Violist Beatrice Chen Joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Curtis congratulates Beatrice Chen, who joins the viola section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on September 19 under the baton of Riccardo Muti during his farewell season.

Read the official announcement HERE.

Ms. Chen is a first prize winner of the 2018 Johansen International Competition for Young String Players and a three-time first prize winner of the American Protégé International Concerto Competition. In 2020, Ms. Chen was featured in The Philadelphia Orchestra’s HearNOW Gala, and she has appeared as a soloist with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, Capital City Symphony, Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonietta DuPage, and the Vicente Chamber Orchestra. Before studying at Curtis, she served as the principal violist of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras for five years and has been a member of the Chen String Quartet, alongside her parents, CSO concertmaster Robert Chen, Laura Park Chen, and her brother, cellist Noah Chen.

Enjoy this performance by Beatrice Chen of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Cadenza for Solo Viola on the stage of Curtis’s Field Concert Hall in April 2019.

OPERA America Grant Funds New Opera by Rene Orth (Composition ’16) for Opera San José

Opera San José was awarded a Commissioning Grant from OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Women Composers program to help fund a new opera by Rene Orth (Composition ’16). As the company’s first composer-in-residence, Orth will create a work based on an existing play to premiere in June 2023.

Through the generosity of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, $100,000 was awarded to seven companies across the United States to create seven new operas by female composers. The Opera Grants for Women Composers program promotes the development of new works by women and raises the visibility of women writing for the operatic medium, ensuring that their singular stories, experiences, and creative perspectives are brought to life on the stage.

Learn more at OPERA America HERE.

Visit Rene Orth’s official website HERE.

Abigail Kent (Harp ’17) Appointed Principal Harpist of Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra

Abigail Kent (Harp ’17) has been appointed principal harpist of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. Trained at the Curtis Institute of Music,  the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Mannes School of Music, and the Juilliard School, she currently serves on the harp faculty at the College of Charleston.

Read the article at Harp Column HERE.

Visit Abigail Kent’s official website HERE.

Opera Student Merissa Beddows (Voice ’22) Competes Live August 30 on America’s Got Talent

Recent voice graduate and incoming opera student Merissa Beddows (Voice ’22) will compete on the Tuesday, August 30 live episode of America’s Got Talent, airing at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Viewers will be able to vote for their favorite act to move on to the finals, and Curtis wants to help Merissa get there!

What you can do:

  • Download the AGT app (or go to nbc.com/AGTVote) and register to vote.
  • Voting opens at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, 8/30, and closes at 7 a.m. ET the next morning.
  • Results will be shared live on air on Wednesday, 8/31, at 8 p.m.
  • You can vote up to 10 times.

Merissa was recently announced as one of 55 acts selected to move on to the live rounds after dazzling the judges and audiences with her impressions of Celine Dion, Stevie Nicks, Ariana Grande, Snow White, and more during week five of performance auditions. She will be returning to Curtis this fall to pursue a Master of Music degree in Opera and will hold the Eula Mae Pharis Fellowship.

Watch her dazzle the judges in her audition clip:

Curtis Welcomes Our New Incoming Students for the 2022–23 Academic Year

The Curtis Institute of Music is delighted to extend a warm welcome to our new incoming students for the 2022–23 academic year. These 63 extraordinary young musicians, ages 11 to 26, are arriving at Curtis from 11 countries, 19 U.S. states, and the District of Columbia, to hone their craft and deepen their remarkable talents as they share their passion for making music with the world.

Through Monday, August 29, they will attend a New Student Orientation designed to establish a sense of community, enable social connections, and facilitate a smooth transition to the school. In addition, students will learn about Curtis’s culture, resources, people, and values.

This engaging program will feature discussions on student health, wellness, and injury prevention, delving into Curtis’s fascinating history and artistic legacy, community values, and more. Students will have the opportunity to engage with administrators, staff, and faculty while becoming more comfortable with their new surroundings as they prepare for the exciting season ahead.

