“Sound Barrier” podcast selected as pick of the week by The Guardian
Sound Barrier: Sylvester, a Spotify original podcast hosted by USC Thornton Dean Jason King, was selected as one of The Guardian’s picks of the week for best podcasts on untold life stories. The first season of Sound Barrier launched in 2022 as an eight-part series on LGBTQ+ music icon Sylvester. In it, King explores Sylvester’s… Continue reading “Sound Barrier” podcast selected as pick of the week by The Guardian
Sharon Lavery and Veronika Krausas featured in Daily Trojan
On Sept. 11, the Daily Trojan reviewed the USC Thornton Symphony’s opening concert of the fall semester. The article featured interviews with resident conductor and Winds & Percussion chair Sharon Lavery, and Composition faculty member Veronika Krausas. Lavery spoke about the significance of each piece in the repertoire, such as “Caryatids,” which was composed by… Continue reading Sharon Lavery and Veronika Krausas featured in Daily Trojan
Bokyung Byun joins University of North Texas College of Music faculty
USC Thornton Classical Guitar program alumna Bokyung Byun (DMA ’20) has joined the University of North Texas College of Music as an assistant professor of guitar. Byun is the recepient of the 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant. In 2021, she became the first woman in 20 years to win the Guitar Foundation of America competition.… Continue reading Bokyung Byun joins University of North Texas College of Music faculty
Dean Jason King co-curates Grammy Museum’s “Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit”
USC Thornton Dean Jason King co-curated the Grammy Museum’s “Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit,” which launched on October 7. He collaborated with fellow hip-hop experts Felicia Angeja Viator, Adam Bradley, Dan Charnas and Grammy Museum chief curator Jasen Emmons. According to The Associated Press, this exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop’s global impact, featuring… Continue reading Dean Jason King co-curates Grammy Museum’s “Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit”
Musicologist Nate Sloan quoted on ABC News
Nate Sloan, a USC Thornton Musicology faculty member, was quoted in an ABC News article about the virality of parody songs. The article examined a recent parody song gone viral, “Planet of the Bass” by DJ Crazy Times and Ms. Biljana Electronica, which mimics late 1990s and early 2000s Eurodance music. Sloan theorized that beyond… Continue reading Musicologist Nate Sloan quoted on ABC News
Elise Solberg performs with Chlöe on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert
USC Thornton Piano Studies alumna Elise Solberg (’18) performed as the keyboardist in Chlöe Bailey’s band for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, published on September 5. In 2022, Solberg joined Beyoncé’s band at the 94th Academy Awards, playing the keys for her Oscar-nominated song “Be Alive.”
Dana Gioia writes libretto for opera “The Three Feathers”
Dana Gioia, the Judge Widney Professor of Poetry and Public Culture at USC who teaches in USC Thornton’s Arts Leadership and Musicology programs, wrote the libretto for an opera titled, The Three Feathers. Based on a Brothers Grimm fairytale, the opera premiered on September 8 and 10 at the Lesher Center for the Arts in… Continue reading Dana Gioia writes libretto for opera “The Three Feathers”
Angelica Cortez
Angelica Cortez (she/her) is a Los Angeles-born arts administrator and educator. She is the executive director of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, where she supports an international community of teachers, artists and leaders who believe in the transformative power of music. She has served as interim president and CEO of El Sistema USA, and… Continue reading Angelica Cortez
Juan Pablo Contreras’ “Lucha Libre!” receives Latin Grammy nomination
Juan Pablo Contreras (DMA ’21), a USC Thornton Composition program faculty member and alumnus, received a Latin Grammy nomination in the Best Classical Contemporary Composition category for Lucha Libre! The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra commissioned Contreras to write Lucha Libre! during their 2019-2020 season, when he served as Sound Investment composer-in-residence. Inspired by famous Mexican… Continue reading Juan Pablo Contreras’ “Lucha Libre!” receives Latin Grammy nomination
Composer and cellist Quenton Blache to make Carnegie Hall debut
USC Thornton Composition and Cello Performance alum Quenton Blache (‘23) will make his Carnegie Hall debut with the chamber orchestra Sphinx Virtuosi. The concert takes place on on October 20 at 7 p.m. in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. The program will open with Blache’s New York premiere of Habari Gani, named after the Swahili… Continue reading Composer and cellist Quenton Blache to make Carnegie Hall debut