Students at the Curtis Institute have sent us a protest they have circulated over staff changes at the elite music college. More that 150 students have backed the petition. You read it here first:
Following the dismissal of Mr. Jonathan Coopersmith—a figure whose mentorship and presence have long represented the best of what Curtis has to offer—a group of students and recent alumni (opting to remain anonymous out of fear of administrative retaliation) created a petition opposing the decision and the broader direction of the current administration. The petition has garnered over 150 signatures, which, at a school as small as Curtis, represents the vast majority of students and recent graduates.
Coopersmith is unfortunately not the first casualty of the Curtis administration. In 2020, mass layoffs of vital staff sparked student outrage and led to demands for town hall meetings with the administration. Many noticed a pattern: those dismissed were often outspoken advocates for students and critical of the administration’s direction. A petition at the time called for the Board of Trustees to reassess the school’s top leadership, gaining 137 signatures before being intercepted by the administration and never reaching the board.
The school’s trajectory has drawn growing criticism from both students and faculty. With educational and musical priorities sidelined, the quality of music-making has declined. Curtis dismissed several renowned faculty members who had long been central to the institution’s excellence. These changes coincided with the introduction of initiatives like the “Pillars of Curtis”—technology, touring, and teaching—as well as the effective shutdown of the school’s orchestra program for several years. Many view these shifts as disconnected from Curtis’s core values.
Even the administration appears aware of the decline. In spring 2025, the Associate Provost led mandatory review sessions asking students how Curtis might raise its level to attract more applicants—an implicit acknowledgment of falling interest and application numbers. These concerns are not limited to the student body; they’re increasingly shared by external observers.
Students believe the Board of Trustees remains unaware of many key decisions made by the administration. Communication with the board is prohibited, and past efforts to make contact have been repeatedly blocked. There is a widespread perception that the board receives only curated reports from the administration—reports that may not reflect the reality on the ground.
This petition represents another attempt to reach the trustees directly. It calls on them to conduct anonymous surveys and gather unfiltered feedback from current students and recent alumni, allowing the board to assess the climate independently of internal messaging and agenda-driven narratives.
Curtis students and alumni care deeply about the school and its future. They want to see it thrive, not decline. Their voices deserve to be heard—not silenced, ignored, or filtered. The community is asking for transparency, accountability, and a return to the values that once made Curtis a world-class training ground for young artists.
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