National Philharmonic, Curtis Stewart & Michael Repper
Biography National Philharmonic, Curtis Stewart & Michael Repper
Curtis Stewart
Praised for ‘combining omnivory and brilliance’ (New York Times), six-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated violinist and composer Curtis Stewart translates stories of American self-determination to the concert stage. Stewart is the Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra, professor at The Juilliard School, and member of award-winning ensembles PUBLIQuartet and The Mighty Third Rail. He was awarded a 2025 Sphinx Medal of Excellence and nominated for GRAMMY® Awards in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. As a soloist, Curtis Stewart has been presented by Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cal Performances, Washington Performing Arts, Virginia Arts Festival, The Juilliard School, and the 2022 GRAMMY Awards®, among many others. He has been commissioned to compose new solo, chamber, and orchestral works for the Sphinx Virtuosi and Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNOW, Seattle Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, and members of the New York Philharmonic, The Knights, Sybarite5 and Royal Conservatory of Music, among others. An enthusiastic educator, Curtis Stewart currently teaches at The Juilliard School and the Perlman Music Program, and for ten years led all levels of music theory and orchestra at the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in NYC.
National Philharmonic Orchestra
Celebrated for showcasing world-renowned guest artists in time-honored symphonic masterpieces, National Philharmonic (NatPhil) continuously strives to create remarkable educational opportunities in the community while promoting diversity and representation in classical music.
NatPhil was formed in 1985 as the Montgomery Chamber Orchestra, later becoming the National Chamber Orchestra. In 2005, it merged with Masterworks Chorus to become National Philharmonic, and took up residence at The Music Center at Strathmore, where it still performs.
The National Philharmonic is an accessible, enriching component in the Greater Washington DC Metropolitan Area, believing that music has the power to spark imagination and shape the world around us. Over the years National Philharmonic has expanded its footprint, with year-round masterclasses along with Summer String Institutes for youth, a Youth Mentorship Program, and partnerships with other arts and community organizations. In addition to these programs, National Philharmonic fosters a love of music in young people across the region by offering free admission to all children between the ages 7 to 17 years old.
Michael Repper
GRAMMY® winning conductor Michael Repper enjoys an international reputation for his committed and deeply informed performances, energetic stage presence, and a remarkable ability to create an affinity between different ensembles and their audiences. As a music director, Repper aims to build meaningful, long-term projects, and to become embedded in the communities where he serves.
In 2023, Repper became the youngest North American conductor to win a GRAMMY® Award in the Best Orchestral Performance category, for the album Works By Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, Valerie Coleman (Avie Records, AV2503). He is the only person to have led a youth orchestra to this achievement: the New York Youth Symphony, which Repper conducts on the album. The piano soloist is Michelle Cann.
Repper is currently the Music Director of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, and the Northern Neck Orchestra of Virginia, and appears around the world as a guest conductor. Alongside the standard repertoire, Repper is invested in programming new music and showcasing fresh talent. His ensembles have performed dozens of world premieres and pursued innovative commissions, including many Carnegie Hall premieres.
For his growing profile as a conductor, Repper was awarded a Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
