Curtis Institute of Music

The Curtis Institute of Music
Established 1924
Type Private
Endowment $130.5 million[1]
President Roberto Díaz
Director Roberto Díaz
Students 167
Location 1726 Locust Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Campus Urban
Website curtis.edu

The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S. News & World Report, it has the lowest acceptance rate of any college or university, making it the most selective institution of higher education in the United States.[2]

Contents

History

It was established in 1924 by Mary Louise Curtis Bok, and was named in honor of her father, Cyrus Curtis. After consulting with musician friends including Josef Hofmann and Leopold Stokowski on how best to help musically gifted young people, Bok purchased three mansions on Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square and had them joined and renovated. She established a faculty of prominent performing artists and eventually left the institute with an endowment of US$12 million.[3]

Admission

The institute has served as a training ground for orchestral players to fill the ranks of the Philadelphia Orchestra, although composers, organists, pianists, and singers are offered courses of study as well.

All pupils attend on full scholarship, and admission is extremely competitive. Besides composers, conductors, organists, and pianists, only enough students are admitted to fill a single orchestra and an opera company. Accordingly, enrollment is in the range of 150 to 170 students. The acceptance rate is about one third that of Ivy League institutions such as Columbia University.

Administration

Past directors

Past directors of the institute have included:

Current administration

As of March 2010, Roberto Diaz is President and director of the Institute. Diaz is also a Curtis alumnus and faculty member. He was principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1996 to 2006 and is a member of the Diaz Trio.[4]

As of March 2010, Otto-Werner Mueller is the conductor of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra.[5]

Notable alumni

Many of its alumni have gone on to notable careers including:

A–L

M–Z

References

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf. Retrieved March 8, 2010. 
  2. ^ "Best Colleges: Top 100 — Lowest Acceptance Rates" (as of "Fall 2008 Acceptance rate"). U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
  3. ^ Stoddard, Maynard Good (January 1, 2000). "A Legacy of Music. The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia". The Saturday Evening Post.  Accessed May 11, 2009
  4. ^ "The Curtis Institute of Music". Curtis Institute of Music. http://www.curtis.edu/html/20001.shtml. Retrieved 2010-03-12. 
  5. ^ "The Curtis Institute of Music". Curtis Institute of Music. http://www.curtis.edu/html/50200.shtml. Retrieved 2010-03-12. 
  6. ^ "The Curtis Institute of Music". Curtis Institute of Music. 2009-10-10. http://www.curtis.edu/html/70200.shtml. Retrieved 2010-03-12. 
  7. ^ "The Curtis Institute of Music". Curtis Institute of Music. http://www.curtis.edu/about-curtis/history/artistic-leadership-since-1924/. Retrieved 2011-04-24. 
  8. ^ Daniel J. Wakin, "A Tearful (and Lucrative) Parting of Virtuoso and Violin", The New York Times. October 21, 2009.
  9. ^ "The Curtis Institute of Music". Curtis Institute of Music. http://www.curtis.edu/faculty/faculty-directory/full-faculty-directory/faculty-directory-discipline.html. Retrieved 2011-04-24. 

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