The Curtis Institute of Music Launches Record Label, Curtis Studio
Press Contacts:
Patricia Price | 8VA Music Consultancy | patricia@8vamusicconsultancy.com
Patricia K. Johnson | patricia.johnson@curtis.edu | (215) 717-3190
Ryan Scott Lathan | ryan.lathan@curtis.edu | (215) 717-3145
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PHILADELPHIA, PA—November 17, 2022—The Curtis Institute of Music announces the launch of Curtis Studio, a label dedicated to the discovery of new and traditional works performed by inspiring artists of our time. Releases will be available on all major streaming platforms and several releases will feature music videos. Distributed by Platoon, Curtis Studio will feature performances of alumni, faculty, and students, ensuring that the Curtis Institute of Music leads the digital helm towards classical music’s dynamic future. Curtis Studio kicks off with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Finnish Maestro Osmo Vänskä, performing Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade (releasing December 6, 2022). The performance was recorded as part of Curtis’s imaginative new performance installation—Immersive Scheherazade, which invited audiences to sit alongside live musicians performing the work while surrounded by 30-feet high projections of the orchestra. “Scheherazade demands musical virtuosity and highlights the magnificent artistry of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. These musicians represent a very bright future for classical music. We are thrilled to share their performances through Curtis Studio,” says Vince Ford, executive producer of Curtis Studio.
President and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music Roberto Díaz says, “The three pillars of Curtis—teaching, touring, and technology—will each be propelled by this groundbreaking initiative. Curtis Studio presents an opportunity to share our rigorous standard of musicianship in an accessible way. This monumental initiative furthers our digital presence while teaching the recording process as a fundamental component of a musician’s career.”
The Curtis Institute of Music has long championed the music of our time. The school regularly commissions established and emerging voices to create new music and explore new ideas. Recent commissions have included works from Bright Sheng, Jennifer Higdon, Richard Danielpour, Gabriella Smith (Composition ’13), and David Serkin Ludwig (Composition ’01). Curtis Studio continues this vital momentum of presenting and commissioning new works alongside beloved classical compositions–all performed at the very highest level. Future releases on Curtis Studio are scheduled to include a solo piano recording with highly acclaimed pianist Michelle Cann (Piano ’13) featuring works by Florence Price (Sonata in E minor and Fantasie Nègre Nos. 1, 2, and 4) and Margaret Bonds’s Spiritual Suite. In addition, Curtis Studio will present several commissions, the recording premiere of Trio Zimbalist, and recordings of the Dover Quartet and other Curtis ensembles.
For all up-to-date information about Curtis Studio, please visit the Curtis Institute of Music’s website.
About the Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music educates and trains exceptionally gifted young musicians to engage a local and global community through the highest level of artistry. “Both a conservatory and a buzzword…known for taking the best music students in the world” (The Washington Post), for nearly a century Curtis has provided each member of its small student body with an unparalleled education alongside musical peers, distinguished by a “learn by doing” philosophy and personalized attention from a faculty that includes a high proportion of actively performing musicians.
With admissions based solely on artistic promise, no student is turned away due to financial need. Curtis makes an investment in the artistic potential of its students, providing them with full-tuition scholarships and need-based grants for living expenses to ensure that each student can enter the profession without educational debt.
In a typical year, Curtis students offer more than 200 orchestra, opera, and solo and chamber music performances to the public. They hone music advocacy skills through programs that bring arts access and education to the community. And they reach global audiences through Curtis on Tour and weekly livestreamed recitals.
This real-world training allows these extraordinary young musicians to join the front rank of performers, composers, conductors, and musical leaders. Each season, leading opera houses and chamber music series around the world feature Curtis alumni, and they hold principal chairs in every major American orchestra. Curtis graduates are musical leaders, making a profound impact on music onstage and in their communities.
For more information, please visit Curtis’s website, Curtis.edu.
About Platoon
Founded by CEO Denzyl Feigelson in 2016, boutique artist services company Platoon identifies and shepherds exciting musical talent from around the world while arming them with innovative tools and services to build careers and reach new fans. Platoon landed its first success in 2016 when they signed yet-unknown Billie Eilish, helping lay out the groundwork for her ascent to global stardom. Following that it was BRIT Award winner Jorja Smith’s “Blue Lights” before guiding Nigeria’s Mr. Eazi to worldwide attention and acclaim. Platoon has since built an impressive roster of fiercely
independent creative artists such as Johannes Moser, Xuefei Yang, Oliver Zeffman, Rosey Chan, and Daniel Pioro. Platoon’s team of employees has expanded across the globe, from London to New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Cape Town’s “Creative Lab.” Platoon’s creative spaces in London and Africa boast 24-hour recording studios and double as inspiring ecosystems for artists to openly collaborate, with Platoon also offering educational classes across music and marketing.
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