Category: Summerfest

June 22 Curtis Summerfest Faculty Recital Highlights New Partnership with Sphinx Performance Academy

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PHILADELPHIA—June 20, 2018—The 2018 Curtis Summerfest Faculty Recitals continue with a collaborative program featuring renowned performers and faculty from the Elizabeth Hainen Harp Colony, the Mikael Eliasen Voice Program, and the newly initiated Sphinx Performance Academy on Friday, June 22 at 7 p.m. in Field Concert Hall. Including a range of music from Romantic favorites to living composers, the recital features works by Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Henriette Renié, Florence Price, and Sphinx laureate Jessie Montgomery.

Performers include violinists Jannina Norpoth and Melissa White(’07), violist Jennifer Arnold, cellist Mary Ann Ramos, and members of the Catalyst Quartet, all of whom are alumni and laureates of the Sphinx Organization; Elizabeth Hainen, principal harp of the Philadelphia Orchestra; Jin Hyun Park, vocal studies accompanist at Curtis; and recent opera graduate Kendra Broom (’18).

The recital takes place in Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust Street, Philadelphia. Tickets for $28 are available from the Curtis Patron Services Office at (215) 893-7902 or Curtis.edu/SummerRecitals.

Additional Curtis Summerfest Faculty Recitals take place on July 20, July 27, and August 2. Now in their fourth year, these popular summer concerts feature distinguished chamber musicians from the Curtis Summerfest faculty. These remarkable artists, many of them Curtis alumni, perform a variety of repertoire—from beloved classics to the music of today—in the timeless setting of Field Concert Hall. “A wonderful jolt of established Curtis insiders with outside talent” (Philadelphia Inquirer), the 2018 series features faculty from five different summer programs including Toby Appel, Thomas Kraines, Katherine Needleman, Desirée Ruhstrat, Mimi Stillman, and others.

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. One of the most selective schools in the United States, Curtis accepts four percent of applicants each year on average. A tuition-free policy ensures that talent and artistic promise are the only considerations for admission. With a small student body of about 175, Curtis provides each young musician with an education of unparalleled quality, distinguished by personalized attention from a celebrated faculty and a “learn by doing” philosophy. Curtis students hone their craft through than 200 orchestra, opera, solo, and chamber music offerings each year in Philadelphia and around the world.

The Sphinx Performance Academy at Curtis Summerfest (June 10–24) is a full-scholarship intensive chamber music and solo performance program. The curriculum includes an intensive schedule of private lessons and chamber music in addition to master classes, recitals, career enrichment sessions, and mentorship about navigating the classical music world as a person of color. Faculty includes distinguished Curtis and Sphinx Competition alumni Elena Urioste (Violin ’08) and Melissa White (Violin ’07), Astrid Schween of the Juilliard String Quartet, and members of the Catalyst Quartet.

The Elizabeth Hainen Harp Colony is an advanced training ground for the world’s next generation of professional harpists. The colony places emphasis on individual development for promising young harpists, as well as professionals, through an intensive program of master classes, ensemble playing, and orchestral training with distinguished faculty.

The Mikael Eliasen Voice Program, led by the artistic director of the Curtis Opera Theatre, is designed primarily for young singers considering entering conservatory, introducing them to what is needed to embark on an opera career. Participants pursue activities focused on vocal artistry, surrounded by elite faculty from Curtis’s renowned vocal studies department.

 

 

Curtis Summerfest Faculty Recitals


Friday, June 22 at 7 p.m.
Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust Street, Philadelphia


Program to include:

BRAHMS      Zwei Gesänge, Op. 91

Kendra Broom, mezzo-soprano (’18)
Jennifer Arnold, viola
JinHyun Park, piano


MONTGOMERY      Strum

Catalyst Quartet:
Jessie Montgomery, violin
Karla Donahew Perez, violin
Paul Laraia, viola
Karlos Rodriguez, cello


PRICE      Quartet in G major

Jannina Norpoth, violin
Melissa White, violin (’07)
Jennifer Arnold, viola
Mary Ann Ramos, cello


RENIÉ      Pièce symphonique

Elizabeth Hainen, harp


SAINT-SAËNS      Fantaisie in A major, Op. 124

Karla Donahew Perez, violin
Elizabeth Hainen, harp

 


Tickets: $28, available from the Curtis Patron Services Office at (215) 893-7902 or Curtis.edu/SummerRecitals.


Sphinx Performance Academy at Curtis Summerfest is generously supported, in part, by the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation.

 

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Sphinx Performance Academy at Curtis Summerfest begins

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This weekend, we kicked off the first day of the Sphinx Performance Academy at Curtis Summerfest! Students moved in throughout the morning, a busy yet spirited process as they hugged their families goodbye, before bounding toward their friends and roommates. Some participants greeted old friends, while others excitedly met new colleagues for the first time.

After an outstanding masterclass given by violist Steve Tenenbom in the evening, staff and students alike gathered in Lenfest Hall’s fifth floor lounge for a lively round of introductions. The excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the start of the program was palpable in the air as they went around sharing their names, hometowns, and “unique” facts about themselves, which were met by laughter and applause by their peers.

All in all, it was a promising beginning to the second program of Summerfest’s 2018 season, and we are all excited to see what else is in store with these incredibly talented students!

—Mary Kim, Princeton Intern for Civic Service

 

 

 

Sphinx Performance Academy at Curtis Summerfest is generously supported, in part, by the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation.

