Curtis Symphony Orchestra's First-Ever West Coast Tour (Photo Roundup)
The acclaimed orchestra performed in three U.S. West Coast cities with a kick-off concert at Longwood Gardens
GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Osmo Vänskä, recently joined the Curtis Symphony Orchestra for the school’s first-ever West Coast tour of the United States, May 12–22, 2023, beginning with a stunning concert under the sun and stars at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Curtis’s gifted student musicians then traveled to Prescott, Arizona; and Santa Barbara and Davis, California to bring their youthful exuberance and extraordinary talents to new audiences. Pianist Janice Carissa (’22), Gilmore Young Artist and winner of Salon de Virtuosi, performed at Longwood Gardens, and internationally renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman (’77), Neubauer Family Chair in Piano Studies at Curtis, joined the orchestra for the three performances in Arizona and California.
The Curtis Symphony Orchestra’s historic tour featured the highly anticipated world premiere of Awakening Lion by composer Dai Wei (ʼ19), performed alongside a rotating set of selections by Béla Bartók, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Robert Schumann. This exciting opportunity was made possible through Curtis on Tour, the Nina von Maltzahn global touring initiative of the school, an inspiring embodiment of Curtis’s unique “learn by doing” philosophy that offers students real-world, professional touring experience alongside celebrated alumni and faculty members.
Check out photo highlights below, featuring behind-the-scenes shots courtesy of Longwood Gardens and Laurie Carrozzino; Micah Gleason Photography; David Bazemore; Zoart Photography; and Curtis’s vice president of communications and public affairs, Patricia K. Johnson.