties of Relativism and contributing editor of nine volumes, including The Interpretation of Music: Philosophical Essays. A volume dedicated to his philosophical work, entitled Interpretation and Its Objects: Studies in the Philosophy of Michael Krausz, was published in 2003. As a visual artist, Dr. Krausz has had twenty-two solo exhibitions. He is also a former violin student of Josef Gingold, has conducted professional orchestras in Bulgaria, and is the artistic director and conductor of the Great Hall Chamber Orchestra at Bryn Mawr. Dr. Krausz joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2002.
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PAUL KRZYWICKI: Tuba, Orchestral Repertoire (Brass)
Mr. Krzywicki was a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1972 until his retirement in 2005. A native of Philadelphia, he attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School and began studies with Leo Romano, continuing later with his Philadelphia Orchestra predecessor, Abe Torchinsky. He went on to receive Bachelor and Master of Music degrees and a performer's certificate from Indiana University, where he studied with William J. Bell and became his teaching assistant. Mr. Krzywicki received a Fromm Foundation fellowship to Tanglewood in 1965 and the same year performed Fantasy for Tuba and Strings by his brother, Jan, with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He performed the premiere of Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra by his brother and Concerto for Three Trombones and Tuba by Ray Premru, which was commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1985. Mr. Krzywicki was a member of the U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point; Portland Symphony; New York Brass Sextet; and Boston Ballet, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Aspen Music Festival orchestras. He served on the Fulbright Grant screening committee for three years. He also received the C. Hartman Kuhn Award, presented by the Philadelphia Orchestra, in 1985. Mr. Krzywicki joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1972.
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FORD MYLIUS LALLERSTEDT: Orchestral Score-Reading, Advanced Solfège
A native of Atlanta, Dr. Lallerstedt began studying piano at age five. He studied organ with Vernon de Tar at the Juilliard School, where, in 1973, he won both prizes in organ performance and was awarded teaching fellowships in piano and solfège. Dr. Lallerstedt received his Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Juilliard. He studied musicology with Gustave Reese, conducting with Warren Brown, and musical analysis with Jacob Druckman, Vincent Persichetti, and Roger Sessions. He made his New York debut at Alice Tully Hall in 1979 and has performed in Europe and throughout the United States. Dr. Lallerstedt founded the Wahnfried Chamber Orchestra, and he serves as regular accompanist and recital partner for mezzo-soprano Brenda Boozer. He has been on the faculties of the Juilliard School, State University of New York at Purchase, Mannes College of Music (organ), and Tanglewood Music Center (conducting studies). He is director of music at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. Dr. Lallerstedt joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1973.
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SEYMOUR LIPKIN: Piano
Mr. Lipkin received his Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music in 1947, studying piano with Rudolf Serkin, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, and David Saperton. He studied conducting at Tanglewood with Serge Koussevitzky and was apprentice conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell. In 1948 he won the Rachmaninoff Competition, as a pianist, and has since played with all of the major United States orchestras. He has performed virtually all of Beethoven's works involving piano, including cycles of the thirty-two sonatas, five concertos, ten violin sonatas, five cello sonatas, and the major piano variations. His recording of the piano sonatas was released in 2004. He also performed a cycle of all of Schubert's sonatas, recordings of which will be released shortly. Mr. Lipkin continued his conducting career at the New York City Opera, New York Philharmonic (assistant conductor, under Bernstein), Joffrey Ballet (music director), and Long Island Symphony (music director). He is artistic director of the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Blue Hill, Me., and served as artistic director of the International Piano Festival and William Kapell Competition at the University of Maryland. A member of the Juilliard faculty since 1986, Mr. Lipkin joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1969.
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MENG-CHIEH LIU: Chamber Music (Piano), Resident Pianist
Mr. Liu received his Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Jorge Bolet, Eleanor Sokoloff, and Claude Frank. A recipient of the 2002 Avery Fisher Career Grant, he came to public attention in 1993 when he substituted for an indisposed André Watts with three hours' notice. Since then he has given solo and concerto performances throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He is also a frequent participant in various festivals, where he plays chamber music with some of the most distinguished musicians and gives master classes. Mr. Liu has been on the faculty of Roosevelt University since 2006 and joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1993.
