Curtis Institute of Music
1726 Locust St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
School Description
Provided by Curtis Institute of MusicOur mission is to educate and train exceptionally gifted young musicians for careers as performing artists on the highest professional level.
The Curtis Institute of Music is widely considered one of the world's leading conservatories. When Mary Louise Curtis Bok first opened the doors in 1924, her mission was to train exceptionally gifted young musicians for careers as performing artists on the highest professional level. Today Curtis follows many of the same principles set forth by Mrs. Bok: the school provides full-tuition scholarships to all of its students, ensuring that admissions are based solely on artistic promise. A Curtis education is uniquely tailored to the individual student, with personalized attention from a celebrated faculty and unusually frequent performance opportunities.
Students may pursue a Diploma or Bachelor of Music degree. Vocal students may also pursue a Master of Music degree or Professional Studies Certificate.
The school seeks students with strong musical aptitude who want to pursue a professional music career. Students must submit an application and schedule an audition at the school.
Currently over 160 students from the United States and sixteen foreign countries study with Curtis's celebrated faculty, which includes Richard Danielpour, Roberto Díaz, Mikael Eliasen, Leon Fleisher, Pamela Frank, Gary Graffman, Jennifer Higdon, Ida Kavafian, Seymour Lipkin, Marlena Kleinman Malas, Edgar Meyer, Otto-Werner Mueller, Joan Patenaude-Yarnell, Aaron Rosand, Joseph Silverstein, members of the Guarneri Quartet, and many of the principal players of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
In keeping with Curtis's philosophy that students "learn most by doing," the Institute offers over one hundred public performances a year, including orchestra concerts, operas, and solo and chamber music recitals.
Curtis Institute of Music
From Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaThe Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by the U.S. News and World Report, it is one of the most selective institutions of higher education in the world second only to the Mayo Medical School.
It was established in 1924 by Mary Louise Curtis Bok, and was named in honor of her father, Cyrus Curtis. It has served as a training ground for orchestral players to fill the ranks of the Philadelphia Orchestra, much like the Vienna Hochschule fur Musik (University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna) and the Vienna Philharmonic or the New England Conservatory and the Boston Symphony Orchestra , although pianists, singers, organists and composers are offered courses of study as well.
All pupils attend on full scholarship, but admission is extremely competitive. Besides singers, pianists, organists, conductors and composers, only enough students are admitted to fill a single orchestra. Accordingly, enrollment is in the range of 150 to 170 students. The acceptance rate is about twice as low as comparable conservatories, such as the Juilliard School, and three times as low as Ivy League institutions such as Harvard and Yale.
Past directors
Past directors of Curtis have included pianist Józef Hofmann, composer Randall Thompson, violinist Efrem Zimbalist, Sr., pianist Rudolph Serkin, John de Lancie, Sr. (principal oboe of the Philadelphia Orchestra for many years), and Gary Graffman, who was appointed in 1995 and retired at the end of the 2005-2006 school year, continuing on the piano faculty. The current president/director is Roberto Diaz, principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra until 2006 and member of the Diaz Trio; Diaz is also a Curtis alumnus and faculty member. The current conductor of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra is Otto-Werner Mueller.
