The Curtis Institute of Music is set to captivate audiences with a series of extraordinary performances as part of its centennial celebration. Featuring top-tier artists like Ray Chen, Teddy Abrams, Yuja Wang, and Nicholas McGegan, these events will spotlight timeless works from Barber, Mozart, Bernstein, and more. As the symphonic and operatic programs unfold, they promise to deliver a thrilling blend of passion, virtuosity, and artistic excellence, marking a significant milestone for the institute and offering a feast for music lovers everywhere.

Curtis Institute of Music Celebrates Centennial with Unforgettable Performances

### Event Description: Teddy Abrams and Ray Chen with Curtis Symphony Orchestra in West Palm Beach, FL

#### Event Overview
Join us for an extraordinary musical experience as the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of acclaimed conductor Teddy Abrams, performs in West Palm Beach, FL. This special event will take place on December 15, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

#### Featured Artists
- **Teddy Abrams, Conductor**: A distinguished Curtis alumnus, Teddy Abrams is the music director of the Louisville Orchestra and the Britt Festival Orchestra. Known for his dynamic and interdisciplinary approach to music, Abrams has collaborated with various prestigious organizations and has been featured on major media platforms such as CBS News Sunday Morning and NPR.
- **Ray Chen, Violin**: Renowned for his gorgeous tone and full-bodied lyricism, Ray Chen is a celebrated violinist and online personality who redefines what it means to be a classical musician in the 21st century.

#### Program Highlights
- **TJ Cole ’17**: "Death of the Poet"
- **Samuel Barber ’34**: "Violin Concerto, Op. 14" – This masterpiece of the 20th century, known for its unabashed romanticism and lyrical movements, will be performed by Ray Chen.
- **Aaron Copland**: "Symphony No. 3"

#### Event Significance
This performance pays homage to Samuel Barber’s early years post-graduation from Curtis, featuring his Violin Concerto, a piece that unfolds with depth and beauty, culminating in a blazing finale. The concert promises a thrilling fusion of virtuosity and passion, showcasing the exceptional talent of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra.

#### Ticket Information
Tickets for this event are available for purchase. Don’t miss the chance to witness this monumental musical journey and celebrate the Curtis Institute of Music’s centennial season, brimming with passion, energy, and greatness.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts website.

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Teddy Abrams and Ray Chen with Curtis Symphony Orchestra in West Palm Beach, FL

Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

### Event Description: Ray Chen Plays Barber - Curtis Institute of Music

**Date and Time:** December 13, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.

**Location:** Marian Anderson Hall (formerly Verizon Hall), Kimmel Center

**Event Overview:**
Join the Curtis Symphony Orchestra for an unforgettable afternoon as renowned violinist Ray Chen performs Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto. This electrifying event will be conducted by the acclaimed artist and Curtis alumnus, Teddy Abrams. The performance is a tribute to Barber’s early years post-graduation from Curtis, showcasing his Violin Concerto, a masterpiece of the 20th century known for its romanticism and lyrical beauty.

**Program:**
- **TJ Cole ’17:** *Death of the Poet*
- **George Walker ’45:** *Lilacs for voice and orchestra*
- **Samuel Barber ’34:** *Violin Concerto, Op. 14*
- **Aaron Copland:** *Symphony No. 3*

**Artists:**
- **Teddy Abrams, Conductor:** Music director of the Louisville Orchestra and the Britt Festival Orchestra, Abrams is a tireless advocate for the power of music and has fostered interdisciplinary collaborations with various prestigious organizations. He is also an accomplished pianist, clarinetist, and award-winning composer.
- **Ray Chen, Violin:** A celebrated violinist known for his gorgeous tone and full-bodied lyricism, Ray Chen redefines what it means to be a classical musician in the 21st century.

**Ticket Information:**
Subscribe now to the 2024-25 season to get the best seats at the best prices. Don't miss this opportunity to witness a thrilling fusion of virtuosity and passion in a monumental musical journey.

**Additional Information:**
This performance is part of Curtis Institute of Music's centennial celebration, a season brimming with passion, energy, and greatness. The Curtis Symphony Orchestra, acclaimed for its ensemble and professional sophistication, will be showcasing the exceptional young talent of tomorrow.

