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Philadelphia Performs!
Fact Sheet
World Premieres
- World premiere of blue cathedral by Curtis alum and current faculty member Jennifer Higdon (Composition '88).
- World premiere of The Night Before Christmas, choreographed by Daniel Ezralow for the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco).
Specially Commissioned Work
- blue cathedral, commissioned by The Curtis Institute of Music, is a tribute to the school's 75th anniversary and to the composer's brother Andrew Blue Higdon who died in 1998.
- The Night Before Christmas, commissioned by Dance Celebration, and presented by Dance Affiliates and PENN presents, continues Philadanco's tradition of introducing new material to diverse audiences worldwide. (Daniel Ezralow is also the choreographic genius behind Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, due in movie theaters in November 2000.)
Debuts
- First time the Opera Company of Philadelphia has produced one of Rossini's rarely staged works, the comic charade, The Italian Girl in Algiers.
- Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, one of today's brightest operatic stars, makes her role debut in The Italian Girl.
- Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez makes his American role debut as Lindoro in The Italian Girl.
- Tenor Florez makes his debut with the Opera Company of Philadelphia.
Talented Connections
- Tenor Florez, singing the role of Lindoro in The Italian Girl, is a '96 graduate of Curtis.
- Violinist Jason DePue, a 2000 Curtis grad, will be in two Philadelphia Performs! productions:
As a student in the violin section of The Curtis Symphony Orchestra (taped May 1, 2000).
As a Philadelphia Orchestra member in the first-violin section (November 16, 2000).
Musical Crossover
- 45% (46 out of 103) of the members of the Philadelphia Orchestra are Curtis graduates.
- 56% (9) of the 16 principal chairs in the Philadelphia Orchestra are Curtis graduates.
Special Anniversaries
- The Philadelphia Orchestra celebrates the 100th anniversary of its inaugural performance with a gala concert on November 16 under the baton of its sixth music director, Wolfgang Sawallisch.
- The Curtis Institute of Music, founded in 1924 "to train exceptionally gifted young musicians for careers as performing artists on the highest professional level," marked its 75th anniversary with a concert May 1, 2000.
- The Opera Company of Philadelphia, now in its 25th anniversary season, celebrates with its first-ever performance of Rossini's comedy The Italian Girl in Algiers.
- Philadanco, founded in 1970, grew from a grass-roots organization to an internationally acclaimed company known for performances that "blaze with physicality and light up the stage."
A Place for Making Music
- Philadelphia's Academy of Music is the setting for performances by The Curtis Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Opera Company of Philadelphia.
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