Curtis in the News: Winter 2015

From local features to international media coverage, see how Curtis was featured in the press this fall.

Curtis Board Chair Nina Baroness von Maltzahn has affirmed the school’s leadership and future direction with $11.5 million in gifts, as reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer. A $10 million endowment gift establishes the Nina von Maltzahn President’s Chair, held by Roberto Díaz (Viola ’84), and $1.5 million goes to support Curtis On Tour, the school’s global touring initiative. News of this combined gift, one of the largest in the school’s history, was covered locally and by arts and philanthropy industry outlets, including ArtsJournal, Philanthropy News Digest, and Symphony Magazine‘s The Hub.

Media coverage of Curtis in Asia has grown on the heels of Curtis On Tour performances this fall, which were accompanied by Korean radio coverage, a media event in Taiwan, and newspaper stories in Hong Kong. Even after Curtis musicians arrived back in Philadelphia, the school was included in coverage of cello student Nana Ou-Yang‘s recent book release, describing the musical journey that brought her to Curtis at the age of 13, and in two advance news features on renowned soloist Hilary Hahn (Violin ’99), who performs in Taiwan in January.

And in the viral hit of the month, members of Time For Three—Zachary De Pue (Violin ’02), Nick Kendall (Violin ’01), and Ranaan Meyer (Double Bass ’03)–shared the challenges that accompany life as a touring musician with the New York Times.

The musicians are your hosts for a unique new series on WRTI, performing their favorite pieces and sharing personal and professional stories. On Philadelphia Music Makers, each one-hour show features  the area’s best and brightest musicians from throughout the Philadelphia region.

Curtis plays a major role: a third of the musicians featured are students, faculty, or alumni, including George Fu, Elizabeth Hainen, Andrew Hsu, Shannon Lee, David Ludwig (Composition ’01), Tessa Seymour, and Patrick Williams (Flute ’14). Stay tuned to WRTI or check online for upcoming shows with Roberto Díaz and Elissa Lee Koljonen (Violin ’94), Stanford Thompson (Trumpet ’09), Michelle Cann (Piano ’13), and the Aizuri Quartet, 2014-15 string quartet in residence at Curtis.

The Washington Post had high praise for the Dover Quartet, the 2013-14 string quartet in residence at Curtis: “Conservatories are churning out young new string quartets at a dizzying rate, but lovers of chamber music should put the Dover Quartet on their to-hear list.”

The New York Times called violin student Stephen Waarts a “technically accomplished and musically insightful artist” in a review of his New York debut recital with Curtis piano student Chelsea Wang, under the auspices of Young Concert Artists.

In addition to a recent profile in the Boston Globe, Johnny Gandelsman (Violin ’99) also earned praise from the New York Times for his “mesmerizing performance of Bach’s sonatas and partitas for unaccompanied violin at Bargemusic.”

Curtis mourned the loss of two beloved faculty members in December. Pianist Claude Frank, an artist with an international career, nurtured dozens of Curtis pianists since joining the faculty in 1988. His impact was demonstrated with tributes from a score of  national and international media outlets, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Telegraph (UK), BBC, WQXR, WNPR, Jewish Daily Forward, and Slipped Disc.

William Stokking (Cello ’49) was a member of the Curtis faculty since 2000, teaching orchestral repertoire. His illustrious career, which included serving as principal cello of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 32 years, was memorialized by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Performance Today content from last October’s residency has resulted in four Curtis-related broadcasts to date, and rich online content highlighting Young Artist in Residence Steven Lin. The residency itself has garnered a combined 6,000 views online, between the Curtis and Performance Today websites, and over 16,000 fans were reached through social-media buzz. Material from the October residency will continue to air throughout the season.