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DON LIUZZI: Timpani and Percussion, Orchestral Repertoire
(Brass and Percussion)
A native of Weymouth, Mass., Mr. Liuzzi joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as principal timpani in 1989. He was a percussionist with the Pittsburgh Symphony, taught at Duquesne University, and was assistant conductor of the Three Rivers Young People's Orchestra. He also performed marimba and percussion solos on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood on PBS. Mr. Liuzzi has given master classes at most major music schools in the United States and abroad, including regular coaching for the New World Symphony, National Orchestral Institute, Pacific Music Festival, and Canton International Summer Music Academy in Guandong, China. He has been an active chamber music performer with the Network for New Music, recording for the Albany and CRI labels, and with the Philadelphia Orchestra Percussion Group. A Yamaha performing artist, Mr. Liuzzi performs on the newly designed Yamaha Dresden-style timpani. He was coordinating producer for the documentary film Music from the Inside Out. He is the founder of the 20/21 Ensemble, an educational and performing ensemble devoted to music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Mr. Liuzzi, who earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Michigan and his Master of Music degree from Temple University, joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1994.
Read Meet the Faculty profile on Don Liuzzi from Overtones, Spring 2004.
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MARY KINDER LOISELLE: Foundations of Engagement
Ms. Loiselle has held public relations positions for three major orchestras (Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Detroit); Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.; CBS Masterworks Records; and Shuman Associates, Inc. (N.Y.). She also was director of education and community partnerships for the Philadelphia Orchestra and is currently director of community engagement and career development services at Curtis. Ms. Loiselle has taught at Drexel (business communication) and West Chester (theory and ear training) universities and was a teaching fellow at the Eastman School of Music (music theory). As a professional executive and personal coach, she works with clients and groups and leads seminars and retreats on a variety of subjects, including a seminar for Curtis students, Composing Your Life. She earned a B.S. in music education at West Chester University, where she continued with a master's program in music history. She did further graduate work at Temple University and Ph.D. studies in music theory at the Eastman School of Music. She received her coach training through Coach U and is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training. Ms. Loiselle joins the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2007.
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JUDY LOMAN: Harp
Ms. Loman is a 1956 graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Carlos Salzedo. Principal harp of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 1960 to 2001, she retired from that orchestra to devote her time to teaching, concertizing, and publishing her numerous transcriptions and arrangements. A frequent soloist with the Toronto Symphony, she has also appeared as guest soloist with major orchestras in North America and Europe. Ms. Loman has commissioned several harp works from Canada's foremost composers and has introduced these compositions worldwide through recordings and in solo recitals throughout North America, Europe, Israel, and Japan. Her extensive discography has proven valuable to harpists and composers as material from which to study harp compositions of all generations. Ms. Loman's students fill positions in major orchestras throughout North America and Europe, and she has adjudicated at the International Harp Competition in Israel and the U.S.A. International Harp Competition. Professor of harp at the University of Toronto and faculty member at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Ms. Loman joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1998 and holds the Maryjane Mayhew Barton Chair in Harp Studies.
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DAVID LUDWIG: Music History, Composition Department Coordinator, 20/21 Artistic Director
Mr. Ludwig's music has been performed internationally by leading musicians of today in some of the world's most prestigious venues. His music has been called "entrancing" and "promises to speak for the sorrows of this generation" (Philadelphia Inquirer). It has gained further recognition for its "expressive directness" (New York Times). He has received awards from Meet the Composer, the American Music Center, American Composers Forum, and the Theodore Presser and Independence foundations. He holds a number of residencies, including ones at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, New York Summer Music Festival, and the Vermont Symphony, where he is a Meet the Composer "Music Alive!" resident composer. Other residencies have included those with the Yaddo and MacDowell colonies and the Marlboro Music School. Mr. Ludwig holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, The Curtis Institute of Music, and the Juilliard School. He is in the Ph.D. program at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is the George Crumb Fellow. Mr. Ludwig joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2002.
