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
Composer Peter Boyer commissioned to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III
Composer and USC Thornton Screen Scoring program alumnus Peter Boyer (GCRT ’96) was commissioned to create a new work for the Coronation of King Charles III. Boyer’s new work, titled Today We Ask, was presented on May 3 as part of a Coronation Celebration at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden in London. The commission comes… Continue reading Composer Peter Boyer commissioned to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III
Celine Chen to be featured on NPR program “From the Top”
Celine Chen, a USC Thornton Keyboard Studies student of Bernadene Blaha, will be featured on NPR’s “From the Top,” a program that documents performances and personal stories of classically-trained young musicians from across the country. Chen will perform Stephen Hough’s Fanfare Toccata. The episode airs nationally across NPR stations during the week of May 8.… Continue reading Celine Chen to be featured on NPR program “From the Top”
Argus Quartet participates in CSULB’s Carpenter Center Arts for Life program
On the week of March 20, the Argus Quartet visited California State University Long Beach’s Carpenter Center to participate in the Arts for Life program, which provides accessible arts activities in the Carpenter Center area. The Argus Quartet, founded by USC Thornton alumna Clara Kim (DMA ‘15), includes violinist Giancarlo Latta, violist Maren Rothfritz and… Continue reading Argus Quartet participates in CSULB’s Carpenter Center Arts for Life program
Clarence Penn
Clarence Penn, a highly accomplished jazz drummer, is renowned for his remarkable talents in music composition, production and education. Since his arrival in New York City in 1991, Penn has collaborated with an impressive list of A-list artists, including Ellis and Wynton Marsalis, Maria Schneider, Betty Carter, Dianne Reeves, Michael Brecker and Fourplay, among others.… Continue reading Clarence Penn
Derrick Lawrence
Derrick Lawrence, baritone, has sung roles on the stages of Philadelphia Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Dallas Opera, Charlotte Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Piedmont Opera, Opera North, Zurich Opera House, Budapest, Wiesbaden, Düsseldorf, The Royal Danish Opera, Stuttgart, Luzern, Aachen, Freiburg, Statts Opera Berlin, Kaiserslautern, La Monnaie, Teatro Massimo, Opera Lyon and National Theater Brünn. Lawrence… Continue reading Derrick Lawrence
Emily Sung
Emily Sung is a Chinese American conductor, scholar and teacher from Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Before her appointment at the USC Thornton School of Music, Sung previously served as the associate director of Choral Activities at Princeton University, the director of the Chamber Choir and Choral Society at the University of Pennsylvania, and a member of… Continue reading Emily Sung
USC Thornton Trumpet Quintet wins National Trumpet Competition
The USC Thornton Trumpet Quintet—comprised of Tali Duckworth, Imani Duhe, Jessica Farmer, Ben Gunnarson and Amy Millesen—won the ensemble division of the National Trumpet Competition on March 27. They were among three finalists after moving past 40 trumpet ensembles in the first round of the competition. The winners are students of Thornton Winds & Percussion… Continue reading USC Thornton Trumpet Quintet wins National Trumpet Competition
Jacobo Herrera and Jacob Vogel promote the marching arts in USC News
USC Thornton music industry student Jacobo Herrera and USC Trojan Marching Band director Jacob Vogel were featured in USC News to promote March Fourth, a day dedicated to celebrating the marching arts. Herrera, drum major and student general manager, reflected on professional experiences he’s gained while being in marching band, from starring on national television… Continue reading Jacobo Herrera and Jacob Vogel promote the marching arts in USC News
Composition alumni nominated for 2023 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards
USC Thornton composition program alumni Michael Abels (‘84) and Bear McCreary (‘02) have been nominated for the 2023 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards. Abels was nominated for Film Score of the Year with Nope. McCreary was nominated for Television Score of the Year with season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power… Continue reading Composition alumni nominated for 2023 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards