Curtis is a composer, improvisor and string-bass player who specializes in live electronic performance using gestural controllers. He received his Ph.D. in music composition from Princeton University where his primary teachers were Paul Lansky, Steve Mackey and Paul Koonce. From 1986-1993 he was the Technical Director of the Center for Computer Music of the City University of New York where he worked and studied with composer Charles Dodge. He has taught at the Columbia University Computer Music Center (CMC), NYU, Princeton and CUNY,and is currently Associate Professor of Computer Music Composition/Performance. (source: www.arts.rpi.edu)