Roger Neill premieres new musical comedy with Westwind Orchard
On June 4, Westwind Orchard will host the premiere of the musical comedy Da Ponte by Roger Neill (’86), an alumnus of USC Thornton’s Composition program, and Niel Cohen. The comedy explores the life of famous librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, his partnership with Mozart and how he came to run a grocery store in New… Continue reading Roger Neill premieres new musical comedy with Westwind Orchard
Grant Gershon’s 20th season with the LA Master Chorale celebrated by the LA Times
USC Thornton alumnus Grant Gershon (’85) recently celebrated his 20th season as the artistic director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The Los Angeles Times recognized this milestone with a story that explored how Gershon has transformed the LA Master Chorale into one of the country’s most adventurous and boundary-pushing choirs. Associate artistic director and… Continue reading Grant Gershon’s 20th season with the LA Master Chorale celebrated by the LA Times
Phoebe Rosquist leads performances at Berkeley Early Music Festival and Burning Man
USC Thornton Department of Choral & Sacred Music alum Phoebe Rosquist will be conducting several performances of Thomas Tallis’ Spem in alium, a 40-voice Renaissance motet for a capella choirs, at the 17th biennial Berkeley Festival and Exhibition on June 10-11. She will also be facilitating kecak, a chant and dance from Bali, at Burning… Continue reading Phoebe Rosquist leads performances at Berkeley Early Music Festival and Burning Man
Branden Brown premieres film score at Palm Springs International ShortFest
Thornton Jazz Studies Department alumnus Branden Brown (’21) will premiere his first original film score for What I Had to Leave Behind at the Academy Award and BAFTA-qualifying 28th Palm Springs International ShortFest in June. Brown’s score features instrumentalists and fellow Thornton alumni Ethan Chilton (’20, M.M. ’22), Cyrus Elia (’20) and Lauren Ellis (’21),… Continue reading Branden Brown premieres film score at Palm Springs International ShortFest
Bear McCreary wins at 2022 ASCAP Screen Music Awards
Composer and USC Thornton alumnus Bear McCreary (’02) was one of the winners in the Most Performed Themes & Underscore category at the 2022 ASCAP Screen Music Awards. He won the award for his score for the Apple TV+ series Foundation. McCreary is an accomplished film and video game composer who has scored many projects… Continue reading Bear McCreary wins at 2022 ASCAP Screen Music Awards
Lauren Ellis interviewed by Peter Erskine in Modern Drummer magazine
Jazz studies alumna Lauren Ellis (MM ’21) was interviewed by her former professor and mentor, Thornton Jazz Studies faculty member Peter Erskine, in the June 2022 issue of Modern Drummer magazine. Their discussion ranged from women in jazz music to perseverance in the music industry to embracing spontanety during performances.
Katie Thiroux
Following her prodigious beginnings on bass at age 8 and studies under renowned vocalist Tierney Sutton at 12, Katie Thiroux was mentored by the legendary bassist John Clayton and was awarded a Phil Ramone Presidential Scholarship to Berklee College of Music while gaining experience on the bandstand with artists including Terrell Safford, Terri Lyne Carrington,… Continue reading Katie Thiroux
Christian Amonson
Christian Amonson is a recording engineer and producer specializing in acoustic music. Projects include John Williams and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Midori and the Kansas City Symphony, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields at Abbey Road Studios in London and NPR’s JazzSet at the Kennedy Center, as well as groups like the LA… Continue reading Christian Amonson
Molly Miller
Since Dr. Molly Miller picked up the guitar at age seven, she’s been captivating audiences with her sophisticated and raw style. She’s one of Los Angeles’s most sought-after musicians, recording and touring with artists such as Jason Mraz, Black Eyed Peas, and Sin Bandera, at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall, and… Continue reading Molly Miller
Jon Hatamiya
Since first arriving to Los Angeles in 2014, trombonist, composer and B.A.C. endorsing artist Jon Hatamiya has established himself as a go-to creative and improvising musician in L.A.’s vast music scene. Noted as one of the most promising trombonists to emerge from the Sacramento area, Hatamiya’s journey led him to New York and then Los… Continue reading Jon Hatamiya