Meet the Community Artist, String Quartet, and Conducting Fellows
Curtis’s professional fellows embody the “learn by doing” philosophy
Curtis is proud to offer several professional diploma programs designed to mentor artists at the beginning of significant careers. Through intensive training with key mentors and real-world performance and teaching opportunities, these young musicians are creating impact as leaders at Curtis and throughout the Philadelphia community. Explore their activities below and learn more about applying for similar programs in the 2022–23 academic year.
Three Curtis graduates are hard at work this year as Community Artist Fellows. Justin Goldsmith (String Quartet ’20) returns for a second fellowship year, along with Ying Li (Piano ’19) and Grace Takeda (Viola ’21). They will work with community partners in Philadelphia to provide rich artistic experiences to underserved communities and participate in the city-wide Rehearsing Philadelphia project, in partnership with Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and artist Ari Benjamin Meyers.
Meet the fellows and explore ongoing partnerships.
The Viano String Quartet has joined Curtis as the 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 concluded this past spring.
Read more in the full announcement and view content from a recent tour on Instagram (@vianostringquartet)
Conducting fellows Robert Kahn and Jacob Niemann return for another year on the podium. Closely involved with efforts to reinvent large rehearsals online and helping to facilitate inventive ways to engage with audiences, both conductors look forward to leading student ensembles in-person. See Robert in action conducting the world premiere of MERCY, an opera/film from the Curtis Opera Theatre, in early November. Jacob makes his Verizon Hall debut with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra in April.