Curtis Institute of Music: Greatness with a Real Perspective

The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory of music located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has been heralded as one of the most selective institution of the world second to Mayo School of Medicine, based on studies done by the US News and World Report.

This prominent training ground for world-class performers was founded in 1924 by Mary Louise Curtis Bok. The school was named after his father, Cyrus Curtis. Curtis Institute has been constantly raising top-class talents that are to fill the ranks of prestigious performance arts organizations as the Philadelphia Orchestra, University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, and Boston Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Some of the famous composers and musicians who trained, performed, and honed their musical skills in the conservatory were James Adler; Joseph Alessi, New York Philharmonic major trombonist; Earl Bates, an American clarinetist and Indiana University professor emeritus; Norman Carol, the concert master of Philadelphia Orchestra. These are only a few names to hundreds of musical greats that started as pure talents.

Curtis Institute’s unsurpassed excellence is a result of its stringent guidelines on quality performance and training. All students that enter the conservatory are under full scholarship, but competition for admission is quite tight because of its very low acceptance rate with only 150 to 170 students, twice as low as Julliard School and thrice as that of any Ivy League institution like Harvard and Yale.

This world-renowned conservatory offers the following degrees: Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, Professional Studies Certificate Studies in Opera. The bachelor and master degrees in Music are both intended for American native speakers and non-native speakers. Precollege-aged applicants are also allowed to undergo audition but they are not allowed to take standardized tests which are structured for college-aged applicants.

Curtis Institute renders a wide range of performances to showcase its highly professional musical talents to the public. Some of these excellent performances are the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Alumni Recital Series, Student Recital Series, the Curtis Opera Theatre, PECO family concert series, and many others.

Each performance has paved the way for musical geniuses to enter various musical organizations such as the Metropolitan Opera, where more than sixty alumni have sung. Distinguished alumni also come back for benefit performances on the Alumni Recital Series. The proceeds of this event will support incoming Curtis musicians.

Curtis Institute of Music’s nobility has exceeded the excellence exuded by its highly professional and prominent standards. It is shown in all of its talents.