Curtis Alumna and Faculty Michelle Cann's "Revival" Now Available to Stream

Press Contacts:
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—May 5, 2023—Curtis Studio—the recording label of the Curtis Institute of Music, dedicated to the discovery of new and traditional works performed by inspiring artists of our time—is proud to announce that its second recording, Revival, Music of Price & Bonds, featuring solo piano works performed by Curtis alumna and faculty member, pianist Michelle Cann (ʼ13), is available today on Apple’s newly launched platform, Apple Music Classical (offered in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos), and on all other major streaming platforms. The release of Revival follows Curtis Studio’s critically acclaimed first recording, Scheherazade (December 6, 2022), featuring the Curtis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Osmo Vänskä. Both albums are distributed by Platoon.

Acclaimed as a “pianist of sterling artistry” by Gramophone, called “exquisite” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, and praised as a “compelling, sparkling virtuoso” by the Boston Music Intelligencer, Michelle Cann (Piano ’13) is known for her dynamic and sensitively nuanced performances of classical piano repertoire. One of the defining features of her exceptional career has been an unwavering commitment to promoting, programming, and performing works of composers such as Florence Price and Margaret Bonds, whose extraordinary music was either neglected in their lifetimes or abandoned after their deaths. “It humbles you in a certain way because you realize that there are a lot of stories that are yet to be told, that should be told. Loving both of their music so much, it’s really an important mission for me to program and to share their music with as many people as I can so that they have a voice in our time,” says Ms. Cann.

Revival, Cann’s debut solo piano recording, celebrates the vast legacy of these women through stunning performances of Price’s prize-winning Piano Sonata in E minor, three of her sumptuous Fantasie nègre, and Bonds’s magnum opus for piano, Spiritual Suite. Embedded in the Romantic idioms of these selections are the influences of folksong, blues, and spirituals, imbued with the unique compositional voices of these trailblazing women—it is the sound of the human spirit and of America. Inspired by their fascinating stories and brilliant compositions, Michelle Cann’s deep connection and profound understanding of this music pervades her soulful interpretations of these works.

Revival honors the genius of Price and Bonds, acknowledges the deep spiritual, political, and artistic significance of their innovative compositions, and expands our view of American classical music by illuminating the rich lineage of artists who forged its past and its future.

Looking ahead, the Curtis Institute of Music continues its longstanding practice of championing the music of our time. Future recordings by Curtis Studio will present several commissions, the recording premiere of Trio Zimbalist, and recordings of the Dover Quartet and other Curtis ensembles.

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.

About Michelle Cann
Lauded as “technically fearless with…an enormous, rich sound” (La Scena Musicale), pianist Michelle Cann made her orchestral debut at age fourteen and has since performed as a soloist with prominent orchestras such as the Atlanta and Cincinnati symphony orchestras, The Cleveland Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, and The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Ms. Cann’s 2022–23 season includes an appearance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, return engagements with the Cincinnati and New Jersey symphonies, and debut performances with the Baltimore, National, New World, Seattle, and Utah symphonies. She makes her debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony and performs recitals in New Orleans, Little Rock, Sarasota, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.

A champion of the music of Florence Price, Ms. Cann performed the New York City premiere of the composer’s Piano Concerto in One Movement with The Dream Unfinished Orchestra in July 2016 and the Philadelphia premiere with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin in February 2021, which the Philadelphia Inquirer called “exquisite.” Her recording of the concerto with the New York Youth Symphony received a GRAMMY Award for Best Orchestral Performance. She has also performed Price’s works for solo piano and chamber ensemble for prestigious presenters such as Caramoor, Chamber Music Detroit, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, San Francisco Performances, and Washington Performing Arts.

Ms. Cann is the recipient of the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization, and the 2022 Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award. Embracing a dual role as performer and pedagogue, Ms. Cann frequently teaches master classes and leads residencies. She has served on the juries of the Cleveland International Piano Competition and at the Music Academy of the West. She has also appeared as cohost and collaborative pianist with NPR’s From The Top.

Ms. Cann studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music, where she holds the inaugural Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies.

For more information, please visit Ms. Cann’s website.

Photos of Michelle Cann by Steven Mareazi Willis. Florence Price — Portrait of Florence Price Seated at a Piano (MC 988a), Box 2, Folder 2, Item 1. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville. Margaret Bonds — Public domain image.

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