Category: Admissions

Curtis Institute of Music Welcomes Viano String Quartet as New Quartet in Residence

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PHILADELPHIA—April 26, 2021—The Curtis Institute of Music is excited to name the Viano String Quartet as its string quartet in residence for 2021–22. Recently added to the roster of Opus 3 Artists, the quartet comes to Curtis with an impressive list of accomplishments and experience, including top prizes at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2019 and a residency at the Colburn School which concludes later this year.

While at Curtis the Viano String Quartet will present recitals, perform with Ensemble 20/21 and Curtis on Tour, and participate in masterclasses with guest quartets and other visiting artists. Additional activities include the design and implementation of a unique performance project with Curtis’s Community Artists Program and mentorship of Curtis students who are part of the Young Artists Initiative (those of high school age and younger). The quartet will be closely mentored by major faculty, including the Dover Quartet, Curtis’s Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence and itself a graduate of the Nina von Maltzahn String Quartet Program.

“The four of us are thrilled to be moving to Philadelphia,” say the members of the quartet. “We look forward to immersing ourselves in Curtis’s exceptional community of musicians, colleagues, and mentors. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to work with the truly world-class members of the faculty, including the Dover Quartet, whom we’ve always looked up to.”

The Nina von Maltzahn String Quartet Program was established in 2013 and has graduated ensembles that are pursuing fast-rising and global careers and receiving accolades such as Grammy Award nominations, the Avery Fisher Career Grant, top prizes from the M Prize Competition and Astral Artist’s National Auditions, and recognition in the New York Times, among others. This is one of several professional bridge programs at Curtis designed to mentor musicians at the beginning of significant careers in the arts.

Praised for its “huge range of dynamics, massive sound and spontaneity” (American Record Guide), the Viano String Quartet is the first-prize winner of the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition. Formed in 2015 at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where it serves as the inaugural ensemble in residence through the 2020–21 season, the quartet has performed in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Place Flagey, Izumi Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, and Segerstrom Center for the Arts. In addition to their role at Curtis, the quartet is in residence at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts through the 2022–23 season, part of the Banff competition prize.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, the Viano String Quartet has presented virtual and socially-distanced concerts for the Dallas Chamber Music Society, the Schneider Concerts at the New School, the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, the Friends of Chamber Music of Troy, the Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City, and the Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival, among others; and participated with the Calidore String Quartet in a film project called The Way Forward.

In 2019 the Viano String Quartet received the grand prize at the ENKOR International Music Competition and second prize at the Chamber Music in Yellow Springs Competition. Other honors include the silver medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2018; third prize at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in 2017; and third prize, the Haydn Prize, and the Sidney Griller Award at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition in 2018. The quartet has participated in Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, the St. Lawrence String Quartet Chamber Music Seminar, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and the McGill International String Quartet Academy.

Committed to engaging with communities outside the concert hall, the Viano String Quartet has given presentations for school children and students of all ages in partnership with Northern Michigan University, Santa Monica Conservatory of Music, Colburn’s Musical Encounter program, and the Bellingham Festival of Music and Whatcom Symphony.

The name “Viano” was created to describe the four individual instruments in a string quartet, each beginning with the letter “v,” interacting, as a piano does, as one unified instrument. Learn more at VianoStringQuartet.com.

The Curtis Institute of Music educates and trains exceptionally gifted young musicians to engage a local and global community through the highest level of artistry. For nearly a century Curtis has provided each member of its small student body with an unparalleled education alongside musical peers, distinguished by a “learn by doing” philosophy and personalized attention from a faculty that includes a high proportion of actively performing musicians. To ensure that admissions are based solely on artistic promise, Curtis makes an investment in each admitted student so that no tuition is charged for their studies. In a typical year, Curtis students hone their craft through more than 200 orchestra, opera, and solo and chamber music offerings in Philadelphia and around the world.

 

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Curtis Mentor Network Session Begins March 15

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The Curtis Institute of Music invites classical musicians ages 14–28 to learn more about the Curtis Mentor Network (CMN), a six-week remote program that provides high-quality, personalized mentorship. Participants receive one-on-one lessons with alumni mentors and attend studio classes led by current Curtis students. The program develops participants’ overall musicianship and prepares them for auditions, competitions, and performances.

To date, over 100 students from 17 states and nine countries have benefitted from CMN. Said one participant: “Having a program like this was the special gem I did not know I needed!”

A new session begins on Monday, March 15; registration opens on Monday, March 1 at Curtis.edu/CMN. Want to learn more? A free informational webinar takes place on Thursday, February 25 at 7 p.m. ET. Current mentors and administrators will answer questions and provide more details about the program.

CMN mentors are some of the most celebrated professional musicians and accomplished teachers in the field, drawn from the alumni body and Curtis’s summer program faculty. View mentor roster.

The online program is currently available to students around the world in cello, clarinet, composition, conducting, flute, oboe, piano, viola, violin, and voice. Program fees total $1,000 USD (limited financial aid is available) and include:

  • six 45-minute lessons via Zoom (optimized for audio quality)
  • three one-hour studio classes
  • three one-hour professional development seminars
  • additional support and guidance from current Curtis students and staff
  • a Certificate of Completion signed by mentor and CMN artistic director

Yefim Bronfman Joins the Curtis Institute of Music Piano Faculty

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PHILADELPHIA—October 19, 2020—The Curtis Institute of Music announces the appointment of celebrated pianist Yefim “Fima” Bronfman to the school’s distinguished piano faculty. Mr. Bronfman, who himself studied at Curtis in the mid-1970s, begins his position effective immediately.

