Month: August 2018

Curtis Honors George Walker

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Curtis is saddened by the news that George Walker (Piano and Composition ’45), renowned African American composer and Pulitzer Prize winner, passed away on August 23 at age 96. Long a pioneering figure, Dr. Walker left a profound impact on the landscape of American music and remained active well into his nineties; he recently finished a symphony to be performed next year by the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. In April the Curtis Symphony Orchestra performed his Lyric for Strings, and the school honored him with the President’s Alumni Award at Commencement. 

Fellow alumnus David Ludwig, Curtis’s chair of composition studies, penned this tribute to Dr. Walker:

“Dr. Walker created a great breadth of work over his long and highly respected career as a composer . He reminds me a bit of Bartók in his preternatural gifts as a performer, his sophistication as a composer, and his commitment to spirituals and American folk musical traditions. His music is rooted in the practice he learned already as a young student of composition and as a pianist, but it’s also modern and fresh-sounding—and is both lyrical and complex at the same time. I grew up knowing about his music, but only later got to know more about his life and ground-breaking accomplishments. 

“Dr. Walker was one of the first African Americans to graduate from Curtis and the first African American composer to win a Pulitzer Prize in music. To call him a ‘trailblazer’ seems like an understatement. He told me that even though much work needs to be done to promote inclusion in classical music today, it was very rare to see any African American composers in American conservatories in those early years. He also told me he learned a great deal from being around so many wonderful instrumentalists and composers at Curtis. Aside from working with some of the legendary teachers at the school, he was supported by its founder (even after he graduated), to present him in a debut recital in New York.

“I only got to know Dr. Walker in the past couple of years, but we had some wonderful conversations about life and music, and he expressed himself always with that warm and inviting smile. It was very important to him that people got to hear his work. Even as a composer in his mid-nineties, as accomplished as he was, he took the time and made the effort to connect with all sorts of musicians who wanted to perform his compositions. 

“I have no doubt that his music is going to live on and continue to inspire generations of composers and performers, as it’s done for the past 75 years. Classical music has lost a great member of its community, and I think it owes a debt to Dr. Walker for his many contributions—both as an American composer who wrote elegant music of a wide scope, and as an iconic artist who accomplished so many firsts in the field.”

—David Ludwig

Curtis extends our deepest sympathies to Dr. Walker’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Learn more about Dr. Walker’s remarkable life and career in profiles from NPR and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

 

Meet the Alumni: Jennifer Koh (Violin ’02)

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Recognized for intense, commanding performances, delivered with dazzling virtuosity and technical assurance, violinist Jennifer Koh (Violin ’02) is a forward-thinking artist dedicated to exploring a broad and eclectic repertoire, while promoting diversity and inclusivity in classical  music. She has expanded the contemporary violin repertoire through a wide range of commissioning projects, and has premiered more than 70 works written especially for her.

Find her full biography and additional details on her projects at her website, where you can also contact her about future collaborations.

 

 

Jennifer’s two teachers at Curtis, Jaime Laredo (Violin ’59) and Felix Galimir, shaped her view of inclusivity, equity, and diversity through their own personal experiences—about which they were very transparent.

“I think one of the great things about Curtis is that you’re working with people who are also very active members of the music world and are not just simply pedagogues,” says Jennifer. “Both [Laredo and Galimir] shared their own histories while I was simultaneously having my own experiences as a younger musician. Felix had very, very direct experiences of racism when he was in the Vienna Philharmonic…and I would share with him my own stories of what I was coming up against. And because he had gone through…these struggles himself, he was able to share that with me.”

Jennifer spoke in June at the 73rd National Conference of the League of American Orchestras, addressing the importance of diversity in classical music: “[It is] necessary for an artist that is a minority and an unwanted presence—to exist, and to exist as a true, complicated artistic presence. This kind of truthful, complicated presence has the power to transform culture. This kind of presence has the power to inspire the imaginations of others like myself: girls, women, and people of color represented complexly and truthfully, giving them an opening to imagine and actuate a life in classical music.”

Jennifer advocates for women and people of color through a number of intentional collaborations, especially with living composers, working towards equity in music. “I think the more empowered I’ve become within the field, the more I believe I can advocate for change,” she says. Her recent New American Concerto project is a multi-season commissioning project that explores the form of the violin concerto and its potential for artistic engagement with communities that have not previously been reflected in programming. The goal is to curate a diverse collective of composers to focus on socio-cultural topics that are both personally meaningful and particularly relevant to American life today. “I do believe in community,” she elaborates. “And I do believe in supporting my colleagues and advocating for them because I was lucky enough to have mentors who did that for me as well.”

“In the end,” she summarized in her League speech, “I have found that the most rewarding part of making music is truly listening, understanding, and communicating the voices and stories of people who are not like myself.”

  

Watch and Listen

Jennifer spoke at the League of American Orchestras’ 73rd National Conference in Chicago on June 14, 2018 (speech text begins around 3:04).

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Jennifer’s recent New American Concerto project explores the violin concerto as a tool for engagement. So far, two concertos have premiered: Vijay Iyer’s Trouble and Chris Cerrone’s Breaks and Breaks.

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Remembering Gerry Lenfest

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A visionary and a leader whose generosity inspired us all, H. F. “Gerry” Lenfest, played an extraordinary role in the history of Curtis. Curtis mourns his passing on Sunday, August 5 at age 88, and remembers the transformational effect he had on the school during his tenure as board chairman from 2006 to 2014.

