On January 25, Performance Today featured trombonist Addison Maye-Saxon as a Young Artist in Residence! Learn more about Addison’s career and his path to Curtis, and hear him perform alongside fellow Curtis student Benjamin Krasner.
Month: January 2019
Curtis 20/21 Ensemble Presents Ode to Napoleon on February 2
PHILADELPHIA, PA—January 29, 2019—The Curtis 20/21 Ensemble presents Ode to Napoleon, the second of three programs in the 2018–19 season, on Saturday, February 2 at 8 p.m. in Gould Rehearsal Hall. A preconcert discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m. The program and discussion will be streamed live at Curtis.edu/YouTube.
Curtis alumnus Peter Serkin (Piano ’64) and the Vera Quartet, Curtis’s string quartet in residence, will join the ensemble for the performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s Ode to Napoleon, a work written in 1942 in response to the rise of authoritarianism and World War II. The program features other works that explore the intersection of music and current events, including Synchrony by Curtis alumnus Jonathan Bailey Holland (Composition ’96), which explores Holland’s emotional reactions while witnessing news reports of police violence against unarmed African-Americans throughout the country.
Flowers in the Desert by David Ludwig (Composition ’01), artistic director of the Curtis 20/21 Ensemble and Gie and Lisa Liem Artistic Advisor to the President, responds to gun violence in America. David Lang’s Illumination Rounds and Nina Young’s Spero lucem round out this program exploring political messages in music.
The preconcert discussion, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Gould Rehearsal Hall, features David Ludwig in conversation with Jonathan Bailey Holland and Nina Young, as they explore the intersection of politics and music. Following intermission, Ludwig offers a brief presentation on Ode to Napoleon, alongside Jeanne M. McGinn, Curtis’s Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Chair of Liberal Arts.
Tickets for $20 are available from Curtis Patron Services at (215) 893-7902 or Curtis.edu/Performances. The concert and preconcert conversation will also be streamed live at 7:30 p.m. EST on YouTube (Curtis.edu/YouTube) and Facebook Live (Facebook.com/CurtisInstitute).
Recognized as an artist of passion and integrity, the distinguished American pianist Peter Serkin is one of the most thoughtful and individualistic musicians appearing before the public. His rich musical heritage extends back several generations: His grandfather was violinist and composer Adolf Busch and his father was pianist Rudolf Serkin. In 1958, at age eleven, he entered the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Lee Luvisi, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, and Rudolf Serkin. He later continued his studies with Ernst Oster, Marcel Moyse, and Karl Ulrich Schnabel.
In 1959 Mr. Serkin made his Marlboro Music Festival and New York City debuts with conductor Alexander Schneider. Invitations soon followed to perform with the Cleveland Orchestra and George Szell and with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy. He has since performed with the world’s major symphony orchestras. Also a dedicated chamber musician, Mr. Serkin has collaborated with the Budapest, Guarneri, and Orion string quartets; and with TASHI, of which he was a founding member. In 2017 he toured Europe with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and conductor Osmo Vänskä.
An avid proponent of the music of many of the 20th and 21st century’s most important composers, Mr. Serkin has offered many important world premieres, including works written for him by Toru Takemitsu, Peter Lieberson, Oliver Knussen, Charles Wuorinen, Elliott Carter, and Alexander Goehr. He teaches at Bard College Conservatory of Music and the Longy School of Music.
Flexible in size and scope, the Curtis 20/21 Ensemble performs a wide range of music from the 20th and 21st centuries, including works by Curtis students and alumni. The ensemble has appeared at major U.S. venues such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Miller Theatre, as well as international venues, including the Intimacy of Creativity festival in Hong Kong. The ensemble has presented concert portraits of iconic composers in residence Unsuk Chin, John Corigliano, George Crumb, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Chen Yi, among many others. Of the ensemble’s Joan Tower portrait program, the New York Times wrote, “Ms. Tower could hardly have hoped for more passionate performances.” The Curtis 20/21 Ensemble is led by artistic director David Ludwig.
CURTIS 20/21 ENSEMBLE: Ode to Napoleon
Saturday, February 2 at 8 p.m.
Gould Rehearsal Hall, Lenfest Hall, 1616 Locust Street, Philadelphia
Preconcert discussion at 7:30 p.m.
| DAVID LANG
|
Illumination Rounds |
| JONATHAN BAILEY HOLLAND (’96) |
Synchrony |
| NINA C. YOUNG
|
Spero Lucem |
| DAVID LUDWIG (’01) |
Flowers in the Desert |
| ARNOLD SCHOENBERG |
Ode to Napoleon |
Tickets: $20, sold by Curtis Patron Services at (215) 893-7902 or Curtis.edu/Performances.
Streamed live on YouTube (Curtis.edu/YouTube) and Facebook Live (Facebook.com/CurtisInstitute) at 7:30 p.m. EST.
Generous support for the Curtis 20/21 Ensemble is provided by the Daniel W. Dietrich II Foundation.
