Curtis Music School Expanding With New Dorms, Rehearsal Rooms
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The famous Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia is welcoming new, essential instruments and will soon take in students as it expands further down the street from Rittenhouse Square.
While its priceless musical traditions have been a fixture in its building at 1726 Locust Street since 1924, the new $60-million Lenfest Building will be opening next month at 1616 Locust.
The first batch of more than 20 new Steinway pianos has arrived, under the supervision of Curtis technician John Ellis.
"We spent a couple of days choosing from quite a number of pianos that were very well prepared," he told KYW Newsradio today.
The Lenfest Building will house new teaching rooms for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- more than double the amount of practice and rehearsal space currently available to Curtis students.
"Sometimes I want to practice early morning, and sometimes I like to play at night, late," says 22-year-old student Ruoyu Huang (right), "but my neighbor won't allow that at home. So in the new building, in the new dorm, we can practice anytime we want."
The new building also includes dormitory rooms for 80 of Curtis' 165 students. Up until now, all of them had to live in nearby apartments.
Reported by Steve Tawa, KYW Newsradio 1060