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MARLENA KLEINMAN MALAS: Voice
An internationally renowned recitalist, Ms. Malas graduated from the voice program of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1960. She has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Studio and has been affiliated with opera companies in New York City; Santa Fe; Boston; Miami; Washington, D.C.; and Milwaukee. She has been a soloist with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra and has appeared at the Marlboro and Casals festivals. Ms. Malas is chair of the voice department at the Chautauqua Institution and a faculty member of the Juilliard and Manhattan schools of music. She has given master classes in connection with the Metropolitan Opera and at New National Theatre in Tokyo, Pittsburgh Opera young artists program, Boston University, Blossom Music Festival, San Francisco Opera Center, Santa Fe Opera, European Center for Opera and Vocal Arts in Brussels, Israel Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, and (with Joan Sutherland and Luigi Alva) Australian Opera in Sydney. She is a consultant to the Canadian Opera Center; Fletcher Opera Institute, where she has given master classes; and Washington Opera Young Artist Program, where she is also a teacher. Ms. Malas joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1986.
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DENISE MASSÉ: French Repertoire Coach
Ms. Massé has worked with some of the leading musical institutions in the world, including the Metropolitan, Los Angeles, and Washington National operas; Berlin and Wiener staatsopers; and Paris Théatre des Champs Élysées, as well as the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland, Boston, Philadelphia, and Montreal orchestras, under conductors such as Colin Davis, James Levine, Pierre Boulez, Lorin Maazel, Bernard Haitink, Daniel Barenboim, and Charles Dutoit. She has collaborated on the preparation of many recordings for Sony, Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, and Warner Classics. She works regularly with the young artists programs in Los Angeles, Washington, and Montreal. Ms. Massé, who is also on the faculty at Juilliard, joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2006.
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DANIEL MATSUKAWA: Bassoon, Chamber Music (Woodwinds)
Mr. Matsukawa is principal bassoon of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from The Curtis Institute of Music, where he was a pupil of Bernard Garfield. He also studied at the Juilliard School and precollege with Harold Goltzer and at the Manhattan School of Music Preparatory Division with Alan Futterman. He has been a recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including a solo concerto debut in Carnegie Hall at age eighteen. Since then he has appeared as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra; National, Virginia, and Curtis symphony orchestras; New York String Orchestra under Alexander Schneider; Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand; and Sapporo Symphony in Japan. He has participated in festivals including Marlboro, Tanglewood, Aspen, Saito Kinen, and Pacific Music Festival in Japan. Mr. Matsukawa was principal bassoon of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., for three seasons. He has also served as principal with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Symphony, and Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Matsukawa joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2002.
Read Meet the Faculty profile on Daniel Matsukawa from Overtones, Fall 2006.
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VINCENT MCCARTHY: Humanities
Dr. McCarthy received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in religion and philosophy and is professor of philosophy at Saint Joseph's University, where he has also served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and provost. He studied at Union Theological Seminary, Fordham University (A.B., Classics), Yale University, the University of Paris (Fellow of the French Foreign Ministry), and the University of Copenhagen (Marshall Fellow). He was a Fulbright Senior Scholar and Humboldt Fellow at the University of Tuebingen, Germany, and was dean of a University of Maryland Germany campus. He has been guest professor at Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. McCarthy's specialties include nineteenth-century philosophy, religious thought, and culture, and he has published widely in these areas. He is the author of a study of Kierkegaard's psychology and of a study of the role of religion in nineteenth-century German philosophy. Dr. McCarthy joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2005.