**Support and Acknowledgments:**
Curtis’ Centennial Season is made possible through the support of various benefactors, including Derek and Sissela Bok, the Mary Louise Curtis Bok Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, among others. Guest conductor appearances are supported by the Rita E. and Gustave M. Hauser Chair in Conducting Studies.

For more details and to subscribe, visit the Curtis Institute of Music's website.

Ray Chen Plays Barber

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

### Event Description: Yannick and Curtis Symphony Orchestra in New York, NY

**Event Title:** Yannick and Curtis Symphony Orchestra in New York, NY

**Date and Time:** November 24, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.

**Location:** Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, New York City

**Event Overview:**
Embark on a musical odyssey with the GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. This enchanting afternoon concert, titled "Harmonies of Heritage: Coleridge-Taylor, Price, & Dvořák," promises to be a memorable experience, featuring groundbreaking works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, and Antonín Dvořák.

**Program:**
- **Coleridge-Taylor:** Ballade in A minor, Op. 33
- **Price:** Symphony No. 1 in E minor
- **Dvořák:** Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88

**Artists:**
- **Conductor:** Yannick Nézet-Séguin
  - Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a celebrated conductor, known for his musicianship, dedication, and charisma. He is the music and artistic director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, music director of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, and began his tenure as music director of the Metropolitan Opera in September 2018. His collaborative style and fresh approach to programming have been praised by audiences and critics alike.

**Event Highlights:**
- **Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade in A minor, Op. 33:** Experience the emotional depths of this lively, rhapsodic, and unabashedly Romantic work, a milestone for the prolific 22-year-old composer.
- **Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor:** A historic marvel that seamlessly blends classical idioms with African American spirituals and blues.
- **Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88:** A sun-dappled masterpiece radiating joyous optimism, evoking the Bohemian countryside’s rolling green hills and rustic folk melodies.

**Tickets:**
Tickets for this event are available for purchase. Don't miss the opportunity to witness this extraordinary performance by the Curtis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

**Additional Information:**
The Curtis Symphony Orchestra is acclaimed for its exceptional ensemble and professional level of sophistication. Each year, the orchestra's 100 extraordinary musicians work with internationally renowned conductors, providing a dynamic showcase of tomorrow’s exceptional young talent.

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of music-making at its highest level, celebrating the Curtis Institute of Music's centennial season with passion, energy, and greatness.

Yannick and Curtis Symphony Orchestra in New York, NY

Lincoln Center

### Event Description: Dvořák & Price with Yannick - Curtis Institute of Music

**Event Title:** Dvořák & Price with Yannick

**Date and Time:** November 23, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.

**Location:** Marian Anderson Hall (formerly Verizon Hall), Kimmel Center

**Event Overview:**
Embark on a musical odyssey with the GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. This enchanting afternoon will feature groundbreaking works by luminaries Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Florence Price, harmoniously paired with Antonín Dvořák’s pastoral Symphony No. 8.

**Program:**
- **Coleridge-Taylor:** Ballade in A minor, Op. 33
- **Price:** Symphony No. 1 in E minor
- **Dvořák:** Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88

**Experience:**
- **Coleridge-Taylor’s** lively, rhapsodic, and unabashedly Romantic work, a milestone for the prolific 22-year-old composer.
- **Price’s** Symphony No. 1, a historic marvel seamlessly blending classical idioms with African American spirituals and blues.
- **Dvořák’s** Symphony No. 8, a sun-dappled masterpiece radiating joyous optimism, evoking the Bohemian countryside’s rolling green hills and rustic folk melodies.

**Conductor:**
**Yannick Nézet-Séguin** is the music and artistic director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, music director of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, and music director of the Metropolitan Opera. Known for his musicianship, dedication, and charisma, Mr. Nézet-Séguin has established himself as a musical leader of the highest caliber and one of the most exciting talents of his generation. His collaborative style, musical curiosity, and fresh approach to programming have been heralded by audiences and critics alike.

**Curtis Symphony Orchestra:**
Acclaimed for its otherworldly ensemble and professional level of sophistication, the Curtis Symphony Orchestra offers a dynamic showcase of tomorrow’s exceptional young talent. Each year, the 100 extraordinary musicians of the orchestra work with internationally renowned conductors, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who also mentors early-career conductors holding Rita E. Hauser Conducting Fellowships.

