- Curtis Institute of Music
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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 StatesCampus 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]
Looking southeast from Rittenhouse Square toward The Curtis Institute's Main Building at the corner of Locust Street (on the left) and South 18th Street (on the right) (2006).
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.[citation needed]
Administration
Past directors
Past directors of the institute have included:
- Josef Hofmann (1926–1938) — pianist
- Randall Thompson (1938–1940) — composer
- Efrem Zimbalist, Sr. (1941–1968) — violinist
- Rudolf Serkin (1968–1976) — pianist
- John de Lancie (1977–1985) — principal oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra for many years
- Gary Graffman (1986–2006) — pianist, continues on the piano faculty
Current administration
As of March 2010[update], 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[update], 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
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Best Colleges: Top 100 — Lowest Acceptance Rates" (as of "Fall 2008 Acceptance rate"). U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
- ^ 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
- ^ "The Curtis Institute of Music". Curtis Institute of Music. http://www.curtis.edu/html/20001.shtml. Retrieved 2010-03-12.[dead link]
- ^ "The Curtis Institute of Music". Curtis Institute of Music. http://www.curtis.edu/html/50200.shtml. Retrieved 2010-03-12.
- ^ "The Curtis Institute of Music". Curtis Institute of Music. 2009-10-10. http://www.curtis.edu/html/70200.shtml. Retrieved 2010-03-12.[dead link]
- ^ "The Curtis Institute of Music". Curtis Institute of Music. http://www.curtis.edu/about-curtis/history/artistic-leadership-since-1924/. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
- ^ Daniel J. Wakin, "A Tearful (and Lucrative) Parting of Virtuoso and Violin", The New York Times. October 21, 2009.
- ^ "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.
External links
Colleges and universities in metropolitan Philadelphia The American College • Arcadia University • Art Institute of Philadelphia • Bryn Mawr College • Cabrini College • Chestnut Hill College • Cheyney University • Curtis Institute of Music • Delaware Valley College • Drexel University • Eastern University • Gratz College • Gwynedd-Mercy College • Haverford College • Holy Family University • Immaculata University • La Salle University • Lincoln University • Manor College • Moore College of Art and Design • Neumann University • Peirce College • Penn State Abington • Penn State Brandywine • Penn State Great Valley • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts • Philadelphia Biblical University • Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine • Philadelphia University • Reconstructionist Rabbinical College • The Restaurant School • Rosemont College • Rutgers–Camden • Saint Joseph's University • Salus University • Swarthmore College • Temple University • Thomas Jefferson University • University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey • University of the Arts • University of Delaware • University of the Sciences in Philadelphia • University of Pennsylvania • Ursinus College • Valley Forge Christian College • Villanova University • West Chester University • Westminster Theological Seminary • Widener UniversityCategories:- Educational institutions established in 1924
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- Music schools in Pennsylvania
- Universities and colleges in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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