100 Years of Curtis Spotlighted in The Strad

“I think we always need to look at what has made Curtis what it is, and how we can continue to do it better.” —Roberto Díaz, President and CEO

The history of Curtis and its inspiring impact on the classical music world over the past 100 years is spotlighted in the September 2024 issue of The Strad. Beginning with an exploration of the school’s earliest days and its founder, Mary Louise Curtis Bok, the article focuses on the ecosystem of Curtis, with its student body of around 160 students, and notes the free tuition that removes any financial barriers for young musicians to attend, while underscoring the holistic, interdisciplinary approach of the school that bridges the gap between the performance and education sides of the student experience.

The piece highlights and features interviews with president and CEO Roberto Díaz (Viola ’84), faculty members, composer Amy Beth Kirsten, Erin Keefe (Violin ’03), Benjamin Beilman (Violin ’12), and the Dover Quartet cellist Camden Shaw (String Quartet ’14, Cello ’11, ’10), as it notes the historic role of chamber music at the school, how it is embracing technological advances in the field, and evolving in the 21st century.

Read The Strad article HERE.

Photo of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra performing at Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center by Matt Genders. Photo of the Dover Quartet by Roy Cox.