Researching Alan Curtis

Born in Mason, Michigan, Curtis graduated from studies at the University of Illinois, and received his PhD in 1960 with a dissertation on the keyboard music of Sweelinck. He then relocated to Amsterdam to work with Gustav Leonhardt, with whom he subsequently recorded a number of Bach's concerti for harpsichord. In the 1960s and 1970s, he made a number of recordings of solo harpsichord music including albums dedicated to the keyboard music of Rameau and the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, such as his recording of the Goldberg Variations made on a 1728 Christian Zell harpsichord.

Following an academic career divided between UC Berkeley and Europe, Curtis devoted his time to performing dramatic music from Monteverdi to Mozart. As a student in the 1950s, he was the first modern harpsichordist to examine problems surrounding Louis Couperin's unmeasured preludes for harpsichord, and to commission the first modern copy of a chitarrone and the first chromatic (split-key) harpsichord constructed in the 20th century. He also researched operas from the baroque and pre-baroque eras, using period instruments and authentic choreography.

In the late 1970s, Curtis founded the European ensemble Il complesso barocco, with which he made a number of commercial recordings for such labels as Virgin Classics, Deutsche Grammophon (Archiv), and Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.

He began his career with Swansea City in 1972, and spent the next seven years with the "Swans", winning promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1977–78 and out of the Third Division in 1978–79. He was then sold on to Leeds United, but struggled in the First Division and was sold back to Swansea in 1980. He helped Swansea to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1980–81, but a period of decline for the club followed and he moved on to Southampton in November 1983. He played on loan at Stoke City towards the end of the 1985–86 season, before he joined Cardiff City in the summer. He helped the "Bluebirds" to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1987–88 and to also win the Welsh Cup in 1988. He made another return to Swansea during the 1989–90 campaign, and later ended his career with Barry Town, winning the Welsh Cup in 1994.

During his career he also represented Wales, scoring six goals in 35 international games. After retiring as a player he spent many years on the backroom staff at Swansea City, and has had several spells as a caretaker-manager.