Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, Besucherguide & was in der Nähe unternehmen

The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, close to Rittenhouse Square in Center City. Founded in 1924, it trains a small number of exceptionally gifted young musicians and is counted among the most selective music schools in the United States.

The story behind it

Curtis was founded in 1924 by Mary Louise Curtis Bok, a Philadelphia philanthropist and the daughter of the publisher Cyrus Curtis. She wanted to create a school where the most talented young players could study with leading artists of the day. The pianist Josef Hofmann was its first director.

The school has stayed small and admits students by audition. It is known for awarding full-tuition scholarships, so talent rather than money decides who studies here. Its alumni include the composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, the composer Samuel Barber, and the pianist Lang Lang and the violinist Hilary Hahn, among many other well-known performers.

What to look for

• Look at the street frontage along Locust Street, where the school's buildings sit among the townhouses and apartment blocks of the Rittenhouse area and blend into the neighbourhood.
• Listen as you pass. On a quiet day, practice sounds sometimes drift out from the buildings, a reminder that this is a working school and not a museum.
• Notice how close the school is to Rittenhouse Square, the park and the surrounding streets that have long been one of the city's most fashionable residential corners.
• Watch for students walking by with instrument cases, a common sight around the block.

Tips for your visit

• Plan on 10 to 15 minutes if you are looking at the exterior, longer if you combine it with a stroll around Rittenhouse Square.
• The buildings are a school, so do not expect to wander inside. If you want to hear the students play, check the current concert and recital schedule before you go.
• Late morning or late afternoon is pleasant for walking the area, when the streets are lively but not crowded.
• Rittenhouse Square, with its cafes and shops, is only a short walk away, so it is easy to fit in before or after a meal.

See it on a quest

The Oz Escape in Philadelphia, Center City is a good way to see this part of town. You reach the Curtis Institute on foot as one stop of a longer route through Center City, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, so you look at the street far more closely than a quick photo allows. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start any time, with no guide and no group to join.