I hosted a student this weekend who auditioned today at Curtis on french horn. Just curious to know if anyone else here has any experience with Curtis.
Do you mean ever, or this year?
Ever! It’s a totally different level of music than I or my friend (the student’s dad) had ever experienced - His older son is at the state flagship U. where we went. I am curious about Curtis’ process and how it decides who it invites for auditions, etc. I know they only have openings as people graduate, but that’s really all I know about the school and its admission process. I wonder if it is so much better than other conservatories, or just more exclusive, and desirable because it is tuition-free?
I think “tuition-free” is a small factor; most students who have a prayer of acceptance to Curtis would be in line for a lot of scholarship/merit aid, if not a full ride, at any conservatory. (Remember, tuition-free doesn’t mean "room and board free, like Colburn; you can apply for financial aid, but you’re probably going to be paying dorm fees.) It’s my impression that anyone who applies to Curtis gets an audition because they don’t prescreen (except for vocalists.) The application is very expensive, so you wouldn’t undertake an audition on a whim. For most instruments there is a callback list posted later in the day. It’s absolutely a top conservatory, one of the best in the world, and they are very supportive of their students.
Curtis gets a lot of applications, because they tend to have very famous faculty, and because it is tuition free it makes it even more so. Curtis is small (like 180 kids), and they don’t admit a lot of people. It is also very true there are a lot of successful Curtis graduates, though I also will add that like most of music, how that success is measured can be difficult. There has been a lot of criticism (here I am speaking the violin world), that Curtis is still in the old school mode of preparing soloists, when most working musicians are in ensembles (and obviously, Curtis has come out with some great orchestral and chamber musicians, so it isn’t like it can only produce soloists)…Curtis students also may have an advantage for getting into the Philadelphia orchestra, many of them have acted as subs with the orchestra and there are close ties between the two…
Curtis is unique in that as far as I know they don’t pre screen, they do the equivalent of Broadway cattle calls, so you apply and basically audition. The way they did it on violin is that they had several days of 1st round auditions, then they had a second round, and from that they chose those who got in. What was hard about this that you kind of had to commit to staying overnight at least one night (monday group might end up with two days, if they passed their 1st round screen), because they generally don’t announce the results to pass to the second round until later in the evening, because the second round happened on a Wednesday. Why they don’t pre screen I don’t know, to me it seems a little less cruel, at the auditions for violin you saw kids who were “Wow”, and other kids quite frankly who didn’t stand a chance and were basically taking the time and money to go to the audition when they were not playing at all near the level required. And as with all programs, there are always questions about who advances, who makes it in, kid the same year they auditioned at Curtis on violin, didn’t even get into the second round, and a month later won one of the most prestigious violin competitions in the world, go figure.
But yes, they tend to admit very few students, and between the stellar faculty, the mystique about the place that attracts students who think where you go to school is the road paved with Gold, they literally can pick and choose from among the very best. It also depends on the instrument, things will vary, violin is probably different than piano, and they are probably different then let’s say brass or woodwind auditions. The fact that it is tuition free helps, of course, but there are schools that to attract top students give full ride scholarships, or schools that are totally free (like Colburn), that may not necessarily end up with the same level of students you see at Curtis, in part because Curtis has the name and mystique (that is not a knock on other programs, just saying that the free tuition is not the only reason, the faculty and the mystique add up, too).
My S auditioned at Curtis last year. I didn’t think it was quite the cattle call musicprnt suggested or that there were any more applicants than the other conservatories he auditioned at. Because the Curtis audition requirements are so extensive, the ability to prepare the amount of material selects out a lot of applicants. Where most conservatories ask string players for a movement of a concerto, Curtis requires the full concerto–and a full sonata, and a full Bach suite, and an unaccompanied modern piece. Lots of music to have memorized and note-perfect. The application and audition fees were quite hefty relative to everywhere else. In my opinion, they were high enough to give one pause before applying.
Curtis does pre screen some instruments (bass). Curtis is considered the most elite music school by most. S attended workshops there the last two summers…they treat their students well. The housing and food at Lenfest Hall is pretty great, too.
My daughter will audition at Curtis for grad school VP on Friday. She passed pre-screening and got an audition date. She will audition Friday afternoon and will wait until Sat to see if she is called back for the second audition Sat afternoon. She has to be available until 5:00 Sat. She can’t get a flight out that evening because there are no flights to her destination after 7:00 so she has a hotel for 3 nights. Luckily she has 2 other friends auditioning and can share a room.
It is expensive and we know it’s a long shot. I hear they take 8 - 10 vocalists. She figures she’ll get a call back if they are looking for “her”. Otherwise she’ll be sightseeing Saturday afternoon. It was a tough one to decide if we wanted to spend the money for such a small chance. In the end, the fact that 2 friends got auditions and they could share a room - plus she’s flying home for spring break so that may the airline ticket acceptable - she decided to go for it. Also “free” tuition (or close too it) also made it worth the shot. However we are not holding breath on this one.
Curtis has a mystic but…if she did get accepted, it would be consider along side other acceptances and opportunities - particular the teacher.
Sorry for typos/misspel but I’m two lazy too edit! haha
Thanks for the info everyone! They had 11 audition on French horn yesterday and I thought that was a lot, but I assumed they had prescreening. They had immediate callbacks and my friend’s son got one.
Hi Bridgenail. My D has an vocal audition for grad school at Curtis on Friday afternoon also. She had an audition at AVA yesterday and has callbacks today. So we have a WEEK of Philly-sized expenses. Like you, we had to plan on a Sunday return since Curtis callbacks last late. And they can run later than expected… AVA did yesterday. PM me and maybe we can introduce our daughters.
I have a life of Philly-size expenses. Cheaper than New York, LA, Boston, D.C., etc., though! Good luck to your daughters.
Totally off topic but there is the most fabulous deli by Curtis…killer Reuben sandwiches and the tastiest, biggest pieces of cake I have ever eaten. Schlesinger’s Deli…yum. 
Where to eat after a voice audition. I would NEVER label that as “off topic”.
Just dropping in to say I’ll be there for grad VP auditions as well… eek!
Do you have any experience / knowledge of the Curtis Sumerfest program for a high school rising Junior?
My S did the Wabass workshop via Summer fest 2 years in a row. It was terrific.