Along with his wife, Marguerite, Mr. Lenfest made possible an extraordinary series of breakthroughs for Curtis. Spurred by his love of the arts and Curtis students—many of whom developed lasting relationships with the Lenfests—he presided over the creation of 21st-century opportunities for them. His infectious enthusiasm and whole-hearted embrace of an artistic and institutional vision has and will continue to inspire others.

During his tenure as chairman, new programs, residencies, and multi-disciplinary all-school projects were inaugurated. The campus doubled in size in 2011, when Lenfest Hall opened—with its state-of-the-art facilities, housing for half the student body, and rehearsal hall for the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Curtis instituted a specialized fitness and conditioning program; enhanced student services; and expanded its global outreach through Curtis on Tour, online courses and videos, and a new menu of summer programs.

The Lenfests’ remarkable relationship with Curtis was one of many. After building a successful cable business, Mr. Lenfest sold his company to Comcast. He and Marguerite resolved to give their new fortune away during their lifetimes, and became the Philadelphia region’s most generous philanthropists. Together they bestowed more than $1.3 billion on more than 1,000 organizations over the course of nearly two decades, and motivated many more millions in gifts from fellow donors through challenge grants. Their signature causes included the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which Mr. Lenfest served as chairman; the Museum of the American Revolution, which he spearheaded; and preserving local journalism at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com, all of which he bought and then donated to a nonprofit he created.

The Lenfests’ generosity advanced the construction of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, cemented the new Barnes Foundation, created a marketing support system for local arts organizations, saved threatened programs at various Pennsylvania universities, and underwrote programs for underserved youth through the School District of Philadelphia. Further afield, they supported Columbia University’s law school, of which Mr. Lenfest was an alumnus, and scholarships for high school students in central Pennsylvania. In 2017 they Lenfests were honored with the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

Curtis owes a profound debt of gratitude to Mr. Lenfest and extends deepest condolences to his wife and partner in all things, Marguerite; and to his children, Diane, Chase, and Brook. The fabric of Curtis will always include the Lenfests, forever benefitting future generations of Curtis students and music itself.

“Gerry was inspirational to the community at large, not just to the trustees, but to all of us —students, faculty, and staff. He was a wonderful example of what it’s all about, which is giving back. His legacy is about so much more than Curtis, however. Through all of the institutions and causes that he and Marguerite were willing to support, directly and indirectly, he set an example for us all in his commitment to improving the lives of others. I can’t imagine anybody more dedicated to improving their community.”
—Roberto Díaz, President and CEO

“Gerry was a role model to any responsible citizen of our community. He represented the best in giving back, but also strongly encouraged others to follow his example. It is because of his reaching out that I now consider him my mentor as I serve as Chairman of the Board of Curtis. I will deeply miss his special friendship.”
—Mark E. Rubenstein, Chairman of the Board of Trustees

 

A Legacy in Photos

We remember the warm smile and boundless generosity of Mr. Lenfest in this photo collection.

 

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“Transforming Generosity”

President Díaz penned this tribute to Mr. Lenfest upon his retirement as Board Chairman.

 

Words from the Philadelphia Inquirer

This obituary by Peter Dobrin details Mr. Lenfest’s remarkable life and contributions.

 

 

 

Make a Tribute Gift

In lieu of flowers, the Lenfest family has asked that tribute gifts be made to institutions including the Curtis Institute of Music.

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A visionary and a leader whose generosity inspired us all, H. F. “Gerry” Lenfest, played an extraordinary role in the history of Curtis. Curtis mourns his passing on Sunday, August 5 at age 88, and remembers the transformational effect he had on the school during his tenure as board chairman from 2006 to 2014.

Along with his wife, Marguerite, Mr. Lenfest made possible an extraordinary series of breakthroughs for Curtis. Spurred by his love of the arts and Curtis students—many of whom developed lasting relationships with the Lenfests—he presided over the creation of 21st-century opportunities for them. His infectious enthusiasm and whole-hearted embrace of an artistic and institutional vision has and will continue to inspire others.

During his tenure as chairman, new programs, residencies, and multi-disciplinary all-school projects were inaugurated. The campus doubled in size in 2011, when Lenfest Hall opened—with its state-of-the-art facilities, housing for half the student body, and rehearsal hall for the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Curtis instituted a specialized fitness and conditioning program; enhanced student services; and expanded its global outreach through Curtis on Tour, online courses and videos, and a new menu of summer programs.

The Lenfests’ remarkable relationship with Curtis was one of many. After building a successful cable business, Mr. Lenfest sold his company to Comcast. He and Marguerite resolved to give their new fortune away during their lifetimes, and became the Philadelphia region’s most generous philanthropists. Together they bestowed more than $1.3 billion on more than 1,000 organizations over the course of nearly two decades, and motivated many more millions in gifts from fellow donors through challenge grants. Their signature causes included the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which Mr. Lenfest served as chairman; the Museum of the American Revolution, which he spearheaded; and preserving local journalism at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com, all of which he bought and then donated to a nonprofit he created.

The Lenfests’ generosity advanced the construction of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, cemented the new Barnes Foundation, created a marketing support system for local arts organizations, saved threatened programs at various Pennsylvania universities, and underwrote programs for underserved youth through the School District of Philadelphia. Further afield, they supported Columbia University’s law school, of which Mr. Lenfest was an alumnus, and scholarships for high school students in central Pennsylvania. In 2017 they Lenfests were honored with the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

Curtis owes a profound debt of gratitude to Mr. Lenfest and extends deepest condolences to his wife and partner in all things, Marguerite; and to his children, Diane, Chase, and Brook. The fabric of Curtis will always include the Lenfests, forever benefitting future generations of Curtis students and music itself.