Curtis on Tour
The Nina von Maltzahn Global Touring Initiative
Curtis on Tour features extraordinary emerging professional artists performing alongside celebrated faculty and alumni. Grounded in Curtis’s “learn by doing” philosophy and steeped in the school’s distinguished history of artistic excellence, this innovative global touring initiative is an integral component of a Curtis education.
For more than 10 years, Curtis on Tour artists and ensembles have delighted audiences around the globe with performances that are “exhilarating from beginning to end” (Washington Post).
Tour offerings include:
- Worldwide tours offered year-round
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Chamber ensembles with diverse and compelling offerings, including: standard instrumentation and programs; unique mixed ensembles performing repertoire that is rarely toured; and new works commissioned specifically for Curtis on Tour
- Large ensembles, including the Curtis Chamber Orchestra and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, performing with leading international conductors and soloists
- Emerging artists and established alumni performing as soloists with professional orchestras and presenters (see upcoming Professional Engagements)
- Ensembles and soloists representing all Programs of Study at Curtis
Now Booking
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North America
Eric Owens and Singers from the Curtis Opera Theatre
A quartet of emerging artists from the Curtis Opera Theatre joins bass-baritone Eric Owens, director of vocal studies and the Curtis Opera Theatre. Sharing the stage with their mentor, these rising stars of the operatic stage will perform gems from the lieder and song repertoire, followed by operatic arias and ensemble pieces.
Europe
An all-alumni ensemble from Curtis tours Europe with a program featuring soprano and strings. A new commission by faculty member Richard Danielpour joins Ravel’s brilliant and colorful Piano Trio in A minor and other works.
Latin America
Curtis on Tour returns in-person to Latin America this fall for the first time since 2019 in an exciting program featuring Curtis President Roberto Díaz (’84), a violist who enjoys an international performing career, and celebrated faculty guitarist Jason Vieaux. Staples of the guitar cannon will be paired with lesser known works featuring Latin American composers.
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North America
A thrilling tale of trickery and magic, Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat comes to life through an ensemble of musicians from the Curtis Institute of Music. “One of the world’s leading music academies” (BBC Culture), Curtis’s performers team up with beloved actor and narrator John de Lancie, who voices the characters; award-winning performer David Shifrin (Clarinet ’71); and prominent recitalist Soovin Kim (Violin ’99). The program, designed for audiences in North America, also features works by Penderecki, Poulenc, and Curtis alumnus Viet Cuong.
The Curtis Symphony Orchestra brings a youthful exuberance to new audiences in its first-ever U.S. West Coast and Asia tour. Under the direction of Osmo Vänskä, who previously led the ensemble in U.S. East Coast and European tours, the talented young musicians of Curtis showcase sparkling virtuosity and masterful artistry. They are joined on the program by piano sensation Yefim Bronfman, one of the newest additions to the faculty, in award-winning interpretations from the concerto repertoire.
Asia
The Curtis Symphony Orchestra brings a youthful exuberance to new audiences in its first-ever U.S. West Coast and Asia tour. Under the direction of Osmo Vänskä, who previously led the ensemble in U.S. East Coast and European tours, the talented young musicians of Curtis showcase sparkling virtuosity and masterful artistry. They are joined on the program by piano sensation Yefim Bronfman, one of the newest additions to the faculty, in award-winning interpretations from the concerto repertoire.
Europe
Following a highly successful Fall 2021 tour of Europe, where it garnered acclaim for “precision and feverish intensity” (Greece’s EfSyn), Trio Zimbalist returns to Europe with Curtis on Tour in Spring 2023. Don’t miss this chance to witness the latest addition to Curtis’s artist management initiative and hear iconic works from the piano trio repertoire.
Upcoming Tours & Performances
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North America
Curtis on Tour returns to Nantucket and New England for its annual festival of performances and presentations, featuring violist Roberto Díaz and clarinetist David Shifrin. For over ten years, Curtis on Tour has been proud to connect with summer audiences through these special offerings.
Europe
Curtis on Tour presents a dynamic trio of chamber musicians drawn from its alumni artists. Michael Rusinek, principal clarinet of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Ayane Kosaza, violist of the GRAMMY-nominated Aizuri Quartet, and Steven Lin, an award-winning piano soloist, pair Classical and Romantic masterworks with a clarinet trio commissioned for Curtis on Tour from alumnus Daron Hagen.
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In addition to national and international tours, Curtis on Tour manages professional performance engagements for Curtis students and recent graduates, providing emerging artists with the matchless experience of appearing with leading ensembles and presenting organizations.
Professional engagements are added on a rolling basis as they are confirmed.
May 1 West Orange, NJ
JCC Metro West
Viano String Quartet & Roberto Díaz, violaMay 4 Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society
Viano String Quartet & Roberto Díaz, violaMay 21 Washington, D.C.
Washington Performing Arts (Gala Performance)
Avery Gagliano, pianoMay 25 Chicago, IL
Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts
Sarrah Bushara, oboeJune 12 Washington, D.C.
Washington Performing Arts
AYA TrioJune 26 Brevard, NC
Brevard Music Festival Orchestra
Maya BuchananJune 29 Chicago, IL
Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts
AYA Trio
Past Tours
Since Curtis on Tour was established in 2008, students, faculty, and alumni have performed more than 375 concerts in over 20 countries and 100 cities, across four continents.
Artist share stories and photos from the road, presenters share select video and audio recordings, and local press share concert reviews in this sampling of content from select tours.
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2022: Cello Quintet—U.S.
2021: Flute, Strings, and Piano Virtual Tour—Latin America
2021: Piano Trio—Europe
2021: BROADCAST: Flute, Strings, and Piano—New England
2020: Dover Quartet Virtual Tour—Latin America
2020: BROADCAST: Strings, Guitar, and Voice—New England
2019–20: Vera Quartet and Meng-Chieh Liu, piano—U.S.
2020: Curtis Symphony Orchestra with Osmo Vänskä and Jonathan Biss—U.S.
2019: Woodwinds and Strings Ensemble—U.S.
2019: Flute, Piano, and Strings—Asia
2019: Voice, Strings, and Piano—Europe
2019: Flute, Guitar, and Strings—New England
2019: Clarinet Trio—Latin America
2019: Piano Quartet—Europe
2019: Intimacy of Creativity—Hong Kong
2019: Vocal Quartet—U.S.
2018: Piano Quartet—U.S.
2018: Zorá Quartet—Europe
2018: Leonard Bernstein Centenary Celebration—U.S.
Media
Images

