"Scheherazade": Curtis Studio's Debut Album Drops
Curtis Studio is proud to announce that its first digital release, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, and Deezer. Recorded in late 2021 as part of the school’s acclaimed audiovisual installation Immersive Scheherazade, this stunning new album features the magnificent artistry of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra under the masterful baton of renowned Finnish Maestro Osmo Vänskä.
Stream your copy of Scheherazade HERE.
Vince Ford, executive producer of Curtis Studio, senior vice president of digital strategy and innovation, and executive director of Curtis’s Performance Innovation Lab, recently shared his thoughts on the invaluable educational impact that projects like Scheherazade offer Curtis students in their artistic development: 
“The Curtis Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Scheherazade is an ideal way to launch Curtis Studio because the recording represents the breadth of what Curtis is offering through its digital media program.
“We recorded this in a professional recording session over 3 days with a world-renowned conductor, Maestro Osmo Vänskä. We filmed the project and presented it as an immersive installation on our campus. We continue to expand access to the performance through Curtis Studio and future presentations of the installation.
“With one project, Curtis provided our students with an incredible experience as they step into professional roles and lead media projects across the field. And our students (and faculty through their committed training) have provided an incredible opportunity to introduce audiences to an amazing piece of music and the artistry nurtured at Curtis.”
Click the video below to view behind-the-scenes interviews with conductor Osmo Vänkä and various Curtis faculty members, as they discuss Scheherazade.
Harpist Claire Thai, Curtis’s L. Daniel Dannenbaum Fellow, is featured prominently throughout the album as she accompanies the violin solos and evokes the wonder of Scheherazade’s imaginative tales. Now a student in Curtis’s master’s program, she talks about her experience recording this beloved symphonic suite:
“Recording Scheherazade for the immersive installation gave me a new outlook and understanding of the piece. There are many sections, most of which involve the harp, that are written as duets or small chamber ensembles for various instruments throughout the orchestra. Though we were surrounded by cameras, microphones, and lights, and were very far away from each other, we had to play as if it was chamber music. I think that came through really well in the final project and it was cool to see the moments that are essentially chamber music constructed as a collage, as opposed to being on opposite sides of the stage.”
Stream the Curtis Symphony Orchestra’s fantastic recording of Scheherazade HERE.
