A violist of international reputation, Roberto DÃaz has recently assumed the prestigious position of President and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music. He follows thereby in the footsteps of soloist/directors such as Rudolf Serkin, Gary Graffman, Efrem Zimbalist and Josef Hofmann. As a professor of viola at Curtis and former principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, he has already had a significant impact on American musical life and will continue to do so in his dual rÃŽles as performer and educator. He has collaborated with conductors such as Roberto Abbado, Rafael FrÃŒhbeck de Burgos, Riccardo Chailly, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Richard Hickox, Christopher Hogwood, Peter Oundjian, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Michael Stern, Gilbert Varga, Hugh Wolf and David Zinman, and has also worked with important twentieth and twenty-first century composers, including Edison Denisov, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Roberto Sierra. The recordings of Roberto DÃaz include a critically acclaimed live recording of Jacob DruckmanÂs Viola Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, and for Naxos works for viola and piano by Henri Vieuxtemps. An active chamber musician, he has performed with artists such as the Emerson String Quartet, Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Christoph Eschenbach, Yo-Yo Ma, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Isaac Stern. His festival appearances include Kuhmo, Marlboro, Mostly Mozart at Lincoln Center, Spoleto, and Verbier, among many others. As a member of the DÃaz Trio, with violinist Andrés Cárdenes and cellist Andrés
