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
Karen Parks performed in Wadada Leo Smith’s world premiere of “America Transformed”
Karen Parks, a USC Thornton Vocal Arts & Opera faculty member, performed in the world premiere of America Transformed by renowned trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith. The premiere, in which Parks was a featured vocalist, took place September 8-11 at Brooklyn College’s Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts. Parks joined the… Continue reading Karen Parks performed in Wadada Leo Smith’s world premiere of “America Transformed”
Delirium Musicum wins three S.F. Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards
Delirium Musicum, a chamber ensemble founded by violinist and USC Thornton alumnus Etienne Gara (GCRT ‘13), won three San Francisco Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards. In addition to Best Chamber Ensemble and Best New Music Ensemble, they won Best Orchestral Performance for the performance of their latest album, SEASONS, at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian… Continue reading Delirium Musicum wins three S.F. Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards
Daniel Newman-Lessler conducts USC Thornton students in “Unforgettable Sunrise” premiere
On September 30, USC Thornton alumnus Daniel Newman-Lessler (MM ’17, BM ’14) will conduct 54 current students in the premiere of Unforgettable Sunrise, a 70 minute symphony by Jacob Rock and Rob Laufer. Rock, a non-verbal teenager with autism, communicated his idea for the symphony through an app on the iPad. To help realize his… Continue reading Daniel Newman-Lessler conducts USC Thornton students in “Unforgettable Sunrise” premiere
Jazz pianist Donald Vega featured in Trojan Family Magazine
Jazz pianist and USC Thornton alumnus Donald Vega (’99) was featured in the Summer 2023 issue of Trojan Family Magazine. He discussed studying classical piano in Nicaragua, emigrating to the United States and finding community at USC. Vega is a Jazz Studies faculty member at The Juilliard School. He is preparing to release an album… Continue reading Jazz pianist Donald Vega featured in Trojan Family Magazine
Association of Popular Music Education spotlights USC Thornton in August newsletter
The Association for Popular Music Education (APME) featured USC Thornton in the Institutional Member Spotlight of their August 2023 newsletter. They explored the history of Thornton’s Popular Music program and key moments in its past, present and future. In the spotlight, APME shared how alumnus Samuel Rodney Browne’s (‘29) “music of the day” classes at… Continue reading Association of Popular Music Education spotlights USC Thornton in August newsletter