Curtis Institute Of Music Receives Gifts Of More Than $10M
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The Curtis Institute of Music is getting two substantial gifts to continue turning out talented musicians from the Rittenhouse Square institution.
The chair of the Curtis Board of Trustees, Nina Baroness von Maltzahn is making available a $10-million gift to the endowment, according to Curtis Vice President for External Affairs Elizabeth Racheva.
"In the 90-years that the school has been open, we've been dedicated to maintaining a tuition-free policy," Racheva says.
And von Maltzahn is putting up another $1.5 million to underwrite the Curtis global touring initiative.
"This is a program that presents our students around the world in recitals and concerts alongside celebrated alumni and faculty," Racheva says.
That's how the Baroness discovered Curtis, at a 2008 concert in Berlin. "It is a terrific embodiment of the school's learn by doing philosophy," Racheva says. "We put our students on stage in front of audiences as often as possible."
The gifts are among the largest Curtis has ever received.