**Tickets:**
Subscribe now to the 2024-25 season to get the best seats at the best prices.

**Special Thanks:**
Curtis’ Centennial Season is made possible through the support of Derek and Sissela Bok, the Mary Louise Curtis Bok Foundation, Deborah M. Fretz, Charles C. Freyer and Judith Durkin Freyer, Lisa and Gie Liem, Mark and Robin Rubenstein, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Curtis Institute of Music received funding from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Guest conductor appearances are made possible by the Rita E. and Gustave M. Hauser Chair in Conducting Studies. Orchestral concerts are supported by the Jack Wolgin Curtis Orchestral Concerts Endowment Fund and the Pennsylvania Tourism Office.

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of music-making at its highest level, celebrating the Curtis Institute of Music’s centennial season.

Dvořák & Price with Yannick

The Curtis Institute of Music is home to some of the finest young musicians in the world who, each year, come together to create one of the world's great orchestras. Add internationally renowned conductor Osmo Vänskä and Grammy-winning soloist Yefim Bronfman featured on Bartók’s fierce Piano Concerto No. 2 and the stage is set for music making of the highest order. This immersive experience is completed with a new work from Curtis faculty member Dai Wei and Rimsky-Korsakov’s masterful Scheherazade suite.
Curtis on Tour is the Nina von Maltzahn Global Touring Initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music.

Curtis Symphony Orchestra

Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

CAMA (in partnership with the Music Academy) is pleased to announce an upcoming Community Access Concert with Philadelphia’s exuberant Curtis Symphony Orchestra at the Granada Theatre on May 18 at 7:30PM. This special concert provides the perfect opportunity for the broader Santa Barbara music audience to come out for an evening with their families to experience and hear a masterful program of world-class symphonic music.

Granada Theatre

“The most dynamic orchestra in the city” (Philadelphia Inquirer), the Curtis Symphony Orchestra brings a youthful exuberance to new audiences in its first-ever appearances on the U.S. West Coast. Under the direction of Osmo Vänskä, who previously led the ensemble in U.S. East Coast and European tours, the talented young musicians of Curtis showcase sparkling virtuosity and masterful artistry. They are joined on the program by piano sensation Yefim Bronfman, one of the newest additions to the faculty, in award-winning interpretations from the concerto repertoire.

Curtis on Tour

Yavapai College

University of California, Davis

Join the Curtis Symphony Orchestra for a magical evening of music under the stars at beautiful Longwood Gardens with piano soloist Janice Carissa (Piano ’22). Under the direction of Osmo Vänskä, the orchestra will present a premiere of Dai Wei’s Awakening Lion, Bartók’s thrilling piano concerto, and Tchaikovsky’s beloved classic Symphony No. 4.

Curtis at Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens

Under the baton of conductor Osmo Vänskä, former music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, the Curtis Symphony Orchestra presents neoclassical composer, pianist, and conductor Julia Perry’s dynamic Study for Orchestra (originally titled A Short Piece for Orchestra when it premiered in Turin, Italy, in 1952). This fiercely raucous, high-octane work shifts gears between intensely dramatic moments reminiscent of a menacing Bernard Hermann film score and quiet, poetic passages. In 1965, Perry’s energetic piece made history as the first work by a woman of color to be performed and recorded by the New York Philharmonic and only the third by a female composer.

Perry, Schumann, and Mahler

Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the renowned Curtis Symphony Orchestra and rising young stars of Curtis Opera Theatre in a musical tour of France. Romantic, mysterious, and awe-inspiring like the glow of Paris at night, this delightful program of mischievous magic, childhood fairytales, and operatic jewels celebrates the music of Dukas, Gounod, Debussy, Massenet, and Ravel.

Ravel, Dukas, and More

Our Digital Broadcast series features artists from all facets of Curtis, from student-musicians on stage for the first time to experienced faculty exploring the furthest edges of classical music.

