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Curtis Symphony Orchestra To Perform Higdon's Violin Concerto

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Curtis Symphony Orchestra features a Pulitzer Prize winning piece written by one of its own, Jennifer Higdon, who says her violin concerto was written for another graduate, Hilary Hahn.

"It kind of highlights her skills, her lyrical quality she has a beautiful tone. And she can play like a person with her hair on fire, I mean really, really fast," said Higdon.

Higdon also says it's filled with beautiful melodies and is very rhythmic:

"There's some unusual sounds in this, I decided to have the percussionists at the back of the orchestra start the piece along with Hilary in the front and they're using knitting needles to actually play on their instruments and it's the coolest sound."

The program is February 14th at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall beginning at 8 p.m. To find out more, go to curtis.edu.

Listen to extended interview...

Reported By Lynne Adkins, KYW Newsradio.

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