Notable Alumni of Curtis Institute of Music

Arts and media

• Leonard Bernstein 1918–1990

  Conductor, composer and pianist

  Also attended: Harvard University

• Nino Rota 1911–1979

  Italian film composer, scored The Godfather

• Lang Lang 1982–

  Classical pianist

• Samuel Barber 1910–1981

  Composer and pianist

• Gian Carlo Menotti 1911–2007

  Italian-American composer of 25 operas

  Composed musical work

• Hilary Hahn 1979–

  Violinist, three-time Grammy winner

  Also attended: Johns Hopkins University

• Juan Diego Flórez 1973–

  Peruvian operatic tenor

• Yuja Wang 1987–

  Chinese-born American pianist

  Attended until 2008

• Anna Moffo 1932–2006

  Lyric-coloratura soprano and opera singer

• Alex North 1910–1991

  Film score composer

  Also attended: The Juilliard School

  Sibling: Joseph North (University of Pennsylvania)

• Paavo Järvi 1962–

  Estonian-American conductor

  Sibling: Kristjan Järvi (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Manhattan School of Music)

• Lukas Foss 1922–2009

  German-American composer, pianist and conductor

  Also attended: Yale University, Harvard University, University at Buffalo

• Ned Rorem 1923–2022

  Composer best known for art songs

  Also attended: University of Chicago, Northwestern University, The Juilliard School

• Shura Cherkassky 1909–1995

  Russian-American concert pianist

• Eric Lu 1997–

  Pianist, winner of the 19th Chopin International Piano Competition

  Also attended: The New England Conservatory of Music

• Jorge Bolet 1914–1990

  Cuban-born pianist, conductor and teacher

• Alan Gilbert 1967–

  Conductor and violinist

  Also attended: Harvard University, The Juilliard School

• Yefim Bronfman 1958–

  Israeli-American pianist

• Lynn Harrell 1944–2020

  American classical cellist

  Also attended: The Juilliard School, Rice University

  Father: Mack Harrell (The Juilliard School, Oklahoma City University)

• Ray Chen 1989–

  Taiwanese-Australian violinist

• Vincent Persichetti 1915–1987

  Composer, pianist and Juilliard teacher

  Also attended: University of the Arts

• Jennifer Higdon 1962–

  Composer, 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Music winner

  Also attended: Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

• Marc Blitzstein 1905–1964

  Composer and lyricist of The Cradle Will Rock

  Also attended: University of Pennsylvania, University of the Arts

• Ouyang Nana 2000–

  Taiwanese actress and musician

  Also attended: Berklee College of Music

  Sibling: Ouyang Nini (Temple University)

• Eugene Istomin 1925–2003

  Pianist and Leventritt Award winner

  Also attended: The New School

  Spouse: Marta Casals Istomin (The New School)

• George Rochberg 1918–2005

  Composer of contemporary classical music

  Also attended: The New School

• Leonard Rose 1918–1984

  Cellist and music teacher

• Nicolas Chumachenco 1944–2020

  Violinist and Queen Sofía Chamber Orchestra director

  Also attended: University of Southern California

• Shuler Hensley 1967–

  Broadway actor and singer

  Also attended: University of Georgia, Manhattan School of Music

• Richard Goode 1943–

  Classical pianist known for Mozart and Beethoven

  Also attended: The New School

• Peter Serkin 1947–2020

  Classical pianist and 1966 Grammy winner

• José Serebrier 1938–

  Uruguayan conductor and composer

• Ruth Slenczynska 1925–2026

  Pianist, last living student of Rachmaninoff

  Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

• Gary Graffman 1928–2025

  Classical pianist and teacher

• George Walker 1922–2018

  Composer, first African American Pulitzer Music winner

  Master's degree · Class of 1945

  Also attended: University of Rochester, Oberlin College

• Joseph Alessi 1959–

  Trombonist with the New York Philharmonic

• Ethel Stark 1910–2012

  Canadian violinist and conductor

• Julius Eastman 1940–1990

  Composer, early blender of minimalist methods

  Also attended: Ithaca College, University at Buffalo

• Daron Hagen 1961–

  Composer, conductor and pianist

  Also attended: The Juilliard School, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Henri Temianka 1906–1992

  Violinist, conductor and music educator

• Orlando Cole 1908–2010

  Cello teacher

• Laura Huxley 1911–2007

  Writer and musician, wife of Aldous Huxley

• John Dalley 1935–

  Violinist and bow maker

• Leila Josefowicz 1977–

  Classical violinist

  Spouse: Kristjan Järvi (University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Manhattan School of Music)

• Walter Hendl 1917–2007

  Conductor, composer and pianist

• Thomas Schippers 1930–1977

  Conductor highly regarded for opera

  Also attended: Yale University, The Juilliard School

• Pierrette Alarie 1921–2011

  French Canadian coloratura soprano

  Spouse: Léopold Simoneau (San Francisco Conservatory of Music)

• Ahn Eak-tai 1906–1965

  Korean composer and conductor

  Also attended: University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

• Kate Liu 1994–

  Pianist, third prize at 2015 Chopin Competition

• Jaime Laredo 1941–

  Bolivian-American violinist and conductor

  Spouse: Ruth Laredo (Curtis Institute of Music)

• Abbey Simon 1920–2019

  Concert pianist and teacher

• Karina Canellakis 1981–

  Conductor and violinist

  Also attended: The Juilliard School

• Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg 1961–

  Classical violinist and teacher

  Also attended: The Juilliard School

• Vitalij Kuprij 1974–2024

  Ukrainian-American pianist and composer

• Aimi Kobayashi 1995–

  Japanese pianist, 4th prize at Chopin Competition

• Cecile Licad 1961–

  Filipina classical pianist

• Mack Harrell 1909–1960

  American operatic and concert baritone

  Also attended: The Juilliard School, Oklahoma City University

  Child: Lynn Harrell (The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music)

• Teo Gheorghiu 1992–

  Swiss-Canadian pianist

• Dmitry Yablonsky 1962–

  Cellist and conductor

  Also attended: The Juilliard School

• Lorne Munroe 1924–2020

  Cellist, former principal of Philadelphia Orchestra and NY Philharmonic

• Haochen Zhang 1990–

  Pianist, gold winner at 13th Van Cliburn Competition

• Yu-Chien Tseng 1994–

  Taiwanese violinist

• Zheng Cao 1966–2013

  Chinese-born mezzo-soprano known for Madama Butterfly

  Also attended: American University

• Wang Zitong 1999–

  Pianist, third prize at 2025 Chopin Competition

  Also attended: The New England Conservatory of Music

• Mikhail Simonyan 1986–

  Russian violinist

• Ang Li 1985–

  Classical pianist born in Beijing

• Wu Di 1984–

  Chinese-American pianist

  Also attended: The Juilliard School

• Jenny Q. Chai 1983–

  Chinese-American pianist specializing in contemporary music

  Also attended: Manhattan School of Music