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Meet the Students: Yuwon Kim
This weekend, conducting fellow Yuwon Kim will conduct at Verizon Hall for the first time, leading the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in The Unanswered Question by Charles Ives. This unique work divides the orchestra into three distinct groups of musicians. We spoke with Yuwon about her time at Curtis so far, and what it’s been like to lead the orchestra in rehearsals.
It’s your first year at Curtis—what has been a notable or meaningful moment for you so far?
I would say one of the most meaningful and memorable moments at Curtis so far is, when I got to meet Yannick for the first time and played Mahler 5 for him. It was such an honor and privilege that I could be able to perform in front of my idol, who I’ve wanted to meet in person ever since I started studying conducting. The lessons I have gotten from Yannick were very inspiring, not only his musical advice, but the way he teaches, and his personality as a human being.
What have you gained from working with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra?
I think the students are very passionate and have a desire to learn music through the orchestra. They are very talented and responsible to their jobs, even though there are many young students. And that really encourages me to work even harder.
Have you had a chance to work with (guest conductor) Mark Russell Smith? What have you learned from him during the rehearsal process?
This is my first time working with Mark Russell Smith and I am learning a lot from him through the rehearsals. His musical ideas and knowledge of the background of the pieces are very clear, which helps me to understand and approach the music more easily.
I also had a chance to talk and go through Ives’s Unanswered Question with him. He gave me much advice regarding score analysis, conducting gestures, and even considerations of rehearsal technique.
What’s your favorite thing about Ives’s Unanswered Question? Had you ever conducted this piece before?
I have never conducted this piece before, and it is going to be my first time performing it. There are three important main roles in this music: the trumpet asking questions, flutes answering those, and the strings as carpet of sound. This feels like a drama to me somehow. The trumpet and strings will be offstage, which will create an interesting sound effect. I look forward to it and am very excited!
Why should aspiring conductors choose Curtis?
For conductors, it is rare to meet and have opportunities to work with a high-level student orchestra every single week, and it is inspiring to be surrounded by talented musicians. Especially because there are many events going on here at Curtis all the time, including student recitals, orchestra concerts, and opera.
Last but not least, I think it would be a nice experience to have a chance to live in the city where you can easily go and visit Philadelphia Orchestra concerts, museums, and historical places whenever you want. These help you to grow as a mature artist.
Be sure to catch the Curtis Symphony Orchestra this weekend as Yuwon makes her Verizon Hall debut on Sunday. Or join us in the suburbs on Saturday for a performance at Immaculata University. We hope to see you this weekend!
Chelsea Komschlies Receives Copland House Fellowship
Chelsea Komschlies (Composition ’18) has been named among six CULTIVATE fellows by Copland House. The prestigious institute for emerging composers selected six composers from four U.S. states and one Canadian province for it’s coveted emerging composer’s institute. The eminent jury included acclaimed Copland House Resident composers – CULTIVATE Director Derek Bermel , Suzanne Farrin , and Gregory Spears.
“Spending time with the rich and varied submissions to CULTIVATE,” said Gregory Spears, “was an inspiration and an affirmation that great music is being made by incredibly talented young composers across the continent.”
Read the official announcement HERE.
Curtis students, alumni, and faculty, are making remarkable accomplishments in the music world and beyond. Learn more about Curtis in the News.
Curtis Symphony Orchestra Presents Concerto Premiere at Verizon Hall and Immaculata University January 26–27
PHILADELPHIA—January 11, 2019—Conductor Mark Russell Smith and tuba soloist Craig Knox perform with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in Verizon Hall at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, January 27 at 3 p.m. An additional performance takes place in Alumnae Hall at Immaculata University on Saturday, January 26 at 8 p.m.
Diverse voices harmonize in this concert portrait of American life and experience, entitled American Images. Signature works by Aaron Copland and Charles Ives— the Pulitzer Prize-winning Appalachian Spring and The Unanswered Question—paint a picture of our nation’s emerging musical vernacular in the 20th century inspired by traditional hymns, folk songs, and the transcendental movement. They frame the Philadelphia premiere of the Tuba Concerto by award-winning Curtis faculty and alumna Jennifer Higdon (’88), one of today’s most widely performed composers, who creates a virtuosic showcase for Curtis tuba faculty and alumnus Craig Knox (’89). The program closes with the haunting Symphony No. 7 by Antonín Dvořák, a champion of Czech folk music who went on to become America’s most celebrated immigrant musician of the 19th century.
Conducting fellow Yuwon Kim conducts the work by Ives; Curtis alumnus Mark Russell Smith (’87) takes the podium for the works by Higdon, Copland, and Dvořák. This program represents a unique homecoming for performers Smith and Knox and composer Higdon, who all attended the Curtis Institute of Music together.
Single tickets to the Immaculata University concert for $20 are available from the Curtis Patron Services Office at (215) 893-7902 or Curtis.edu/curtis-performances. Single tickets to the Verizon Hall concert start at $25 and can be purchased through the Kimmel Center Box Office at (215) 893-1999 or KimmelCenter.org. This concert is supported by the Jack Wolgin Curtis Orchestral Concerts Endowment Fund.