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ROBERT MCDONALD: Piano
American pianist Robert McDonald has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and the Far East, both as solo recitalist and as recital partner to Isaac Stern, Midori, and many others. He has appeared with the San Francisco, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Omaha, and Curtis symphony orchestras; Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional in Costa Rica; and Orchestra Haydn in Italy. As a chamber musician, he has performed with the Juilliard, American, Takács, Muir, Brentano, Fine Arts, Vermeer, and Borromeo string quartets, as well as with Musicians from Marlboro. In addition he has given concerts for the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, Chicago Chamber Musicians, and NHK and BBC television. Since 1981 Mr. McDonald has directed the keyboard program at the Taos School of Music's chamber music festival. Other summer teaching and festival activities include the Bergen, Besançon, Lucerne, Montreux, Salzburg, Aldeburgh, and Schleswig-Holstein festivals in Europe; the Marlboro, Brevard, and Caramoor festivals in the United States; and the International School of Musical and Arts in Canada. His discography includes recordings for Sony Classical, Vox, Bridge, Musical Heritage Society, CRI, and ASV. A member of the faculty at the Juilliard School, Mr. McDonald joins the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2007.
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DANIEL MCDOUGALL: The Twenty-First-Century Musician
A native of California, Mr. McDougall entered The Curtis Institute of Music in 1989 as a double bass major, studying with Roger Scott. While a student, he participated in a number of international music festivals, including Rencontres Musicales d'Evian, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Music by the Red Sea, and Festival dei Due Mondi. Since receiving his Bachelor of Music degree in 1993, he has built a varied career that has included playing Bach in Carnegie Hall, serving as an organist and choir director, and playing harpsichord with the Curtis Chamber Orchestra during its 2004 tour of Japan. He is a member of the Delaware Symphony, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and Pennsylvania Ballet orchestra, among others. He joined the Curtis staff in 1993; from 2001 to 2004, he served as director of student services and international student advisor. Mr. McDougall joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2004.
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JEANNE M. MCGINN: Chair of Liberal Arts Department; English Literature
Dr. McGinn received her B.A. from Bucknell University; her M.A. as a Rotary International Fellow from University College Cork, Ireland; and her Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College. Her awards include the grand prize in the University of Galway Poetry Competition, the Seymour Adelman Prize in Poetry, and a Whiting Foundation Grant. Dr. McGinn has read her poems at the invitation of the Northeastern Modern Language Association and has presented her work at conferences of the Modernist Studies Association, International Association of the Study of Irish Literature, Brazilian Studies Association, and Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. She is the former poetry editor for The Other Side magazine, and her poems have appeared most recently in the Women's Review of Books and Mars Hill Review. Dr. McGinn was a member of The Curtis Institute of Music faculty from 1994 to 1999 and was appointed chair of liberal arts in 2001.
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GHENADY MEIRSON: Russian Repertoire Coach
Born in Odessa, Ukraine, Mr. Meirson graduated from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and The Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied piano with Seymour Lipkin and Mieczyslaw Horszowski and accompanying with Vladimir Sokoloff. In 1982 he wrote a singer's handbook entitled Do Sing in Russian and began to specialize in Russian vocal repertoire. He has coached countless artists for opera, oratorio, recitals, and recordings, and helped such organizations as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Singers, and Mendelssohn Club Chorus. In 1996 Mr. Meirson founded PrivateLessons.com, a membership-based network that connects the public with independent music teachers across the United States and Canada. Also a faculty member of the Academy of Vocal Arts, Mr. Meirson joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1990.
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MEI-MEI MENG: Solfège
Ms. Meng studied at the Juilliard School Preparatory Division and at The Curtis Institute of Music from 1969 to 1971 before receiving her B.F.A. from Purchase College (State University of New York), her postgraduate diploma at the Mannes College of Music, and her master's degree from Queens College (City University of New York). She studied piano with Adele Marcus, Eleanor Sokoloff, Jeanette Haien, and Herbert Stessin, and theory with Carl Schachter and Edward Aldwell. She has been a piano soloist with numerous orchestras and winner of several competitions, has taught at Hunter and Queens colleges, and is a faculty member at the Mannes College of Music. Ms. Meng joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1982.
