Curtis Presents “Music of Richard Danielpour” on April 19 at Field Concert Hall

Press Contacts:
Patricia K. Johnson | patricia.johnson@curtis.edu | (215) 717-3190
Ryan Scott Lathan | ryan.lathan@curtis.edu | (215) 717-3145

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PHILADELPHIA, PA—April 12, 2023—The 2022–23 Curtis Presents season concludes on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. with “Music of Richard Danielpour” at Field Concert Hall. The Curtis Institute of Music celebrates the enduring impact, immense artistry, and 25th anniversary of the GRAMMY Award-winning composer’s appointment to the school’s renowned composition faculty. Praised as “an outstanding composer for any time” (New York Daily News), Mr. Danielpour is one of the most sought-after and recorded American composers of his generation, and his list of commissions includes some of the most celebrated artists of our time, including Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill (ʼ00), Emanuel Ax, Susan Graham, and many others. Three remarkable works have been chosen to mark this momentous occasion, each capturing a unique facet of his singular compositional voice.

“There is a tradition amongst musicians in which we don’t hoard our knowledge,” says Mr. Danielpour. “We share it with compassion and with the understanding that we are looking at the future generations who will then carry on this torch. Curtis is wonderful because it lives in the present, but at the same time is fully aware of its past, and in that way, it creates a sense of lineage. I understood that immediately when I became a part of the faculty in the fall of 1997. As time passed, I learned more details about how rich the legacy is. I feel very honored to be here and it’s a privilege to be a part of this tradition.”

The concert begins with the unveiling of Four Portraits, a world premiere piece for solo piano. Inspired by the euphoria of new love and the gift of human connection, these subtle, exquisitely nuanced portraits depict four distinct stages of life, each deeply personal and universally relatable. Featuring Amy Yang (’06), associate dean of piano studies and artistic initiatives at Curtis—hailed as a “jaw-dropping pianist who steals the show” (Washington Post) and “a magnificent artist and poet” (New York Concert Review)—this extraordinary piece is the sixth work that the Curtis Institute of Music has commissioned from Mr. Danielpour during his 25 years on the faculty.

The evening continues with Canti Della Natura, a trio for soprano, violoncello, and piano, featuring Elena Perroni (Opera ’18), praised by Opera Magazine for her “velvet soprano,” award-winning cello student Matthew Christakos, and acclaimed pianist Lisa Keller, master opera coach at Curtis. Written in honor of Nicola Bulgari, a close friend of Mr. Danielpour, for his 80th birthday, the work premiered in July 2021 at the Du Vert a L’Infini international music festival in Fresne-Saint-Mamès, France. Using nature as a metaphor for life, death, and rebirth, this captivating set of songs utilizes Italian text from original sonnets written by composer Antonio Vivaldi to accompany his violin Concerto Grosso in D minor, Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons).

The concert concludes with Mr. Danielpour’s poignant String Quintet (“A Shattered Vessel”). Co-commissioned by the Curtis Institute of Music, Music from Angel Fire (lead commissioner), Chamber Music Monterey Bay, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, and Linton Chamber Music, this moving work for two violins, viola, and two cellos, contemplates crisis and struggle, loss and healing, renewal and gratitude. Dedicated to and featuring internationally acclaimed violinist Ida Kavafian, the Nina von Maltzahn Chair in Violin Studies at Curtis, the quintet’s ensemble is rounded out by a Curtis student, violinist Danny Yehun Jin, and alumni, including Cara Pogossian (Viola ʼ21), Peter Wiley (Cello ʼ74 and current faculty), and Francis Carr (Cello ʼ21). Describing his work, Mr. Danielpour notes that the subtitle, “A Shattered Vessel,” “refers to a great mystery of life, that in order for something of value to live, something else must often die. In this way, death can be understood not only as a part of life but also as a part of nature.”

A devoted mentor and renowned educator, Mr. Danielpour has significantly guided, empowered, and inspired generations of young composers at Curtis since he joined the faculty 25 years ago. From sweeping, neo-Romantic symphonies to introspective chamber works, opera, and art songs, his music, at once intensely expressive and rhythmically vibrant, continues to garner praise and attract an array of international champions. He once commented that “music [must] have an immediate visceral impact and elicit a visceral response,” and the three works selected for this celebratory concert deliver precisely that. With “Music of Richard Danielpour,” the Curtis Institute of Music honors a great American composer and a distinguished faculty member who continues to carry on the school’s legacy of artistic excellence.

Richard Danielpour has been commissioned by many international artists, including soloists Yo-Yo Ma, Jessye Norman, Dawn Upshaw, Emanuel Ax, Gil Shaham, Frederica von Stade, Thomas Hampson, Anthony McGill, and Gary Graffman; the Guarneri and Emerson string quartets; and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio. He has also received commissions from the New York City, Pacific Northwest, and Nashville ballets; the Philadelphia and Stuttgart Radio Symphony orchestras; the Mariinsky and Vienna chamber orchestras; the New York Philharmonic; Orchestre National de France; the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, among others.

Dr. Danielpour has received a GRAMMY Award, two Rockefeller Foundation grants, the Berlin Prize Fellowship from the American Academy in Berlin, two awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Joseph H. Bearns Prize in Music from Columbia University.

Recent works include Carnival of the Ancients for piano and orchestra, String Quartet No. 8, and The Passion of Yeshua, a passion oratorio in Hebrew and English. Dr. Danielpour has recorded for the Naxos and Sony

Classical labels, and his music is published by Lean Kat Music and Associated Music Publishers. Dr. Danielpour served on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music from 1993 to 2017 and has served as professor of music at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA since 2017. He joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1997.

Single tickets start at $24 and are available for purchase at Curtis.edu. Learn more about other upcoming Curtis performances at Curtis.edu/Calendar.

About Curtis Presents
Past and future meet through Curtis Presents, which features a diverse collection of artists—alumni, faculty, students, and contemporary creators—whose musical foundations are rooted in the Curtis community. This series of intimate and innovative recitals offers a unique experience with exceptional artistry and one-of-a-kind programs.

About the Curtis Institute of Music
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. With admissions based solely on artistic promise, no student is turned away due to financial need. Curtis invests in each admitted student, ensuring no tuition is charged for their studies and they enter the profession free from educational debt. 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. Learn more at Curtis.edu.

CURTIS PRESENTS: Music of Richard Danielpour

Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 8 p.m.
Field Concert Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust Street, Philadelphia

PROGRAM

TICKETS
Tickets for Music of Richard Danielpour ($24) are available at Curtis.edu. Seating is general admission.

Photos of Richard Danielpour by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and courtesy of the artist. Photo of Amy Yang by Balázs Böröcz of Pilvax Studio. Photo of Elena Perroni courtesy of Piper Artists Management. Photo of Ida Kavafian by Nichole MCH Photography. 

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