“We’re thrilled to have one of the world’s greatest pianists returning home to Curtis and our community,” said Roberto Díaz, president and CEO of Curtis. “I know Fima’s experience and world-renowned artistry will be a wonderful resource for our students and will greatly contribute to the education they receive as 21st-century musicians.”

Mr. Bronfman will begin his faculty appointment at Curtis by participating in online instruction, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing the school’s existing and emerging technologies to connect with students. As the newest member of the piano faculty, he joins a renowned roster of performers, pedagogues, and artist-citizens teaching at Curtis.

“I’m very excited to be working with the young artists of Curtis, and to return to my former school,” said Mr. Bronfman. “My time at Curtis allowed me to grow significantly as an artist and musician and I’m honored to provide that opportunity to others as a member of Curtis’s impressive piano faculty. Together, we will make the most of virtual teaching this semester and I look forward to the time when we can all make music together in person.”

Internationally recognized as one of today’s most acclaimed and admired pianists, Yefim Bronfman is an artist regularly sought by the world’s leading orchestras, recital series, and festivals. His performances are consistently lauded by the press and audiences alike.

Although the coronavirus pandemic has curtailed most in-person performances, Mr. Bronfman is engaged in a number of online concerts in Fall 2020, including appearances with the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, a solo concert for the Gilmore Foundation, and a recital with the Emerson String Quartet for the 92nd Street Y.

Born in Tashkent in the Soviet Union, Mr. Bronfman immigrated to Israel with his family in 1973, where he studied with pianist Arie Vardi, head of the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. In the United States, he studied at the Juilliard School, Marlboro School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music, under Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher, and Rudolf Serkin. A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize, one of the highest honors given to American instrumentalists, he received the Jean Gimbel Lane prize in piano performance from Northwestern University in 2010 and an honorary doctorate in 2015 from the Manhattan School of Music, where he is also a faculty member.

The Curtis Institute of Music educates and trains exceptionally gifted young musicians to engage a local and global community through the highest level of artistry. For nearly a century Curtis has provided each member of its small student body with an unparalleled education alongside musical peers, distinguished by a “learn by doing” philosophy and personalized attention from a faculty that includes a high proportion of actively performing musicians. To ensure that admissions are based solely on artistic promise, Curtis makes an investment in each admitted student so that no tuition is charged for their studies. In a typical year, Curtis students hone their craft through more than 200 orchestra, opera, and solo and chamber music offerings in Philadelphia and around the world.

 

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Curtis Announces Staff Appointments

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September 18, 2020—The Curtis Institute of Music is pleased to announce two new staff appointments at Curtis. Effective immediately, Dr. Jeanne M. McGinn takes on the additional role of Senior Associate Dean of Academics and Shea Scruggs joins Curtis as Director of Institutional Research and Musician Experience/Chief Enrollment Officer.

Dr. McGinn is well-known to the Curtis community as the Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams Jr. Chair of Liberal Arts. She has been a member of the faculty for over 25 years and is an award-winning poet. Her poems have been set by Curtis alumni including Jennifer Higdon, Michael Djupstrom, Ya-Jhu Yang, Rene Orth, and Andrew Hsu, and have been performed all over North America. She received her B.A. from Bucknell University; her M.A. as a Rotary International Fellow from University College Cork, Ireland; and her Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College. In her new role, Dr. McGinn will oversee the school’s academic programs and faculty as well as the library resources that complement students’ work throughout their enrollment. In addition to continuing her work in the classroom, she will be a driving force in determining and supporting Curtis’s curriculum.

“It is an honor to step into this new role and a joy to work with such creative and dedicated colleagues,” says Dr. McGinn. “Through a holistic curriculum, we offer students extraordinary opportunities to grow as artists, citizens, and human beings. In turn, we draw inspiration from the hope they bring to the world through their transformative artistry.”

Shea Scruggs (Oboe ’04) has performed and taught as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician, including positions with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Opera, and the Cincinnati Symphony. A student of Richard Woodhams while at Curtis, Mr. Scruggs also holds a B.A. in English literature from Swarthmore College and a Master of Business Administration from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. He has advised performing arts organizations on strategic initiatives including equity, diversity, and inclusion and is sought-after as a speaker and advocate. Mr. Scrugg’s duties in this newly created position include coordinating Curtis’s program of institutional research, overseeing admission to Curtis’s educational programs, and developing new initiatives to engage Curtis alumni in the development of current and prospective students. He will be a key member of Curtis’s musician lifecycle team—attending to the experiences of prospective, current, and former students—and will serve on the President’s cabinet.

“I am excited to help Curtis find talented prospects wherever they are in the world, ensure students have transformative experiences, and help alumni launch careers in a landscape where the sky is the limit for artists who can perform at the highest level and connect with audiences,” says Mr. Scruggs.

Curtis also announces the creation of an Ombuds Office. This new office serves as a neutral and accessible point of contact for members of the Curtis community to resolve differences and explore matters of concern, and is being rolled out to all students, faculty, and staff.

2019 Year In Review

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As 2019 draws to a close, we at Curtis are feeling grateful—for a wonderful year of music-making and learning, and for the support of our audiences and donors, who are so important to the education of our exceptionally gifted students. This extraordinary year has brought successful tours, prestigious awards for students and alumni, and innovative ways to reach audiences around the globe and in our own community.

2019 saw sparkling performances by the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and Curtis Opera Theatre; 100 free student recitals; and a record-breaking schedule of performances on tour!

Outside the concert hall, a wide range of Curtis alumni, students, and faculty achieved recognition in 2019, winning competitions and receiving awards and grants. This album represents only a small percentage of these achievements: find more through Curtis in the News.

Curtis also continued our work in the community, partnering with organizations that seek to protect and elevate classical music as an art form that is accessible to everyone. Review the year with us in photos below, with our thanks!