How is Curtis Unique? The
Curtis Institute of Music was founded in 1924 by Mary Louise Curtis
Bok "to train exceptionally gifted young musicians for careers
as performing artists on the highest professional level." From
the start, the curriculum has reflected Mrs. Bok's philosophy on
the best way to accomplish the school's mission.
Curtis is the only major music conservatory
in the United States that provides merit-based full-tuition
scholarships to undergraduate, as well as graduate, students,
who are chosen as a result of highly selective auditions.
Enrollment is purposely kept very
limited, with just enough students to complete a full orchestra
and a select opera department, plus a small number of keyboard,
composition and conducting students. The enrollment for 2009-10
is 159.
The length of a student's stay is
open-ended and can be anywhere from two to twelve years. Students
graduate when their teachers decide they are ready. In most
cases this is between three and five years. Curtis students range in age from 12 to 29.
Curtis maintains that a greatly gifted young musician should study with an important teacher from the beginning of his or her conservatory days. Students of elementary-school or high-school age receive training from the same teachers at the same intensive levels as do their older colleagues. There are no "preparatory" teachers or teaching assistants.
Curtis's celebrated faculty, which
numbers about 100, is composed largely of performing musicians
whose livelihood is not primarily derived from teaching. Students
are thus accepted on merit alone and not in order to fulfill
contractual obligations to teachers.
All piano, organ, harpsichord, conducting, and
composition students are lent Steinway grand pianos for use
throughout their studies at Curtis. Mrs. Bok set this policy
when she founded the school. Curtis currently owns 85 Steinways.
The Curtis Brass Ensemble, led by Paul Bryan, brings a spectacular program of Renaissance brass repertoire to St. Mark's Church on Sunday, March 7 at 3 p.m. "The Glory of Gabrieli" features music by Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Holborne, and Scheidt, among others, for ensembles ranging from brass quintet to massed brass choirs. The recital is free and no tickets are required. St. Mark's Episcopal Church is located at 1625 Locust Street, Philadelphia.