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EDGAR MEYER: Double Bass
Mr. Meyer began studying bass at age five with his father and continued with Stuart Sankey. He is the winner of numerous awards, including a 2002 MacArthur Award, and is the first bassist to receive the Avery Fisher Career Grant (1994) and the Avery Fisher Prize (2000). Equally renowned as a performer and composer, Mr. Meyer premiered his Concerto for Double Bass, Quintet for Bass and String Quartet, and Double Concerto for Bass and Cello. He made his Boston Symphony Orchestra debut, with Seiji Ozawa conducting, in his Double Concerto with Yo-Yo Ma. He collaborated with Mr. Ma and Mark O'Connor on Appalachia Waltz and Appalachian Journey (Sony Classical, for which he is an exclusive artist) and toured the United States, Europe, and Asia with the trio. Mr. Meyer's Violin Concerto, written for Hilary Hahn, was premiered and recorded in 1999. He frequently performs and composes for music festivals, including Santa Fe, Aspen, Tanglewood, Caramoor, Chamber Music Northwest, and Marlboro. Mr. Meyer is an artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music. He joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2003.
Read Meet the Faculty profile on Edgar Meyer from Overtones, Spring 2007.
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DONALD MONTANARO: Clarinet, Chamber Music (Woodwinds)
Mr. Montanaro is a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music. He was a member of the New Orleans Symphony before joining the Philadelphia Orchestra as associate principal clarinet in 1957, a position he held until 2005. Mr. Montanaro has performed at the Marlboro and Casals festivals and toured Europe and the Far East as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles. He is a founder and the music director of the Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble. Mr. Montanaro joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1980.
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JENNIFER MONTONE: Horn
Ms. Montone joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as principal horn in September 2006. She has also been principal of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra since 2003. Formerly associate principal of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, she was an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University and has been a faculty performer at the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2005. She has performed concertos with the Saint Louis, Dallas, and National symphony orchestras and Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, among others, and has performed chamber music with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, as well as at festivals in La Jolla, Santa Fe, Marlboro, and Spoleto, Italy. Ms. Montone's numerous honors and awards include a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant (2006), Paxman Young Horn Player of the Year in London (1996), and Presidential Scholar for musical achievement (1995). She is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where she was a student of Julie Landsman. A native of northern Virginia, she was a student of Edwin Thayer in the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program and a fellow in the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra. Ms. Montone joins the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2007.
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DAVID MOODY: Opera and Voice Coach
Mr. Moody is an assistant conductor of the Opera Company of Philadelphia and a member of Glimmerglass Opera's music staff. He has worked as an accompanist and coach for the Washington National Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera Festival of New Jersey, American Opera Projects, Banff Centre for the Fine Arts, and New York Choral Society. For the Philadelphia Orchestra, he has served as a coach and vocal consultant. Mr. Moody appears regularly as a recitalist in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. He made his New York recital debut in 2001 with mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham as part of the Marilyn Horne Foundation's On Wings of Song series and appeared in Philadelphia with soprano Karen Slack in a concert presented by Astral Artistic Services. From 1996 to 1999, he served as a coach at the Chautauqua Institution's School of Music. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1991, and he continued his studies at the University of Illinois as a pupil of John Wustman and in London at the National Opera Studio of Great Britain. Mr. Moody joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1999.
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ROLANDO MORALES-MATOS: Percussion
Born and raised in San Juan, P.R., Mr. Morales-Matos began his musical studies at the prestigious performing-arts high school Escuela Libre de Música. He received his B.F.A. in music from Carnegie Mellon University, his M.A. from Duquesne University, and a Certificate of Professional Studies from Temple University. His career has taken him all over the world, from Spain to New Zealand, where he has held principal timpani and percussion positions with state orchestras. Mr. Morales-Matos is a percussionist and assistant conductor with Disney's Lion King. He performs and records regularly in New York with various Latin jazz groups and artists. He is a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra Percussion Group, an extra percussionist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and has been a featured performer with Nexus Percussion Group. In addition he gives clinics and master classes at many universities. Mr. Morales-Matos, who also teaches at Duquesne University, joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2001.
