Happy Founder’s Day! Ninety years ago, on October 1, 1924, the very first Curtis students walked into Mary Louise Curtis Bok’s new conservatory and began taking lessons and classes. They were the first to experience the traditions we now cherish at Curtis—a unique “learn by doing” philosophy and a personalized approach to teaching each student, among other distinctive aspects of the school. Founder’s Day 2014 kicks off our season-long 90th-anniversary celebration, beginning with an open house for the Friends of Curtis this evening. Celebrate with us this season!
RENEWAL: The Season Begins
This month, watch our students spring into action again on stage! Subscribe now and secure your seats for the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and Curtis Opera Theatre as well as Curtis Presents, our special series of curated recitals featuring alumni and faculty. Curtis Presents launches this weekend with guitar virtuoso and faculty member Jason Vieaux; and Tchaikovsky’s ultra-romantic Iolanta opens the Curtis Opera Theatre season next week in a semi-staged production as part of the all-school project, Russia: A Land and its Influence.
Most Selective
Curtis’s 177 students attend one of the most selective institutions of higher learning in the world. The acceptance rate for the current year is a mere 4.8% for degree-seeking applicants. (That’s a full percentage point lower than Harvard or Stanford.) Once they arrive in Philadelphia, Curtis students of all ages benefit from unparalleled opportunities. Learn more about the Curtis education.
Performance Today in Residence
Curtis students are enjoying a unique opportunity mid-month as America’s most popular classical-music radio program, Performance Today, visits the campus. This special residency includes tapings for segments to be heard on public radio stations later this fall, as well as a media training workshop and a recording session on October 15 featuring music by Curtis composers. That session will be live-streamed on Curtis Performs—or you can request tickets, free of charge, to attend. (Space is extremely limited!)
Overtones Is Here!
The Fall 2014 Overtones arrives in mailboxes soon! In the cover story we look at the school’s 90-year legacy of string quartet training. (Be sure to check out the related online exhibit from the Curtis Archives.) Overtones takes you behind the scenes at Curtis and is sent twice a year to alumni, Friends of Curtis, and performance subscribers.
Curtis is 90 Years Young: Back in the 1920s, Curtis recitals took place in a conservatory—the plant kind.
Free lifelong learning, through MOOCs on Coursera, resumes this month! Register now.
