HOME MAILING LIST PUBLICATIONS DIRECTIONS CONTACTS CALENDAR SITE MAP
Musical Services

Instrument Loans
Audio and Videotaping
Tickets and Passes
Curtis Community Engagement Program
Outside Performance Opportunities

INSTRUMENT LOANS
Pianos. If your major is piano, organ, harpsichord, composition, or conducting, Curtis will lend you a piano for the duration of your enrollment. A $200 security deposit is required by the business office. In addition you will need to pay the cost of moving the piano from the Institute to your apartment and returning the instrument to Curtis. Curtis will pay for the first tuning, but you must cover the cost of repairs and tunings after that.

If you change residence during the school year, you must assume the cost of moving the piano. Before moving your instrument anywhere, you must have the permission of the registrar. Curtis may inspect or recall any instrument on loan at any time, and it is imperative that students in possession of school pianos immediately report all broken strings to the school's piano technician.

String and wind instruments. String and wind performance majors may borrow an instrument from Curtis's limited collection by contacting the orchestra manager. A $100 security deposit is required by the business office. Curtis will pay the costs of normal wear and tear, but you must cover any charges resulting from willful damage or negligence (as determined by the instrument technician).

The orchestra manager must be consulted for approval and for formal repair orders before you make any adjustments or repairs to a loaned instrument.

During the last week of each school year, borrowers of string instruments must schedule an appointment with the orchestra manager to take their instruments to William Moennig & Son for inspection. Curtis reserves the right to inspect or recall any instrument on loan at any time.

[top]

AUDIO AND VIDEOTAPING
The AV Services Department, located in Room 6 of the Main Building, has state-of-the-art equipment to provide professional-quality recordings for auditions, competitions, or personal study. Rates are very reasonable. You must reserve your time in Field Concert Hall or the Opera Studio prior to requesting an engineer. For Field Concert Hall or the Opera Studio, schedule time through the registrar.

Scheduling for all AV services is done with the Online Audio-Visual Request Form. Computers are available for your use in the student lounge and the library. Directions for filling out the form are posted on the door of the AV Department and on the wall near the computers in the student lounge. All scheduling of recording sessions must be cleared by the AV director.

The studio makes audio and video recordings of all Field Concert Hall recitals and most other school and special events (orchestra concerts, alumni recitals, and operas, for example). CD copies of these audio recordings are kept in the library, where you may listen to them at your convenience. Operas are usually recorded once per cast. DVD copies of operas and special events are available in the library. Video (DVD) copies of recitals and master classes in Field Concert Hall are not kept in the library, and must be requested using the Online Audio-Visual Request Form. You may use the same form to request audio (CD) copies of your recital performances.

To get quick, second-generation audio copies of your own performances, ask in the library. For information about acquiring copies of other performances and for other department policies, read the audio-visual instructions at the receptionist's desk or on the door of the AV Services Department.

[top]

TICKETS AND PASSES
Philadelphia Orchestra concerts. Curtis subscribes to the Saturday-night concerts of the Philadelphia Orchestra and makes the tickets available for Curtis students. You may pick up tickets each week from the executive assistant to the president on a first-come-first-served basis, Wednesday through Friday.

Philadelphia Orchestra rehearsals
. As a Curtis student, you may attend certain rehearsals of the Philadelphia Orchestra to observe Music Director Christoph Eschenbach, the guest conductors and soloists, and the orchestra as they prepare for performances.

Curtis Opera Theatre. Performances in the Opera Studio (in the Main Building) require tickets, as do most outside programs of the Vocal Studies Department. You can usually pick up complimentary tickets from the Curtis Ticket Office a couple of weeks before the performance. The dates when student tickets become available are listed in Take Note, as well as on the student bulletin board.

Curtis Symphony Orchestra concerts
. Orchestra performances at Verizon Hall and other off-campus locations always require tickets. You can generally pick up complimentary tickets from the Curtis Ticket Office a couple of weeks before the performance. The dates when student tickets become available are listed in Take Note, as well as on the student bulletin board. Performances off campus require tickets.

Curtis Chamber Orchestra concerts. Chamber Orchestra performances in Field Concert Hall are free and do not usually require tickets. It helps, however, to arrive early, as seating is limited. Performances off campus require tickets.

Curtis Alumni Recital Series. Alumni recitals that are part of the Alumni Recital Series always require tickets. Complimentary student rush tickets are usually available; ask the Ticket Office for details. Alumni donate their services, and each year members of the Alumni Society of Greater Philadelphia work directly with Curtis to decide how proceeds from the series can be most beneficial to the students.

Other musical events in Philadelphia. Tickets to non-Curtis musical events in the Philadelphia area are occasionally provided to the school at no cost. When this happens, a notice will be posted or e-mailed and tickets distributed on a first-come-first-served basis.

[top]

CURTIS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM
Curtis offers opportunities for its students to perform in the community through its community engagement program, which provides interactive educational presentations in area schools, hospitals, and other community venues, along with family concerts in Field Concert Hall. In addition there is the opportunity to coach young musicians in master classes and small group settings. Curtis students who participate in this program receive special training prior to their presentations and are compensated for their performances. For information about participating in the community engagement program, contact Mary Loiselle, director of community engagement and career development services, at 215-717-3149, and visit the community engagement page on the Curtis website.

[top]

OUTSIDE PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
In order to ease the burden of student living expenses and to enrich the educational program, Curtis works to place student performers in outside community concerts. These outside concerts, however, are secondary to all school functions.

To participate in this program, you must be at least eighteen years old, a high school graduate, and a student in good standing. You must also have current biographical information on file with the Communications Office, since many concert presenters request this material.

Once you accept a concert engagement, you are required to fill out a release request and submit it to the registrar, whether or not you anticipate a conflict with your Curtis obligations. For information please contact the student recitals office.

Additional opportunities are available with many area organizations, including the Haddonfield Symphony Student Intern Program and music programs in local public and private schools, churches, and synagogues. Further information is available from the dean.

[top]



Curtis Holds
75th Annual Commencement

This weekend, The Curtis Institute of Music will hold its seventy-fifth annual Commencement exercises. Robert Capanna, executive director of Settlement Music School, will deliver the commencement address to the thirty-four graduating students.

At the ceremony, Mr. Capanna and Joseph M. Field, a longtime supporter of Curtis, will receive honorary Doctor of Music degrees.

Renowned pianists Seymour Lipkin ('47) and Abba Bogin ('49) will receive the Curtis Alumni Award, the highest honor the school confers on its alumni. Established in 2000, the award recognizes outstanding and long-term contribution to Curtis and exceptional contribution to the music world.

© 2008 The Curtis Institute of Music