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Line 52: Under Josef Hofmann as director, Curtis made several new changes to advance the school's standards and publicize the school. Hofmann reduced enrollment to ensure that students would receive individualized attention. Curtis initiated weekly [[radio broadcasts]] through [[CBS]] in 1929. The [[Curtis String Quartet]] was established in 1928 and lasted until 1981. From 1931 to 1941, [[Fritz Reiner]] served as the conductor of the Curtis Orchestra, who toured with the orchestra throughout the country and broadcast the orchestra on the radio. The school held its first commencement a decade after opening, awarding [[Bachelor of Music]] and [[Master of Music]] degrees.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nimetz |first1=Janice Marciano |title=How Much Do We Practice?: Defining a Course of Study for the Applied Pianist at The Eastman School of Music, The Juilliard School, and The Curtis Institute of Music from Their Inception to 1945 |date=2012 |location=Ann Arbor, MI |pages=165–180}}</ref> Starting in the late 1920s, Curtis made significant changes to fully support students financially. In 1928, Mrs. Louis Bok expanded the school's first endowment of $500,000 to $12.5 million. The school started providing summer residency programs for advanced students in the United States or Europe. The new funds further allowed all students to study at Curtis at no cost. Since 1928, the institute has not charged tuition; it provides full [[scholarship]]s to all admitted students. Instead, students pay comprehensive fees and other additional fees to cover the cost of maintaining buildings, health insurance, meal plans, a library fee, and a graduation fee. As of fall 2023, the comprehensive fee for Curtis is $3,500, and the health insurance fee, which can be waived if a parental health insurance plan provides adequate protection, The school faced financial difficulties in the 1930s, decreased enrollment, and had to remove some departments and reduce salaries. Josef Hoffman resigned in 1938 and was succeeded by [[Randall Thompson]], who became director in 1939 and held the post for two years. Thompson introduced mandatory weekly lectures providing an overview of music history. Violinist [[Efrem Zimbalist]], who had become the head of the violin department in 1930 at Curtis, replaced Thompson as director in 1941. Under Zimbalist, the institute focused more on training [[Solo (music)|soloists]] and cutting down on costs, which became especially necessary during the [[World War II|war years]]. This focus caused a shift away from [[orchestra]], [[opera]], and [[chamber music]] and a reduction of the instrumental faculty. Due to the war, enrollment decreased from 223 in 1937 to 100 in 1942. In 1944, the Curtis Alumni Association established a concert office to assist graduates in their professions. <ref>{{cite book |last1=Burgwyn |first1=Diana |title=Seventy-five Years of the Curtis Institute of Music, 1924-1999: A Narrative Portrait |date=1999 |publisher=Curtis Institute of Music |location=Philadelphia, PA |pages=22–40}}</ref> | |||