Mark Russell Smith, a 1987 graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, is artistic director of orchestral activities at the University of Minnesota, music director of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, and artistic director of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies.
Mr. Smith has conducted the Saint Louis, Houston, Colorado, Eugene, Hartford, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Santa Barbara, Winnipeg, Costa Rica, and Xalapa symphonies; the Minnesota Orchestra; the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Orchestra London (Ontario); and the Tulsa Philharmonic. In 2007, 2012, and 2014 he returned to his alma mater to lead the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in Verizon Hall, and he led Curtis On Tour in China and Korea in 2011. He has conducted the Curtis Opera Theatre and Virginia Opera, and has appeared at the Eastern Music Festival, the Berkshire Choral Festival, and the European Center for Opera and Vocal Art in Ghent, Belgium. Mr. Smith collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma on Bridge of Souls, a concert featuring world premieres by Asian and American composers. A firm believer in the use of technical innovation, he annually conducts the final round of the Minnesota International Piano e-Competition, streamed live online.
Mr. Smith was previously music director of the Richmond, Cheyenne, and Springfield symphony orchestras. He studied cello at the Juilliard School with Claus Adam and conducting at the Curtis Institute of Music with Max Rudolf and Otto-Werner Mueller.
Principal tuba of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since 2005, Craig Knox was previously acting principal tuba of the San Francisco Symphony and principal tuba of the Sacramento Symphony. He has performed with the orchestras of Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit, and Seattle, as well as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
As a soloist, Mr. Knox premiered Jennifer Higdon’s Tuba Concerto and André Previn’s Triple Concerto for trumpet, horn, and tuba, both with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared as a soloist with the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and has toured with the Empire Brass. He is co-founder of the Center City Brass Quintet, which has made six recordings for the Chandos and Cryston labels. He has made recordings for Naxos with the Chicago Chamber Musicians Brass Quintet and for the Albany label with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra low brass section; and has recorded a solo album, A Road Less Traveled.
Mr. Knox graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Paul Krzywicki. His previous teachers included Samuel Pilafian, Chester Schmitz, and Gary Ofenloch. He joined the tuba faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2014. He also teaches at Carnegie Mellon University and has presented master classes, seminars, and recitals worldwide.
Jennifer Higdon is one of the most acclaimed and frequently performed composers working today. She has received the Pulitzer Prize, two Grammy awards for best contemporary classical composition, Guggenheim and Pew fellowships, a commission from the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation, the Nemmers Prize from Northwestern University, and two awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Dr. Higdon has been commissioned by a wide range of performers, including the Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Minnesota orchestras; the Chicago and Pittsburgh symphony orchestras; the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band; the Tokyo String Quartet; and Eighth Blackbird. She has also been commissioned by individual artists such as baritone Thomas Hampson; violinists Hilary Hahn, Jennifer Koh, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg; and pianists Gary Graffman and Yuja Wang. Her first opera, Cold Mountain, was a resounding success, winning an International Opera Award for best world premiere; the opera’s recording was nominated for two Grammy awards. Her works are recorded on more than 65 CDs.
Dr. Higdon holds a bachelor’s degree in flute performance from Bowling Green State University, an artist diploma in composition from the Curtis Institute of Music, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in composition from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1994 Dr. Higdon joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music, where she holds the Milton L. Rock Chair in Composition Studies.
Acclaimed for its “otherworldly ensemble and professional level of sophistication” (New York Times), the Curtis Symphony Orchestra offers a dynamic showcase of tomorrow’s exceptional young talent. Each year the 100 extraordinary musicians of the orchestra work with internationally renowned conductors, including Osmo Vänskä, Vladimir Jurowski, Marin Alsop, Simon Rattle, Robert Spano, and Yannick Nézet Séguin, who also mentors the early-career conductors who hold Rita E. Hauser Conducting Fellowships. This professional training has enabled Curtis alumni to assume prominent positions in America’s leading orchestras, as well as esteemed orchestral, opera, and chamber ensembles around the world.
CURTIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
American Images
The Jack Wolgin Orchestral Concerts
Saturday, January 26 at 8 p.m.
Alumnae Hall, Immaculata University, 1145 King Road, Immaculata, Pa.
Sunday, January 27 at 3 p.m.
Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia
Mark Russell Smith, conductor (’87)
Craig Knox, tuba (’89)
Yuwon Kim, conducting fellow
| COPLAND | Suite from Appalachian Spring (1945) |
| HIGDON (’88) | Tuba Concerto |
| IVES | The Unanswered Question |
| DVOŘÁK | Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70 |
Immaculata
Single tickets: $20, sold by the Curtis Patron Services Office at Curtis.edu/Performances, or (215) 893-7902.
Philadelphia
Single tickets: $25–85, sold by the Kimmel Center Box Office at KimmelCenter.org, or (215) 893-1999.
The guest conductor for this Curtis Symphony Orchestra performance is made possible by the Gustave and Rita Hauser Chair.
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