The Curtis Symphony Orchestra fall lineup

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.- October 16, 2011 (WPVI) -- The Curtis Symphony Orchestra launches its fall season with a celebration of its own homegrown talent.

The concert, set for next weekend, features a Curtis-trained conductor, 2 Curtis-trained composers, and a Curtis-trained piano soloist.

The highlight of the concert will be the world premier of composer David Ludwig'sFanfare for Sam, commissioned by the Curtis Institute. Ludwig is not only an alum but also on the school's composition faculty.

Zoe Martin-Dioke, Co-Concert Master, Curtis Symphony said, "I think he's extremely inventive and he always manages to find a lot of neat sound. So I'm sure we're going to see a lot of that in this piece."

The orchestra will also play Samuel Barber's American classic, Adagio for Strings. Barber graduated from Curtis in 1934. And Jonathan Biss, a Curtis alum, new faculty member and one of the hottest new soloists on the scene will play piano in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4.

"He just has this massive like energy field. You can't help but just get completely swept up in what he's doing musically. And I think that's really a gift," said Martin-Dioke.

The Curtis Symphony will round out its opening night program with Tchaikovsky's lush and lyrical Symphony No. 4. If you haven't heard the ensemble play before, the concertmaster promises you're in for a treat.

Martin-Dioke said, "There's definitely something special about the Curtis Symphony Orchestra . There's a youth and vibrancy and an energy that I haven't really seen matched in any ensemble I've played or even heard."

The Curtis Symphony Orchestra will perform this Friday at Allentown Symphony Hall and then Sunday in the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall. For ticketing information, visit Curtis Institute of Music .

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