Gary Graffman has been a major figure in the music world since his debut with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of eighteen. For the next three decades he toured almost continuously, playing the most demanding works in the piano literature. His numerous recordings with the orchestras of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, and Chicago under such conductors as Bernstein, Ormandy, Szell, and Mehta include concertos by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Brahms, Chopin, and Beethoven; they are still regarded as touchstones. In 1979, however, an injury to his right hand limited Mr. Graffman's concertizing to the small body of repertoire for left hand alone. Since then seven new works have been commissioned for him, and he continues to perform.

Mr. Graffman's association with the Curtis Institute of Music began in 1936, when he was accepted, at the age of seven, to study with Isabelle Vengerova. He graduated in 1946. In 1980, following his performance-reducing injury, he joined the Curtis piano faculty.

From 1986 through May 2006, he served as director of Curtis, as well as president from 1995 to 2006.

October, 11 2019

Dear Friends,

It is with great pleasure that I introduce the Kirov Academy's newest course of study, the Gifted and Talented Music Program, which will begin its inaugural year in 2020. During my four decades of teaching at the Curtis Institute of Music, I have had the privilege of working with all manner of students of the highest artistic caliber. While my students have come from a variety of regions and backgrounds, I have learned that we are all part of the same family, linked by our shared admiration for the Western classical music tradition.

Historically, this beloved music has produced some of the most profound forms of human expression, and has inspired today’s artists, like those who have come before, to strive for mastery and excellence. It is this cherished heritage that has been passed down from my teachers to me, and from me to my students.

The Kirov’s Gifted and Talented Music Program will provide students with a community that will nurture and develop their true musical potential and support academic rigor. My colleagues and I are pleased to pass on our knowledge so that each student may thrive, developing into our next generation of classical musicians.

Warm regards,

Gary Graffman