We look forward to welcoming these talented young artists to the Curtis community and hope they have an inspiring and transformative year ahead!


The new Curtis students for 2022–23 are:

Violin
Leah Amory, Annual Fellowship from an Anonymous Donor
I-hao Cheng*, Martin and Sarah Taylor Fellowship
Corina Deng, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Jacques Forestier, Thomas D. Watkins Fellowship
Himari, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Yiyang Hou, Herbert R. and Evelyn Axelrod Fellowship
Zhenyi Jiang, Joseph and Marie Field Annual Fellowship
Gawon Kim*, Efrem Zimbalist Fellowship
Na Hyun Della Kyun, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Dongyoung Jake Shim, Tobe Amsterdam Fellowship
Huei-Chiao Christina Yang, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Jinyoung Yoon*, John S. Price Fellowship

Viola
Soyoung Cho*, Reaumur and Mary Corrin Winston Fellowship
Jiwon Grace Kim, Sueyun and Gene Locks Fellowship
Dillon Scott, Mark E. Rubenstein Annual Fellowship
Alyssa Warcup, Edward Montgomery Annual Fellowship

Cello
Romain-Olivier Gray, Maurice Gendron Memorial Fellowship
TaeYeon Rachel Kim, Jeanette S. Epstein Memorial Fellowship
Laura Navasardian, William A. Loeb Fellowship

Double Bass
Hanxiao Deng, Carrie L. Tolson Memorial Annual Fellowship
Christian Luevano, Eileen Flissler Memorial Fellowship
Dimitrios Mattas, Florence and Milton Levy Fellowship
William McGregor*, Shaun F. O’Malley Fellowship

Flute
Emily DeNucci, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Eunah Kim, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Annie Li, Huldah Bender Kerner, M.D., Fellowship
Anastasia Samsel, Julius Baker Fellowship

Oboe
Izaiah Cheeran, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Ben Price, David H. Springman Memorial Fellowship

Clarinet
Alexander Erlich-Herzog, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Hwaseop Jeong, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Tzu-Yi Yu, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship

Bassoon
Preston Atkins, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Diego Peña, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship

Horn
Megan Hurley, Nellie Lee Bok Fellowship
Nicholas Ivy, Alice Madge and William J. Middleton Fellowship

Trumpet
Justin Bernardi*, Suzanne Roberts Cultural Fellowship
Dasara Beta, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Franz Maury, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship

Trombone
Natanel Bikov, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Changwon Park, Louisa Knapp Curtis Fellowship

Tuba
Ethan Marmolejos, Dr. Bong S. Lee Fellowship

Timpani and Percussion
Zachary Thomas, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship

Harp
Claire Thai*, L. Daniel Dannenbaum Fellowship

Conducting
Micah Gleason, Rita E. Hauser Conducting Fellowship

Composition
Alistair Coleman*, Daniel W. Dietrich II Composition Fellowship

Guitar
Muxin Li, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Radomir Romashkov-Danilov, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship

Organ
Isabella Wu, Charles and Judith Freyer Annual Fellowship

Piano
Kārlis Bukovskis, Valerija and Ladislaus Medveckis Fellowship
CharmHee Han, Curtis Institute of Music Fellowship
Nachuan Tao, Dr. Samuel R. and Mrs. Beatrice S. Rossman Fellowship
Lynn Ye, Harold and Helene Schonberg Fellowship
Adrian Zaragoza, Hirsig Family Fellowship

Vocal Studies
Shikta Mukherjee, Charles and Judith Freyer Fellowship
Benjamin Riverón, Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowship
Emilie Suarez, Walter and Leonore Annenberg Fellowship
Juliette Tacchino, Lelia A. Wilke Fellowship
Eric Tofte, William J. Fenza Fellowship
Katie Trigg, Arthur and Hilda Stander Fellowship
Yulin Wan, Florence Kirk Keppel Fellowship

Community Artist Fellows
Francis Carr*, Community Artist Fellow
Zachary Mowitz, Community Artist Fellow

*Recent graduates returning to the Curtis Institute of Music