D‹az will leave the Philadelphia Orchestra and replace Graffman after the 2005-06 season. He has been a member of the orchestra since 1996.

According to the Inquirer, Curtis officials were split on whether to hire a musician or a more experienced administrator and fundraiser. The school has posted a series of deficits, and will need to raise millions of dollars in order to remain the only leading conservatory that does not charge tuition.

Faculty members and officials said they believed D‹az could learn on the job. "Frankly, when I came I had much, much less administrative experience than he," said Graffman, pointing out that D‹az has served on various committees at the Philadelphia Orchestra.

D‹az is a member of the D‹az Trio, with violinist Andr_s Cšrdenes and cellist Andr_s D‹az, his brother. He has previously taught at Shepherd School of Music of Rice University and the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University.

Other candidates for the position, according to the paper, included violinists Jaime Laredo, Pamela Frank, and Arnold Steinhardt; Ara Guzelimian, artistic advisor at Carnegie Hall; pianist Ignat Solzhenitsyn; and Curtis Price, principal of the Royal Academy of Music in London.