01 - 14 The Curtis Symphony Orchestra closed its February 2020 tour of the United States in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall.

02 - 14 Members of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra break from rehearsal at Carnegie Hall in February 2020.

03 - 14 Soloist Jonathan Biss (Piano '01) led a master class at Virginia Tech, among other universities, as part of an East Coast tour with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in Winter 2020.

04 - 14 A clarinet trio performs for a full house in Santiago, Chile in June 2019.

05 - 14 In 2019 Jordan Dodson (Guitar '13), Maria Loudenitch (Violin '18), and cellist Albert Seo performed at the Siasconset Casino, a perennial stop for Curtis on Tour in Nantucket.

06 - 14 A quartet of vocalists, accompanied by faculty pianists Mikael Eliasen and Miloš Repický, performed at the Noe Valley Ministry in San Francisco during a Spring 2019 tour. (Photo: Martyn Selman)

07 - 14 Members of the Curtis Chamber Orchestra warm up backstage at Qualcomm Hall in San Diego before a performance in Spring 2015.

08 - 14 A quartet featuring Grammy Award-winning guitarist and faculty member Jason Vieaux performed at venues in Greece and Asia in October 2016. (Photo provided by Sun-ae Kang)

09 - 14 Fiddlefest in April 2017, led by faculty member Ida Kavafian, included a tour stop at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. (Photo: Andrew Lane)

10 - 14 The Curtis Symphony Orchestra performs at Berlin's Konzerthaus during a nine-city European tour in May 2017. (Photo: Kai Bienert)

11 - 14 The Curtis Symphony Orchestra performs at a new venue in Dresden, Germany during a nine-city European tour in May 2017, with alumnus Peter Serkin as piano soloist. (Photo: Oliver Killig)

12 - 14 A mixed ensemble of instrumentalists and vocalists performs at the Gennadius Library in Athens, Greece in September 2017. Curtis on Tour ensembles appear annually at this festival. (Photo: Manos Skoularikos)

13 - 14 A piano quartet performed works by Brahms and Fauré in European venues in May 2019, including the first Curtis on Tour appearance in Warsaw, Poland. (Photo: David Swanson)

