Category: Multimedia

Lucy Baker (Opera ’23) on the Latest Episode of WHYY’s “On Stage at Curtis”

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“There are so many great singers out there that we all look up to, but I actually find that sometimes, the most fulfilling performances I have are those with my friends and my colleagues. The people that I’d love to collaborate with are the people I’m collaborating with now. I can’t wait to see where they go in their careers, and I hope one day to be on the Met stage with my best friends.” —Lucy Baker

Season 18 of WHYY’s acclaimed On Stage at Curtis series continues with a portrait of recent Curtis alumna, mezzo-soprano Lucy Baker (Opera ’23). The prize-winning singer from Wilmington, North Carolina entered Curtis in 2021 and studied with adjunct faculty member Julia Faulkner, performing the knightly title role in George Frideric Handel’s Ariodante, Dorabella (Così fan tutte), the Hostess (Triple-Sec), and covered Emilie and Marquise de Merteuil (The Dangerous Liaisons) with Curtis Opera Theatre while she attended the school.  

Ms. Baker’s musical journey began at age seven when she took her first piano and voice lessons. From folk songs to Italian, French, and German art songs, she spent her formative years becoming a solid musician, learning to read music, memorizing songs, and focusing on languages. It wasn’t until high school and college that she began to solidify her vocal technique, seriously pursuing a career as an opera singer. While working towards her Bachelor of Music degree at DePaul University, she studied with alumna Amanda Majeski (Opera ’09), whose current teacher, Julia Faulkner, teaches at Curtis. From there, the most logical course was to continue honing her craft in Philadelphia.

Click HERE to watch the On Stage at Curtis episode, or click the video below.

Performances in the episode include clips from Ariodante, Così fan tutte, and various recitals during Ms. Baker’s time here at Curtis.

In the episode, she notes that sometimes young singers feel boxed in by centuries of tradition in classical music but expresses her excitement to see all the contemporary classical works written today—compositions that leave room for personal interpretation. She expresses gratitude for her time at Curtis, the invaluable opportunities she received on stage and in the classroom, and the gift of entering her profession free of education debt.

Photo credits: 1.) Courtesy of Nichole MCH Photography. 2.) Portrait of Lucy Baker by Belinda Keller. 3.) Performance image of Ms. Baker as Ariodante, by Ashley E. Smith/Wide Eyed Studios.

Curtis Opera Theatre: “Les Mamelles de Tirésias” and “The Seven Deadly Sins” (Photo Roundup)

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“Curtis has supplied some of the most inventive opera productions Philadelphia has seen in recent years, and the streak continued here.” —Broad Street Review

Curtis Opera Theatre‘s 2023–24 series featured a captivating double bill of Francis Poulenc’s outrageously funny farce, Les Mamelles de Tirésias and Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s darkly satirical “ballet chanté,” The Seven Deadly Sins on March 15 and 17 at the Philadelphia Film Center.

Critically acclaimed director Eve Summer returned on the heels of rave reviews for her acclaimed Curtis Opera Theatre productions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Così fan tutte in 2022 and Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring in 2020 to lead an exciting cast of rising young opera stars accompanied by members of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of “thrilling” conductor Michelle Rofrano (Opera Today).

Read a glowing review of this “cleverly symbolic and highly entertaining” double bill in Broad Street Review.

Check out photo highlights below, showcasing the casts of Les Mamelles de Tirésias and The Seven Deadly Sins courtesy of Ashley E. Smith/Wide Eyed Studios.

Trio Zimbalist’s Debut Album Receives Rave Review from Gramophone Magazine

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On January 12, Curtis Studio, the school’s recording label, released its fourth album, the debut recording of Trio Zimbalist: Piano Trios of Weinberg, Auerbach, & Dvořák, featuring three virtuosic works of chamber music performed by distinguished Curtis alumni Josef Špaček (Violin ’09); Timotheos Gavriilidis-Petrin, (Cell0 ’17); and George Xiaoyuan Fu (Piano’16).  Trio Zimbalist’s “astonishingly accomplished debut” was recently praised in Gramophone magazine with a rave review and concurrently named to their March 2024 Editor’s Choice list as one of the best new classical recordings of the month.

Read the review of the “miraculously fresh,” “imaginative,” and “inventive” album HERE, and learn more about the recording HERE.

