Ennis Harris receives ISJAC/USF Prize for Emerging Black Composers
USC Thornton Jazz Studies DMA candidate Ennis Harris has been selected as the 2023 winner of the ISJAC/USF Prize for Emerging Black Composers. His song, “Eye in the Sky,” was performed by the USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra. The award is given to young, up-and-coming composers of color through a partnership between the International Society of… Continue reading Ennis Harris receives ISJAC/USF Prize for Emerging Black Composers
Francisco Fullana wins 2023 Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi Prize
Violinist and USC Thornton alumnus Francisco Fullana (GCRT ‘15) has won the 2023 Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi Prize, an award given annually by the Festival Napa Valley to one outstanding performer and innovator in classical music. Along with a $10,000 cash prize, Fullana will receive a commemorative trophy designed by Adam Wiedmann and Nimbus Arts,… Continue reading Francisco Fullana wins 2023 Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi Prize
USC Thornton choral DMA graduates receive new academic appointments
USC Thornton choral & sacred music program alumni Yejee Choi (DMA ‘15) and Shou Ping Liu (DMA ‘20) have received new academic appointments for the fall semester. Choi was appointed as associate professor of Choral Activities at Ehwa Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. Liu was appointed as assistant professor and director of Choral Activities… Continue reading USC Thornton choral DMA graduates receive new academic appointments
Veronika Krausas curated music playlist for FORT: LA
Veronika Krausas, a USC Thornton Composition department faculty member, curated a music playlist featured in the Friends of Residential Treasures: Los Angeles newsletter for the historic Rodriguez House, designed by master architect R. M. Schindler. FORT: LA’s mission is to showcase the city’s residential treasures with the guidance of expert curators.
In Soo Oh receives first prize at Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition
USC Thornton clarinet performance master’s student In Soo Oh won first prize in the classical clarinet division of the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition. VEA was founded in 2010 to identify emerging, highly proficient clarinetists and saxophonists, and recognize them for their talent. The prize includes a performance at the Music For All convention in Indianapolis… Continue reading In Soo Oh receives first prize at Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition
Michael Abels wins 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Music
Michael Abels (’84), an acclaimed composer and USC Thornton Composition program alumnus, has won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Music for the opera Omar. Co-composed by Rhiannon Giddens, Omar is a musical work that tells the story of enslaved people brought to North America from Muslim countries. The opera premiered on May 27 at the… Continue reading Michael Abels wins 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Music
Bill Kanengiser and Alexander Strings Quartet release British rock tribute album “British Invasion”
Classical guitarist and USC Thornton faculty member Bill Kanengiser has collaborated with the Alexander String Quartet for the album “British Invasion,” released on April 7. A tribute to British rock, the album features adaptations of music by Sting, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Elizabethan lutenist John Dowland, re-cast and re-imagined by contemporary composers Duśan Bogdanović,… Continue reading Bill Kanengiser and Alexander Strings Quartet release British rock tribute album “British Invasion”
Rixiang Huang selected as Steinway Artist
Lauded pianist and USC Thornton keyboard studies alumnus Rixiang Huang (DMA ‘23) has been selected as a Steinway Artist. He joins a community of more than 1,600 acclaimed artists affiliated with the piano company. In 2021, Huang won first place at the 12th Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford and Los Angeles International Liszt Piano… Continue reading Rixiang Huang selected as Steinway Artist
Kira Levin and Kenton Luck announced as winners of DownBeat’s 46th Annual Student Music Awards
USC Thornton students were announced as winners of the 46th Annual Student Music Awards in the June issue of DownBeat magazine. Kira Levin, undergraduate student of Jazz Studies faculty member Aarón Serfaty, won Best Vocal Jazz Soloist. Kenton Luck, graduate student of Jazz Studies faculty member Bob Mintzer, won Best Original Composition — Large Ensemble… Continue reading Kira Levin and Kenton Luck announced as winners of DownBeat’s 46th Annual Student Music Awards
Eight Thornton students and alumni win at 2023 Beverly Hills National Auditions
Eight USC Thornton students and alumni were announced as winners of the 2023 Beverly Hills National Auditions (BHNA). BHNA winners will receive performance opportunities at a series of over 40 concerts across Southern California, including Music in the Mansion Festival on the third week of April 2024. Of the 11 winners, eight are from USC… Continue reading Eight Thornton students and alumni win at 2023 Beverly Hills National Auditions