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ALAN MORRISON: Organ, Sacred Music Seminar
Mr. Morrison is one of the most sought-after American concert organists, performing in Alice Tully, Verizon, Benaroya, and Spivey halls; Meyerson Symphony Center; Jack Singer Concert Hall; the Crystal Cathedral; National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.; and colleges, cathedrals, and churches throughout North America, Europe, and Brazil. He has been a featured artist for four national conventions of the American Guild of Organists. He has won first prize in both the Mader (Calif.) and Poister (N.Y.) National Organ Competitions, as well as the silver medal at the 1994 Calgary International Organ Festival. Mr. Morrison's numerous recordings are regularly featured on radio stations worldwide, and his television appearances include two episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as both organist and pianist. A graduate of Curtis (organ and piano accompanying) and Juilliard (organ), he is college organist at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa. Mr. Morrison, who also teaches at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 2002 and holds the Haas Charitable Trust Chair in Organ Studies.
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OTTO-WERNER MUELLER: Head of Conducting Department
At age nineteen, Mr. Mueller was appointed director of the chamber music department for Radio Stuttgart. He conducted opera and operetta for the Heidelberg Theater and founded and conducted an orchestra for families of United States military forces stationed there. After immigrating to Canada in 1951, he worked extensively for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He taught and conducted at the Montreal Conservatory; served as director of the Victoria Symphony and founder and dean of the Victoria School of Music; served as guest professor at the Moscow State Conservatory; and guest conducted the Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Riga symphony orchestras. Mr. Mueller has conducted in every major city in Canada and has had guest appearances with the Scottish National Orchestra; Krakow Philharmonic; and National, Atlanta, Detroit, Saint Louis and other United States symphony orchestras. Mr. Mueller is conductor emeritus at Juilliard and has taught at the Yale University School of Music and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has trained conductors of major orchestras—including the Cincinnati, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Fort Worth symphonies and the Swedish National Orchestra—and associate or assistant conductors of the Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Minnesota orchestras; Boston, San Francisco, and St. Louis symphonies; and Los Angeles and Munich philharmonics. Mr. Mueller joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1986, and holds the Rita E. and Gustave M. Hauser Chair in Conducting Studies.
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SUSAN NOWICKI: Opera and Voice Coach
Ms. Nowicki has performed throughout the United States as a soloist and in collaboration with prominent singers and instrumentalists, and she regularly performs with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition she has toured with Community Concerts under the auspices of Columbia Artists Management, Inc. and has served on the music staffs of the Philadelphia Singers, Opera Company of Philadelphia, and Opera Festival of New Jersey. An active member of the Network for New Music ensemble, she has recorded contemporary music for the Albany, Capstone, De Haske, and North-South labels. Ms. Nowicki teaches privately in Philadelphia and in Lawrenceville, N.J., and was a faculty member of the Dorothy Taubman Institute of Piano from 1997 to 2002. She is an instructor and clinician for the Balanced Pianist programs. Ms. Nowicki joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1987.
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DANIELLE ORLANDO: Principal Opera Coach
Ms. Orlando was educated at the Settlement Music School, Eastman School of Music, and Temple University, where she received her Master of Music degree in piano performance, summa cum laude. She has served on the musical staffs of the Metropolitan Opera; Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires; Pittsburgh Opera; Opera Company of Philadelphia; Michigan Opera Theater; American Institute for Music Studies in Graz, Austria; European Center for Opera and Vocal Arts in Belgium; Merola Program at San Francisco Opera; Washington Opera; Portland Opera; Wolf Trap Opera Company; and New Jersey Opera Theater. She also spent nine seasons working with Gian Carlo Menotti for the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy, as an assistant conductor and coach, in addition to editing several of his compositions. Ms. Orlando has collaborated with tenor Luciano Pavarotti for all of his international voice competitions and served as a judge for the Metropolitan Opera auditions. She performs extensively as an accompanist in the United States and abroad with artists such as Aprile Millo, Marcello Giordani, Alessandra Marc, Kallen Esperian, and Andrea Bocelli. Ms. Orlando, who serves on the coaching staff of the Academy of Vocal Arts, joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1986.