Quick Facts
- Location:
- Mid-Atlantic
- Setting:
- Large City Setting
- Type:
- Private
- Size:
- Small (Under 2,000 Undergrad)
Students & Campus Life
- Undergraduate Enrollment:
- 132
- On Campus Housing:
- Unavailable
- Full Time Students:
- 100%
- Athletic Programs:
- Unavailable
Degree Programs at Curtis Institute of Music
Bachelor's Level Programs
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Arts & Humanities
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Music
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Music
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Music Performance
A program that generally prepares individuals to master musical instruments and performing art as solo and/or ensemble performers. Includes instruction on one or more specific instruments from various instrumental groupings.See more schools with programs in Music Performance
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Music Theory and Composition
A program that focuses on the study of the principles of sound manipulation as applied to the creation of music, and the techniques of creating and arranging music. Includes instruction in aural theory, melody, counterpoint, complex harmony, modulation, chromatics, improvisation, progressions, musical writing, instrumentation, orchestration, electronic and computer applications, studies of specific musical styles, and development of original creative ability.See more schools with programs in Music Theory and Composition
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Music Performance
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Music
See more schools with programs in
Music
Master's Level Programs
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Arts & Humanities
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Music
See more schools with programs in
Music
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Music Performance
A program that generally prepares individuals to master musical instruments and performing art as solo and/or ensemble performers. Includes instruction on one or more specific instruments from various instrumental groupings.See more schools with programs in Music Performance
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Music Performance
-
Music
See more schools with programs in
Music
Students
General
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Full-Time vs. Part-Time
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Race/Ethnicity
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Geography
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Top States for Incoming Freshman
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| Percent of Students International: | 44% |
Housing
| On-Campus Housing Available: | No |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 1,800 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 1,800 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 3,400 | 5% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 2,954 | 55% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 2,477 | 55% | |
Any Aid: |
75% |
Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)
| Acceptance Rate: | 100% (Open Admissions) |
Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)
| Application Fee: | $ 135.00 |
College Advice
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Question: How hard is it to get into the Curtis Institute of Music on the oboe?I am looking to go to the Curtis Institute of Music for college, and I was wondering how hard it would be to get in. It would be an excellent opportunity to work with oboists like Richard Woodham.7 months ago
Best AnswerEach year, about 150-60 students are accepted. Although there is an application process, many students are *invited* to Curtis. The ratio of application to acceptances puts this school at a level even more competitive that Juilliard or Manhattan School. If you are a high school student now, and perhaps principal oboe in the All-Eastern (or whatever your region is) Orchestra, then perhaps you have the qualifications to apply. If you are *only* an All-State level oboist - maybe not. You might want to make a longer list of school to which you will apply. My son graduated from Temple University - and many of the Philadelphia Orchestra members who taught at Curtis, also taught at Temple - or University of the Arts, etc. Our nephew is now in a similar situation (transfer student) - he wishes to study with at particular teacher, yet can more easily obtain a studio slot by applying to another school at which that teacher is on faculty. Your own private teacher would be an excellent source of info about this - no matter how big the planet is, for each instrument, it's a *small world*. Good luck with your applications and auditions. |
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Question: What about Curtis Institute of Music? Why does almost everyone only mention Julliard?Really, what is the difference? Some of my friends went to Curtis and they became great performers..18 months ago
Best AnswerAll the above answers are incorrect and hold no value. Both the Curtis Institute and Juilliard are two of the top music conservatory's in the world. Both have leading faculty with experts in their field and instrument. Both schools have distinguished alumni and huge endowments. Both schools are world leaders in producing world class performers and are schools that are recognized world wide. Both schools are respected by professional classical musicians. The person who gave numbers about admissions is wrong. Both schools do not limit their number of admissions, however, Curtis is specifically for undergraduate studies. There is no graduate or doctoral studies at Curtis while there are at Juilliard. There is no truth in those admission numbers stated. If their are available spots for students, the school will accept them. They do not say "we will only accept 25 violins". They may only take 15 violins, maybe 30... it all depends on how many openings are there and if there are enough applied teachers to teach. Sometimes a school will accept more than they can handle because there is exceptional talent. No one knows how many students a school will accept each year. You just audition and hope for the best. The business about RCM data? A bunch of lies. No music conservatory has access to RCM data including the Glenn Gould School. The results of Royal Conservatory of Music Exams is confidential to the exam department, the student and teachers. Glenn Gould School does not ask for RCM exam results for students who apply for admission. You may state that you have a grade 10 or ARCT but the school does not ask for the grade even though the Glenn Gould School is associated with the Royal Conservatory of Music. Juilliard is much more popular because it has been around longer and has a larger student body. A large student body results in more alumni. Juilliard graduates are all over the world and since Curtis focuses on undergraduate studies, they do not have the same recognition because almost all performers out there go for a graduate degree of some sorts in music. Undergraduate studies is not enough because there is so much to cover in terms of advanced studies. The difference is that - Curtis is only an undergraduate school, there for, their graduates go on to further studies at other top conservatories like Eastman, Manhattan School of Music, Juilliard, Peabody, New England Conservatory etc. etc. Juilliard gets a lot of publicity because it is New York City. The cultural mecca of North America. Juilliard alumni includes some of the biggest names out there. And like I said earlier, Curtis grads go on to other schools where no student can go to Curtis for Graduate work. |