The release of Trio Zimbalist: Piano Trios of Weinberg, Auerbach, & Dvořák follows Curtis Studio’s acclaimed recordings Portraits (Viano Quartet, 2023), Revival (pianist Michelle Cann, 2023), and Scheherazade (Curtis Symphony Orchestra and Osmo Vänskä, 2022). All albums are distributed by Platoon.

Visit Trio Zimbalist’s website and artist page via Curtis Artist Management.

Photo of Trio Zimbalist by Viktor Jelinek & Visual Narrative.

Alexander Leonardi on the Latest Episode of WHYY’s “On Stage at Curtis”

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“I want to lay the foundation of myself as the artist I want to be. I want to spend these three years leading up to [graduation] to develop my own blend, my approach to organ, my approach to classical music. I want to start showing the world, now not just in the oven, but out in public—this is who I am, this is what I want to do, I hope you enjoy it.” —Alexander Leonardi

Season 18 of WHYY’s acclaimed On Stage at Curtis series continues with a portrait of third-year Curtis organ student, Alexander Leonardi. The prize-winning musician from Lindenhurst, New York entered Curtis in 2020 and studies organ with Alan Morrison, Haas Charitable Trust Chair in Organ Studies, as the Dr. Mi-Why Lee Fellow. In addition to his studies here at the school, Mr. Leonardi serves as the Michael Stairs Organ Scholar at the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. 

Originally, Mr. Leonardi had his eyes locked on a career in robotic engineering, but his music teacher suggested he apply for Juilliard’s Pre-College Division program. After being accepted as an organ student, his trajectory towards becoming a professional musician was solidified. In this episode, he discusses his love for performing, his struggles as a child with the rigors of daily practice routines, and his diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that led to subsequent therapeutic sessions helping him to adapt to social environments, embrace his passions, and navigate life.

Click HERE to watch the On Stage at Curtis episode, or click the video below.

Performances in the episode include Ludwig van Beethoven’s Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 5, No. 2, with Mr. Leonardi at the piano, joined by cellist Hun Choi (’23); and Johann Sebastian Bach’s Concerto in A major, BWV 1055R. He plays the harpsichord alongside Cameron Slaton (oboe d’amore), violinists Lingyu Dong and Zhenyi Jian, violist Yizilin Liang, cellist Romain-Olivier Gray, and double bassist Tobias Vigneau.

After he graduates from Curtis, Mr. Leonardi plans to continue his studies with a master’s degree in organ, accompanying, or conducting. A decade on, he hopes to have a successful career as an organist on the international stage, become a member of a chamber ensemble, and teach in academia, but he does not want to limit his creativity to classical music alone, and looks forward to expanding his palate to jazz and electronic music as well.

Photos of Alexander Leonardi courtesy of Nichole MCH Photography. Performance image of Mr. Leonardi with violist Jack Kessler (’23), courtesy of Micah Gleason Photography.

Anthony McGill (Clarinet ’00) Signed as a Backun Artist

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Anthony McGill (Clarinet ’00), Curtis’s William R. and Hyunah Yu Brody Distinguished Chair, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, and artistic director of Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program, has been signed as a Backun Artist. The GRAMMY Award®-nominated artist will design the new “McGill Signature Series” line of premium clarinets and clarinet barrels, bells, and mouthpieces with the internationally renowned instrument-maker while continuing to perform exclusively on his Backun Lumière Clarinets. As part of the agreement, Backun will draw on its educational networks to increase public awareness of McGill’s concerts and to sponsor workshops, classes, and other engagements in the cities where he is performing.

“I’m thrilled to be named a Backun Artist. The Backun Clarinets allow me to draw that warm, vibrant sound that I’m always searching for,” says Mr. McGill. “It is such an honor to be creating my own line of affordably priced, high-quality clarinets. I’m also very excited to share my music with more people through our Backun community events,” he adds.

Praised for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (New York Times) and his “exquisite combination of technical refinement and expressive radiance” (Baltimore Sun), Mr. McGill won the 2020 Avery Fisher Prize, one of classical music’s most significant awards given in recognition of soloists who represent the highest level of musical excellence.

Read the article and interview with Mr. McGill HERE.

Visit Anthony McGill’s official website HERE.

Photo of Mr. McGill by © Todd Rosenberg Photography, Chris Lee/New York Philharmonic, and Eric Rudd, at a video/recording session in a barn near Nashville, Indiana.