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LIONEL PARTY: Harpsichord
Born in Chile, Dr. Party studied piano with Elena Waiss and was a scholarship student at the Musikhochschule in Munich. He received a Fulbright Fellowship to study with Albert Fuller at the Juilliard School, where he earned a doctorate. Winner of the 1972 International Bach Competition in Leipzig, Dr. Party has toured the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America as recitalist and concerto soloist, and he has made numerous recordings and radio/television appearances in the United States and Europe. Harpsichordist of the New York Philharmonic since 1984, Dr. Party performed with Aston Magna from 1975 to 1992 and was harpsichordist and organizer of the baroque music program at the Grand Teton Music Festival between 1977 and 1996. He was a member of the Aulos Ensemble and the Y Chamber Symphony in New York and recently founded baroque ensemble La Mela di Newton, which gave its world-premiere performance at Curtis in February 2007. Dr. Party, who also teaches at the Juilliard School, joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1988.
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JOAN PATENAUDE-YARNELL: Voice
Ms. Patenaude-Yarnell has sung with the major opera companies throughout North America, including New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Canadian Opera. Her roles included Violetta (La traviata), Mimì (La Bohème), Madama Butterfly, La Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Nedda (Pagliacci), and Juliette (Romeo et Juliette). She is heard on Vanguard Records, Musical Heritage Society, and CBC International labels and is the author of a series of articles for the Journal of Singing. Ms. Patenaude-Yarnell is the artistic director of Centro Studi Lirica, a summer program for North American singers in Novafeltira, Italy, and her master class on the principles of bel canto is presented annually at conservatories throughout Canada and the United States. Her students perform with the Metropolitan Opera; at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; and with Opéra National de Paris, Volksoper Wien, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and San Francisco Opera. They are also first-prize winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the George London, Richard Tucker Music, and Licia Albanese-Puccini foundation awards. Ms. Patenaude-Yarnell, who became a member of the voice faculty at Manhattan School of Music in 1997, joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1996.
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ANNIE PETIT: Supplementary Piano
A native of France, Ms. Petit graduated from the Paris Conservatory at age sixteen, where she won first prize in piano and in chamber music. At age seventeen she won the interpretation prize at the International Franz Liszt Competition in Budapest, which led to a solo career throughout Europe. Ms. Petit came to the United States in 1966 to study with Gyorgy Sebok at Indiana University. She was later artist-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She has made many recordings on the Vox and Pantheon International labels and is pianist-in-residence at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. Ms. Petit joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1974.
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CARLA PUPPIN: Art History
Dr. Puppin received her B.A. from Indiana University and her Ph.D. in art history from Bryn Mawr College. Her specialization is nineteenth-century French painting. She has taught at Franklin and Marshall College and Beaver College (now Arcadia University). She is executive director of the Queen Village Neighbors Association. Dr. Puppin joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1991.
Read Meet the Faculty profile on Carla Puppin from Overtones, Fall 2003.
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HAROLD HALL ROBINSON
Double Bass, Orchestral Repertoire (Double Bass)
Appointed principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra beginning with the 1995–96 season, Mr. Robinson served for ten years as principal bass of the National Symphony Orchestra and eight years as associate principal of the Houston Symphony. Prior to that he was a member of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. A prize-winner of the 1982 Isle of Man Solo Competition, he has performed as a soloist with the Philadelphia, National Symphony, and Houston Symphony orchestras; New York Philharmonic; and American Chamber Orchestra, as well as other ensembles. Mr. Robinson joined the faculty of The Curtis Institute of Music in 1995.