Broadcast: Curtis Composers: CSO

### Event Description: Le nozze di Figaro - Curtis Institute of Music

**Event Title:** Le nozze di Figaro

**Presented by:** Curtis Opera Theatre

**Date and Time:** February 27, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.

**Venue:** Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center

**Additional Performances:**
- February 28, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
- March 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.
- March 2, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

**Event Overview:**
Join the Curtis Opera Theatre for an enchanting performance of Mozart’s comic masterpiece, *Le nozze di Figaro* (The Marriage of Figaro). This timeless opera, with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, is a delightful blend of love, intrigue, and politics, set against the backdrop of Figaro and Susanna’s wedding day. The story unfolds over a whirlwind 24 hours filled with mishaps and mischief, as the quick-witted barber Figaro and his bride-to-be Susanna navigate the disruptions caused by the philandering Count Almaviva. Together with the Countess Rosina, they outsmart the Count, proving that true love conquers all.

**Performance Details:**
- **Music by:** Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- **Libretto by:** Lorenzo Da Ponte
- **Language:** Performed in Italian with English supertitles

**Conductor:** Nicholas McGegan
Nicholas McGegan, renowned for his expertise in Baroque and Classical music, will conduct the performance. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, McGegan has led numerous acclaimed performances and recordings, bringing a historically informed approach to both period and modern ensembles.

**Director:** Marcus Shields
Marcus Shields, an artist known for his innovative work in theater and new media, will direct the production, ensuring a visually and emotionally compelling experience.

**Ticket Information:**
Tickets are available for purchase, and subscriptions to the 2024-25 season are now open, offering the best seats at the best prices.

**Why Attend:**
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience one of opera’s most beloved works, brought to life by the talented artists of the Curtis Opera Theatre. Revel in the razor-sharp satire, delightful arias, and lively storytelling that make *Le nozze di Figaro* a timeless classic.

**Learn More and Purchase Tickets:**
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Curtis Institute of Music’s website.

Le nozze di Figaro

### Event Description: Yuja Wang Plays Bernstein with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra

**Date and Time:** April 26, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.

**Location:** Marian Anderson Hall (formerly Verizon Hall), Kimmel Center

**Event Overview:**
Join us for a spectacular afternoon as the Curtis Symphony Orchestra concludes its 2024-25 season with an extraordinary performance featuring the acclaimed pianist and Curtis alumna, Yuja Wang. Known for her exceptional power, depth, and dazzling technique, Yuja Wang will take center stage under the baton of the award-winning conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

**Program Highlights:**
- **Lili Boulanger:** *D'un matin de printemps* (Of a Spring Morning)
- **Leonard Bernstein:** *Symphony No. 2: The Age of Anxiety*
- **Maurice Ravel:** *Shéhérazade*, Three Poems of Tristan Klingsor for Voice and Orchestra
- **Claude Debussy:** *La Mer*, three symphonic sketches for orchestra

**Artists:**
- **Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Conductor:** Yannick is the music and artistic director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, music director of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain, and the Metropolitan Opera. He is celebrated for his musicianship, dedication, and charisma, and has collaborated with many of the world's leading orchestras.
- **Yuja Wang, Piano:** Renowned for her charismatic artistry and captivating stage presence, Yuja Wang is one of the most celebrated pianists of her generation.

**About the Curtis Symphony Orchestra:**
The Curtis Symphony Orchestra is acclaimed for its exceptional ensemble and professional level of sophistication. Each year, the orchestra's 100 extraordinary musicians work with internationally renowned conductors, providing a dynamic showcase of tomorrow’s exceptional young talent.

**Tickets and Subscriptions:**
Subscribe now to the 2024-25 season to secure the best seats at the best prices. Don't miss this opportunity to witness an unforgettable performance that promises to be a highlight of the Curtis Institute of Music's centennial celebration.

**Special Thanks:**
This event is made possible through the generous support of Derek and Sissela Bok, the Mary Louise Curtis Bok Foundation, Deborah M. Fretz, Charles C. Freyer and Judith Durkin Freyer, Lisa and Gie Liem, Mark and Robin Rubenstein, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Yuja Wang’s performance is generously underwritten by Deborah M. Fretz.

**Additional Information:**
For more details and to purchase tickets, please visit the Curtis Institute of Music's website.

Curtis Symphony Orchestra

Feb 27 - Mar 2, 2025

Le nozze di Figaro

Apr 26, 2025

Yuja Wang Plays Bernstein

Dec 15, 2024

Teddy Abrams and Ray Chen with Curtis Symphony Orchestra in West Palm Beach, FL

Dec 13, 2024

Ray Chen Plays Barber

Articles & News

Curtis Symphony Orchestra