All-School Project

The projects provide a unique opportunity for all Curtis students to:

• deepen and broaden their artistry by studying and performing together a defined repertoire;
• practice critical listening and analysis of that repertoire, along with research, writing, and discussion in musical studies courses; and
• explore the surrounding social history, literature, philosophy, psychology, visual art, politics, and general cultural ethos in liberal arts courses.

Extracurricular programs such as outside concerts, lectures, museum visits, and social activities expand the students’ learning experience beyond the walls of Curtis.

With the 2024-25 All-School Project, Curtis turns its focus to the “Bold Experiment” initiated by Mary Louise Curtis Bok in 1924 when she opened a conservatory in Philadelphia. Mrs. Bok called for the training of young artists who “shall have the scope, the vision, the completeness of full musicianship to quicken the musical life of the whole country. It is to the development of such musical leaders that the full resources of The Curtis Institute of Music are pledged” (Musical Courier, Courtesy of the Curtis Archives). One hundred years later, Curtis remains inspired by her forethought and energized by her vision.

In order to contextualize that ongoing “Bold Experiment,” Curtis will conduct musical and academic explorations of the twentieth century. Massive changes to the society of 1924—in technology, society, and in the arts—parallel the lightning speed of change in our time. Coursework, chamber music, operas, recitals, and orchestral works will engage with the bold experiments of the century since “The Roaring Twenties,” including works by alumni, while celebrating the rich and dynamic artistry evident on campus in this Centennial year.

The projects, uniquely envisioned by Curtis President Roberto Díaz, began in 2007–08 with the Opus 95 Project, which focused on Beethoven’s string quartet masterwork. That first project received praise from the New York Times for its innovation and inspired a yearly tradition at Curtis.

• 2008–09: Beethoven’s Late Quartets
• 2009–10: Paris Between the Wars
• 2010–11: Music of the Second Viennese School
• 2011–12: Appassionato
• 2012–13: Romeo and Juliet
• 2013–14: Sojourns in Russia
• 2014–15: The Influence of Russia
• 2015–16: Darmstadt
• 2016–17: Beyond Darmstadt
• 2017–18: The Edge Effect
• 2018–19: The Edge Effect
• 2019–20: China: A Nation, Practice, and Influence
• 2020–21: Beyond China
• 2021–22: Civil Rights and the Music of Change
• 2022–23: Civil Rights and the Music of Change
• 2023–24: Music of the Earth