Program
Curtis on Tour
Curtis Chamber Orchestra
Curtis on Tour is the Nina von Maltzahn Global Touring Initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music
Erin Keefe, violin
Roberto Díaz, viola
Adagio for Strings, Op. 11
Samuel Barber (1910–1981)
Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major, K. 364
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Allegro maestoso
Andante
Presto
Erin Keefe, violin
Roberto Díaz, viola
INTERMISSION
String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
(arr. James Ross)
Allegretto
Vivace
Lento assai e cantante tranquillo
Grave ma non troppo tratto—Allegro
ARRANGER’S NOTE
Exactly 200 years ago, in Beethoven’s final quartets, his sound world exploded into new realms of expression beyond anything previously imagined for four musicians. Given the breadth and power of that imaginative leap, it is natural to want to expand these quartets into pieces for string orchestra. String quartets are a perfect sonic form, but when played by a larger group, the bassline needs additional support. Creating a new part for the double bass was my main job in making this arrangement. That part often simply mimics the cello part down an octave but is also often given “special duties as assigned” in support of the harmony or the periodicity of phrasing. It was a great joy to ask myself what Beethoven's amazing brain might have come up with should he have written Op. 135 as a piece for full strings. I hope the result honors the fire and majesty of this most singular composer. – James Ross
ABOUT CURTIS
At the Curtis Institute of Music, the world’s great young musicians develop into exceptional artists, creators, and innovators. With a tuition-free foundation, Curtis is a unique environment for teaching and learning. Curtis is a small school by design, where students realize their artistic potential through intensive, individualized study with the most renowned, sought-after faculty.
Animated by a learn-by-doing philosophy, Curtis students share their music with audiences through more than 100 performances each year, including solo and chamber recitals, orchestral concerts, and opera—all free or at an affordable cost—offering audiences unique opportunities to participate in pivotal moments in these young musicians’ careers. In addition to a wealth of performance opportunities, Curtis students experience a close connection to the greatest artists and organizations in classical music, and innovative initiatives that integrate new technologies and encourage entrepreneurship—all within an historic campus in the heart of culturally rich Philadelphia.
In this diverse, collaborative community, Curtis’s extraordinary artists challenge, support, and inspire one another—continuing an unparalleled 100-year legacy of musicians who have led, and will lead, classical music into a thriving, equitable, and multidimensional future. Learn more at curtis.edu.
ABOUT CURTIS ON TOUR
Curtis on Tour is the Nina von Maltzahn global touring initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music. Embracing the school’s “learn by doing” philosophy, ensembles are infused with the energy and passion of extraordinary emerging artists performing alongside celebrated alumni and faculty. In addition to performances, musicians engage with local communities through educational and community engagement activities. For 15 years, Curtis on Tour has maintained a presence at top international concert halls, performing more than 450 concerts in over 120 cities, from New York to Berlin and Hong Kong to Santiago.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Erin Keefe, violin
Violinist Erin Keefe is the concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra as well as a frequent artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Pro Musicis International Award, as well as numerous international competitions, she has appeared as soloist in recent seasons with the Minnesota Orchestra, New Mexico Symphony, New York City Ballet Orchestra, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic, Sendai Philharmonic, and the Gottingen Symphony and has given recitals throughout the United States, Austria, Italy, Germany, Korea, Poland, Finland, Japan, and Denmark.
Ms. Keefe has been performing with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 2005 and has been featured on “Live from Lincoln Center” three times. She has collaborated with artists such as the Emerson String Quartet, Edgar Meyer, Gary Hoffman, James Ehnes, Augustin Hadelich, David Finckel, Wu Han, Richard Goode, Roberto and Andrés Díaz, Menahem Pressler, Gary Graffman, and Leon Fleisher, and she has recorded for Naxos, the CMS Studio Recordings label, BIS, Onyx, and Deutsche Grammophon. She has made festival appearances with Music@Menlo, La Jolla SummerFest, Mainly Mozart, Music Academy of the West, Music from Angel Fire, Ravinia, as well as the Seattle, OK Mozart, Mimir, Bravo! Vail Valley, Colorado College, Skaneateles, Salt Bay, Music in the Vineyards and Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festivals.
As a guest concertmaster, Ms. Keefe has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, and the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Keefe earned a Master of Music Degree from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. Her teachers included Ronald Copes, Ida Kavafian, Arnold Steinhardt, Philip Setzer, Philipp Naegele, Brian Lewis, and Teri Einfeldt.
Ms. Keefe joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2022.
Roberto Díaz, viola
A violist of international reputation, Roberto Díaz (’84) is president and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music, following in the footsteps of renowned soloist/directors such as Josef Hofmann, Efrem Zimbalist, and Rudolf Serkin.
As a soloist, Mr. Díaz collaborates with leading conductors of our time on stages throughout the world. He has also worked directly with important 20th- and 21st-century composers, including Krzysztof Penderecki—whose viola concerto he has performed numerous times with the composer on the podium and whose double concerto he premiered in the United States—as well as Edison Denisov, Jennifer Higdon, Ricardo Lorenz, Bright Sheng, and Roberto Sierra.
A frequent recitalist, Mr. Díaz enjoys collaborating with young musicians, bringing a fresh approach to the repertoire and providing invaluable opportunities to artists at the beginning of their careers. In addition to performing with major string quartets and pianists in chamber music series and festivals worldwide, he is a member of the Díaz Trio. His recordings include a Grammy-winning performance of the Jennifer Higdon Viola Concerto, a Grammy-nominated disc of viola transcriptions by William Primrose for Naxos, and releases on the Artek, Bridge Records, Dorian, Nimbus, and New World labels.
In addition to his decade-long tenure as principal viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Mr. Díaz was also principal viola of the National Symphony under Mstislav Rostropovich and was a member of the Boston Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he continues to serve on the faculty, holding the James and Betty Matarese Chair in Viola Studies and the Nina von Maltzahn President's Chair. Mr. Díaz plays the ex-Primrose Amati viola.
CURTIS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Violin
I-Hao Cheng
Alexandra Cooreman
Audrey Goodner
Emmalena Huning
Sooeon Kim
Zhiyuan Qian
Kai Saotome
Jinyoung Yoon
Viola
Yunji Jiang
Annis Ma
Nazeeh Shahid
Sam Tatsuki
Cello
Joan Herget
Ania Lewis
Double Bass
Maggie Carter
Oboe
Izaiah Cheeran
Ben Price
Horn
Henry Friedman
Madelyn Urbine