14 - 14 Curtis Symphony Orchestra members explore the area following a rehearsal in Dresden in 2012. (Photo: Jennifer Kallend)
Video
Enjoy a selection of performance highlights by Curtis on Tour artists and representative ensembles. Open each video in YouTube for performance details.
U.S. Tour: Vera Quartet and Meng-Chieh Liu
Asia Tour: Flute, Piano, and Strings
U.S. Tour: Woodwinds and Strings Ensemble
Europe Tour: Voice and Strings Ensemble
Student Recital: January 2016 in Philadelphia
About Curtis on Tour
Listen
Enjoy a selection of audio recordings, including repertoire performed for Curtis on Tour, as well as works performed by chamber ensembles and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra.
Learn
In addition to touring activities, Curtis faculty and alumni have created several online lectures, free and available on demand at Curtis.edu/Coursera.
Curtis was the first conservatory to offer a massive open online course (MOOC) on Coursera. Since launching in 2013, Curtis courses have reached a global music community of more than 150,000 people in 185 countries.
Press
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Curtis Symphony Orchestra in the U.S.: Winter 2020
Durham, N.C. | CVNC: February 6, 2020
“The Curtis Symphony Orchestra is a young classical ensemble, uniquely gifted and well-trained, advancing in experience every day. Add a renowned conductor like Vänskä and a world-class pianist like Biss and you have an extraordinary concert experience. Those who braved the rainy, stormy night were richly rewarded.”
Vera Quartet and Meng-Chieh Liu in the U.S.: Fall 2019–Spring 2020
Rockport, Mass. | The Boston Musical Intelligencer: November 11, 2019
“Meng-Chieh Liu…wove magic into every note (or bundle of notes) he sent our way.”
“The [Vera Quartet] made the most of Beethoven’s dramatic contrasts…”
Flute, Guitar, and Strings in New England: July 2019
Kingston, R.I. | Providence Journal: July 24, 2019
The touring ensemble opened the Kingston Chamber Music Festival on July 24, 2019 to great reviews, including this one from the Providence Journal, which characterized the concert as a “virtuosic showdown,” adding that “Piazzolla’s “Histoire du Tango” came to life magnificently” and “[Joshua] Smith gorgeously dispatched the Mozart.”
Clarinet Trio in Latin America: June 2019
Santiago, Chile | CNN Chile: June 26, 2019
President Roberto Díaz appeared on television as part of a tour to Latin America, which included stops in his home country of Chile. (Interview begins at 15:44)
Reñaca, Chile | Tell Magazine: June 2019President Díaz was also featured in print.
Piano Quartet in the U.S.: October 2018
Miami, Fla. | South Florida Classical Review: October 26, 2018
“With their handling of the shifts between determined attacks and tender, blossoming notes, the musicians brought Brahms’ sprawling score to life.”
Piano Quartet in Asia: March 2018
Hong Kong | Chamber Muse: March 30, 2018
“Joined by alumnae pianist Natalie Zhu, the Curtis kicked off the Fauré quartet with turbulent emotion, full of swirling musical ideas.”
Leonard Bernstein Centenary Celebration Tour: Spring 2018
Palm Beach, Fla | Palm Beach Daily News: March 19, 2018
“The quartet did a great job of moving together. In a piece that is easily too sentimental, this group played with the right amount of sincerity.”
String Sextet in Latin America: Fall 2017
Santiago, Chile | El Mercurio: October 21, 2017
“The scherzo, which seems to pay homage to Beethoven’s humor, and the final rondo were exquisite at the hands of this group of teacher and disciples.”
Curtis Symphony Orchestra in Europe: Summer 2017
Bremen, Germany | Bremer Nachrichten: May 24, 2017
“There is no need to mention this brilliant youth orchestra’s flexible modulation and intuitive musicality…They also gave an impressive performance of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Double Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra. Lush sound and subtle rhythmic motor skills led to an electrifying night of music.”
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Curtis students and alumni are making waves throughout the musical world by winning major competitions, appointments, and honors. Learn about recent achievements on the Curtis News page.
Contact
Stay Connected
Join our e-mail list and stay informed about Curtis on Tour performances near you.
Andrew Lane
Vice President, Touring and Artist Management
(215) 717-3124
andrew.lane@curtis.edu
Booking Inquiries
Julie Gaitens
Booking Representative
(215) 717-3146
julie.gaitens@curtis.edu
Advancing for Confirmed Engagements
Bret Noël
Manager of Touring Operations
(215) 717-3143
bret.noel@curtis.edu
European Representative
Julika Castro
Booking Representative, Europe
+49 (30) 8322 91 56
julika.castro@curtis.edu
Latin American Representative
Angélica Fanjul
Fanjul & Ward
+56 9 7978 2364
fanjul@fanjulandward.com
Orchestra Tours (Worldwide, except North America)
Viola Frankenfeld
HarrisonParrott
+49 (0)89 6797 10484
viola.frankenfeld@harrisonparrott.de