CELEBRATE LEONARD BERNSTEIN’S 100TH BIRTHDAY WITH CURTIS ON TOUR

February 5, 2018 – Fort Myers, FL – Celebrate the 100th birthday of inspiring musician and composer Leonard Bernstein with “Happy Birthday, Bernstein.” On Saturday, March 17th, experience Bernstein’s music performed by Zora String Quartet, Jiacheng Xiong, and David Shifrin from the Curtis Institute of Music. The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First St. in the historic downtown Fort Myers River District.
 
Happy Birthday, Bernstein
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Performance: 8pm | Cocktails: 7pm
Tickets: GA – $35 in Advance | $40 Day of Concert
 
In 2018, Curtis on Tour celebrates the legacy of Curtis alumnus Leonard Bernstein by touring programs that feature Bernstein’s music. In spring 2018, Curtis on Tour is offering a chamber ensemble including Curtis alumnus and renowned clarinetist David Shifrin, performing alongside Curtis students. The program will include Bernstein’s lively and jazz-influenced Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, as well as other chamber music works for clarinet, strings, and piano. The evening’s music will be performed by the Zora String Quartet, Jiacheng Xiong, and David Shifrin. For more info, visit http://www.curtis.edu/performances/curtis-on-tour/.
 
Leonard Bernstein was one of the world’s greatest maestros and composers, but he was also an educator, an activist, and a humanitarian. Bernstein was a traditionalist who was never afraid to take risks. Best known for composing the original score to West Side Story, he was also known for his avant-garde takes on classical and chamber music. His pieces and performances have endured the test of time, making him one of the most important artists in modern music composition and conducting.
 
Drawing upon 90 years of artistry, the Curtis Institute of Music pairs tradition and innovation, educating exceptionally gifted young musicians as artist-citizens who engage a local and global community through music-making of the highest caliber.
Each year 175 students come to Curtis,”one of the world’s finest music academies” (BBC Culture), drawn by a tuition-free, performance-inspired learning culture. In this intimate environment, they are nurtured by a celebrated faculty and inspired by the school’s distinctive “learn by doing” approach, offering more than 200 concerts each year in Philadelphia, as well as performances around the world through Curtis on Tour.
The extraordinary young musicians of Curtis graduate to join 4,000 alumni who have long made music history. Each season leading orchestras, opera houses, and chamber music series around the world feature Curtis alumni. They are in the front rank of soloists, composers, and conductors and hold principal chairs in every major American orchestra. Curtis graduates are musical leaders, making a profound impact on music onstage and in their communities.