By Taylor Sisk
Staff Writer
Violinist Jennifer Curtis, a Chapel Hill native and 1996 Carolina Friends School graduate, has been selected for a two-year fellowship with The Academy, a collaboration of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education. The Academy recruits the nation’s most talented young professional musicians to help encourage careers that embrace education, community engagement, advocacy and leadership.
The Academy provides the opportunity for fellows to perform at Carnegie Hall and The Juilliard School, to work in the New York City public schools and to develop community-based group projects. It also includes residencies at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Curtis said she felt “extremely fortunate to have the support of Carnegie Hall and The Juilliard School and thrilled to be able to firmly commit to the philosophy of The Academy program.â€
The Academy’s concept of “infecting society with music beyond concert halls,†she said, is true to her own pursuits as a performer in a wide variety of venues and “as an improviser and free fiddler from North Carolina.â€
“The Academy supports the notion that music can be medicine, music can be higher education and, at its best, it can be the most successful strategy for cultural diplomacy,†Curtis said.
Curtis is the daughter of Carrboro Citizen art director Liz Holm. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Mills College, where she won the award for most outstanding music graduate, and a Master of Music from Juilliard. Among her many accomplishments, she has soloed with the Simón BolÃvar Orchestra in Venezuela, performed at the Festival Internacional de Música Contemporánes in Mexico and the Muisca Nova in Finland and traveled on a musical exploration of the Amazon. With an avid interest in music of all cultures, she’s studied West African, Haitian and Afro-Cuban percussion and is an accomplished mandolin player. She’s also a composer.
The New York Times has called Curtis an “artist of keen intelligence and taste, well worth watching out for.â€
Curtis’ ultimate goals include “achieving a high level of artistry as a violinist and a communicator through music. I hope to continue to explore and help preserve the musical traditions of Latin America and to be an advocate of music in its ability to ignite positive change.â€

Hey Jennifer,
it’s wonderful to see how much you’ve accomplished, and how much you’re going to accomplish, with this Academy Fellowship. I’m givin’ you a standing ovation to your talent and spirit!
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