Curro’s grandmother is from Piedmont and her grandfather from Sicily. They emigrated to Australia and in 1932 her father, John, was born in Cairns. John developed a passion for the violin at a young age.
The musician spoke of how her father was initially pushed to pursue sports and academia, because unfortunately “music was not considered a ‘real’ job then”.
Eventually, one fateful conversation pushed the Curro family towards music. In 1950, John met Alfredo Campoli, a respected English violinist from an Italian background, at the Brisbane Tennis Club.
By the end of the match, John was gifted ticket to Campoli’s concert. Struck by the performance, John was convinced of his true vocation and restarted his violin studies.
It turned out to be the right choice, as evidenced by his brilliant career –– as director of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, viola professor at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, founder and artistic director of Queensland Youth Orchestras and supporter of many cultural exchanges in Asia –– and above all by the love of music passed onto his children.
Curro was the first of four children, all musicians –– three violinists, including her, and a cellist – and all with promising musical careers and productions nurtured day by day with love and dedication. John practically raised a small in-house orchestra.
“Everything’s going well,” exclaimed Curro, who celebrated her birthday on Wednesday. “There couldn’t be a better week to celebrate it: playing Beethoven at the Brunswick Uniting Church, in a magical atmosphere. It will be the perfect place for the violin’s sound.”
This same instrument, beloved by her father and transformed into a method of communication and expression during her youth, also caused Curro to meet her partner, Stefan Cassomenos, with whom she performed a duet during the special occasion.
The achievements of Curro are many, and she doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. She can boast of nineteen years performing as second violin in the Melbourne Symphonic Orchestra, as well as having been one of the key members of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. She’s also taken part in various performances of the symphonic orchestras of Queensland, Tasmania, Western Australia and Auckland, New Zealand.
Curro also has a passion for teaching music and is involved in the management of the Australian Youth Orchestra, and her career recently brought her to perform the music of the much-loved composer from whom the Brunswick Beethoven Festival takes its name.
“Beethoven is the best,” she said, “To me, he’s the greatest composer of all time.
“We always play his pieces, but, unlike many other composers, I never tire of him. Beethoven captured in music his anger and sickness, triumph and beauty. He captured an entire universe of emotions, and he continues to do it in some way.
“[He was] a great innovator [who is] always relevant, who I couldn’t hope to bring to Brunswick with a better partner. Stefan is the best pianist with whom to interpret Beethoven’s work.”
Curro and Cassomenos, who has a Greek background, are also artistic directors of the Port Fairy Spring Festival, a series of concerts that happen each October.
In short, Curro is an artist who has given her life to this art, but she notes that, just like her dad John, she continues to find it difficult to understand why music isn’t considered a career like any other.
“Often, even today, when I speak to people about what I do and after having explained that I’m involved in important orchestras, I’m asked: ‘Okay, but what do you to do to eat?’ she explained.
“It’s so strange that music still isn’t respected as a career, but is instead considered only as a pastime, a hobby. Very few people know that the hours of study necessary to become a musician within a symphonic orchestra are many more than those of a medical student aspiring to become a surgeon.”
Certainly, Curro admits, doctors save lives, but maybe in unexpected and invisible ways, “music does too”.
To keep up to date with future Brunswick Beethoven Festivals, click here.
