2024–25 Season

Celebrating a legacy of greatness.  

Launching a new century of groundbreaking artists.  

Curtis sounds like this. 

Curtis Institute of Music, founded in 1924 by Mary Louise Curtis Bok, has been a beacon of excellence in music education for a century. Join us as we celebrate 100 years of musical greatness with a historic performance season and milestone projects designed to inspire our community throughout the year.  

To mark its founding a century ago and to honor the legacy of Mary Louise Curtis Bok, Curtis will launch its milestone season with Founder’s Day on Sunday, October 13, 2024, as generations of alumni will be invited to return to campus to reminiscence with one another, interact with current students, attend various concerts and festivities to be announced at a later date, and celebrate the past, present, and future of the school. 

Curtis presents the final works in our multi-year project to commission 100 works for the school’s centennial. 100 for 100 celebrates the music of our time with a showcase of fresh perspectives, featuring original works inspired by and crafted for Curtis. Experience the cutting-edge of music creation as we mark this milestone year. 

May 8, 2025 | Penn Museum 

Experience the grandeur of Curtis’ 100-year legacy at our annual Gala event. Revel in captivating performances by alumni including J’Nai Bridges (Opera ’12), Amanda Majeski (Opera ’09), and Karen Slack (Opera ’02), savor culinary delights, and commemorate Curtis’ profound influence on the global music landscape. Join us for an unforgettable evening of music, celebration, and honoring Curtis’ enduring impact. 

Curtis Studio, the recording label of Curtis Institute of Music, brings the artistry and innovation of the school’s renowned and inspiring alumni, faculty, and students to audiences around the world. During our centennial year, Curtis Studio will debut A Century of New Sounds. The recording celebrates famed alumni composers past and present, recorded from the school’s historic campus, and performed by faculty, alumni, and students. Recording to include chamber works of Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Julius Eastman, Jennifer Higdon, Jonathan Bailey Holland, David Serkin Ludwig, Ned Rorem, Gabriella Smith, and George Walker.

Available in all major music stores October 2024. 

Curtis on Tour celebrates Curtis’ Centennial with more than 35 concerts across the globe–from chamber music to the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Alumni and faculty performing on tour include Teddy Abrams, Michelle Cann, Ray Chen, Roberto Díaz, the Dover Quartet, Jason Vieaux, and Peter Wiley. Performance venues include New York’s 92nd Street Y, through the Curtis at 92NY collaboration; the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, FL; and the Mondavi Center in Davis, CA; as well as performances abroad in Belgium, Germany, Greece, and Spain. 

Curtis’ Centennial Season is made possible through the support of Derek and Sissela Bok, the Mary Louise Curtis Bok Foundation, Deborah M. Fretz, Charles C. Freyer and Judith Durkin Freyer, Lisa and Gie Liem, and Mark and Robin Rubenstein. 

Guest conductor appearances for each Curtis Symphony Orchestra performance are made possible by the Rita E. and Gustave M. Hauser Chair in Conducting Studies. Orchestral concerts are supported by the Jack Wolgin Curtis Orchestral Concerts Endowment Fund and the Pennsylvania Tourism Office.  

Curtis Opera Theatre is generously supported by the Ernestine Bacon Cairns Trust, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and the Wyncote Foundation.  

Generous support for Curtis New Music Ensemble is provided by the Daniel W. Dietrich II Foundation. 

Curtis on Tour is part of The Nina von Maltzahn Global Touring Initiative

Curtis Institute of Music received funding from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts.