Strings students shine in competition

Students of the USC Thornton Strings department have shown excellent performance in recent competitions across the United States.

Cellist Gabriel Martins, a student of Ralph Kirshbaum, won the concerto competition at the Aspen Music Festival and School last summer, performing Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1. Martins was also selected to perform the Hidemith Cello Concerto with the USC Thornton Symphony in February.

Coleman Itzkoff, a graduate student in Kirshbaum’s cello studio, took second prize in the Irving M. Klein International String Competition in San Francisco, which supports performers ages 15-23.

And violinist Annelle Gregory, a student of Glenn Dicterow, took second prize in the 2016 Sphinx Competition. Sponsored by the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, the annual competition is dedicated to fostering performance and educational opportunities for young Black and Latino string performers. Gregory was also a third-place laureate of the 2015 Sphinx Competition and placed in the Junior Division of the 2011 and 2013 events.