Our Alumni

“Curtis takes great pride in the large number of its students who have achieved world renown. Equally, Curtis is proud of its many students who may not have achieved a similar degree of fame but who, in various roles, have brought music, intelligently understood and discriminatingly presented, to innumerable communities and thereby have helped cheer the heart and raise the spirits of countless people.”

This introduction to Curtis’s 50th-anniversary book, Overtones—written in 1974 by M. Todd Cooke, Curtis’s board president at the time—is as true now as it was then.

Curtis alumni, having experienced extraordinary one-on-one training and valuable performance opportunities as students, go on to invent careers with impact around the world and in their communities.

  • Curtis alumni are regularly among the winners of the most prestigious awards and honors in the classical music world, including Pulitzer Prizes, Guggenheim Fellowships, and Avery Fisher Awards.
  • They are in the front rank of soloists and conductors. They are leaders and change agents in their communities.
  • They are members of the world’s leading orchestras, and every major American symphony orchestra has principals who are Curtis alumni.
  • They have sung with the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Covent Garden, the Vienna Staatsoper, and the San Francisco Opera, among many others.
  • Each season, leading orchestras, opera houses, and chamber music series around the world feature Curtis alumni as guest artists.
For Alumni

Who They Are: Meet Our Alumni

Violinist Jennifer Koh explores a broad and eclectic repertoire while promoting diversity and inclusivity in classical  music.

Meet Jennifer Koh

Double bassist Paul Kowert has blazed a unique career path through classical, jazz, bluegrass, and folk forms.

Meet Paul Kowert

Soprano Amanda Majeski makes every experience count.

Meet Amanda Majeski
Meet Lambert Orkis

Violin alumna Karina Canellakis has become a compelling, and award-winning, presence on the podium.

Meet Karina Canellakis

For organ virtuoso Paul Jacobs, advocacy and artistry go hand in hand.

Meet Paul Jacobs
Read More Alumni Stories

Where They Go

In addition to prominent solo careers, many Curtis alumni have gone on to positions in major orchestras, opera companies, chamber ensembles; hold teaching positions at renowned educational institutions; work with important community outreach organizations; and more. Below, explore a selection of notable organizations that Curtis alumni call home, or view more detailed information on student outcomes.

Curtis is the most loving, caring, and supportive community I have been in so far ... it is a place where you can feel perfectly safe to make mistakes—which is crucial to your growth as an artist.

Gergana Haralampieva (Violin ’16)

ALUMNA AND VIOLINIST IN CARNEGIE HALL’S ENSEMBLE CONNECT

During high school, I was always at my teacher’s side, asking ‘What do I do next?’ After entering Curtis, I was left alone in a way, to figure out how to make music on my own. Ultimately, here you learn how to figure things out for yourself.

Anastasiia Sidorova (Voice)

MEZZO-SOPRANO, CURTIS STUDENT AND OPERA PHILADELPHIA EMERGING ARTIST

There wasn’t a single course at Curtis that was not valuable. All the teachers cared about what they were doing, and I think that’s something to be treasured. I learned to make music at Curtis in a way that was full of love: love for the music, and a passion to communicate that love to any listener.

Paul Jacobs (Organ ’00)

CURTIS ALUMNUS AND CHAIR OF THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL'S ORGAN DEPARTMENT