A Reunion and a Homecoming

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Each year, Curtis alumni return to Philadelphia to serve as faculty during Curtis Summerfest! In addition to working with students of all ages  across six programs, many alumni enjoy the opportunity to reconnect, and present a series of evening faculty recitals that delight audiences during the traditionally light summer season for classical music. Summerfest Manager Annie Sarachan takes you behind the scenes in the Spring 2018 edition of Overtones.

 Read the full article in the most recent issue of Overtones, where you’ll also find more stories by and about Curtis’s notable students, faculty, and alumni.

Curtis Summerfest Partners with the Sphinx Performance Academy in Summer 2018

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PHILADELPHIA—January 29, 2018—The Curtis Institute of Music and the Sphinx Organization will partner in 2018 to bring the Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA), a full-scholarship summer program designed for young Black and Latino string players, to Curtis Summerfest. This new collaborative model includes Curtis alumni as faculty and reflects a special commitment to including musical talent from the Philadelphia area.

The Sphinx Performance Academy at Curtis Summerfest will take place June 10–24, 2018 and is designed for 32 violin, viola, and cello students ages 11 through 17. Curtis will assist in identifying promising Philadelphia musicians in addition to reinforcing Sphinx’s recruiting efforts nationwide.

“This partnership allows us to support the critically important work Sphinx is doing nationally to increase diversity in the arts, work which aligns with Curtis’s mission to engage a local and global community,” said Curtis President Roberto Díaz. “Many of our students and alumni have participated in various programs of the Sphinx Organization throughout the years, and this program gives them the opportunity to mentor the next generation of talented young Black and Latino musicians in Philadelphia and nationwide.”

The Sphinx Performance Academy will be added to the existing offerings of Curtis Summerfest, which include programs for a range of skill levels and ages. These include a conservatory-style program for high school-aged musicians, chamber music for adults, and intensive programs for harp, flute, and voice. Faculty from the Sphinx Performance Academy will also be featured on the popular Summerfest faculty recital series presented by Curtis.

“This new collaboration with Curtis comes at a meaningful and exciting time in Sphinx’s history,” said Sphinx President and Artistic Director Afa Dworkin. “Having just celebrated our 20th anniversary in 2017, we are kicking off the next two decades with many grand charges, including helping to prepare the most talented and deserving of the next generation of classical artists. We could not be more grateful and excited to partner with such a remarkable institution as we work toward this aim.”

The Sphinx Performance Academy curriculum includes an intensive schedule of private lessons and chamber music in addition to master classes, recitals, career enrichment sessions, and mentorship specific to navigating the classical music world as a person of color. Faculty include distinguished Curtis alumni and Sphinx Competition laureates Elena Urioste (Violin ’08) and Melissa White (Violin ’07), Astrid Schween of the Juilliard String Quartet, and members of the Catalyst Quartet.

Full scholarships for all students include tuition as well as housing and dining in Curtis’s Lenfest Hall. Sphinx Performance Academy faculty and staff will also stay in Lenfest Hall, allowing for additional mentorship time alongside students. Applications are available online at www.curtis.edu/Sphinx and are due April 11, 2018.

The Sphinx Organization is the Detroit-based national organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Led by Afa S. Dworkin, its president and artistic director, Sphinx programs reach over 100,000 students, as well as live and broadcast audiences of over two million annually.

The organization’s founding and mission were informed by the life experiences of Aaron Dworkin, who, as a young Black violinist, was acutely aware of the lack of diversity both on stage and in the audience in concert halls. He founded Sphinx while an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, to address the stark under-representation of people of color in classical music.

Sphinx works to create positive change in the arts field and in communities across the country through a variety of programs organized into four main principles: Education and Access, Artist Development, Performing Artists, and Arts Leadership.

To learn more about the Sphinx Organization and the Sphinx Performance Academy, visit www.sphinxmusic.org or www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinx-performance-academy.

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. One of the most selective schools in the United States, Curtis accepts four percent of applicants each year on average, and a tuition-free policy ensures that talent and artistic promise are the only considerations for admission. With a small student body of about 175, Curtis provides each young musician with an education of unparalleled quality, distinguished by a “learn by doing” philosophy and personalized attention from a faculty that includes a high proportion of actively performing musicians.

Curtis students hone their craft through more than 200 orchestra, opera, and solo and chamber music offerings each year and programs that bring arts access and education to the community. This real-world training allows these extraordinary young musicians to join the front rank of performers, composers, conductors, and musical leaders, making a profound impact on music onstage and in their communities. To learn more, visit www.curtis.edu.

 

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Early Dates Announced for Curtis Summerfest 2018

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Two of Curtis Summerfest’s most popular and longest-running programs return in 2018. Chamber Music for Adults will take place from May 17–20, and the Young Artist Summer program will again span three weeks, from July 15–August 4.

The Young Artist Summer Program offers young musicians a chance to experience conservatory life, with a rigorous musical schedule and opportunities to perform in an intimate, challenging, and supportive environment. Led by artistic director David Ludwig and program director Amy J. Yang, the faculty comprises top performers and teachers from across the musical landscape, many of whom are also Curtis alumni. Top artists also visit to conduct masterclasses in each musical department—Curtis president and renowned violist Roberto Díaz is among those who will conduct master classes in 2018.

At Chamber Music for Adults, participants meet and perform with like-minded musicians and play side-by-side with Curtis students in chamber ensembles. Since the program’s founding, many participants have returned year after year, and gone on to form friendships and establish their own chamber groups with musicians they first met during Curtis Summerfest. In addition to chamber music, participants have the option to attend piano classes or perform in the program’s chamber orchestra in the evenings.

Stay tuned, more 2018 programs will be announced soon—for more information, visit www.curtis.edu/Summerfest.