USC Thornton remembers jazz guitarist and former studio guitar faculty member Joe Diorio
Jazz guitarist and former USC Thornton Studio Guitar program faculty member Joe Diorio passed away at the age of 85 on Feb. 2. During his career, Diorio established himself as a fixture of the American jazz scene, playing with Sonny Stitt, Hal Crook, Anita O’Day, Jaco Pastorius and Freddie Hubbard, among others. Diorio was inspired… Continue reading USC Thornton remembers jazz guitarist and former studio guitar faculty member Joe Diorio
Marcello Carelli releases debut album
Marcello Carelli, a master’s student in the USC Thornton Jazz Studies Department, releases his debut album, The Era, on Feb. 11. The album is a culmination of Carelli’s first four years as a composer and features seven original compositions.
Vijay Venkatesh on The Playful Musician Podcast
Vijay Venkatesh (‘17), an alumnus of the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies Department, was recently a guest on The Playful Musician podcast. During his conversation with host Steve Davidson, he spoke about the importance of channeling life experiences into his performances. “Channeling life experiences into a piece of music is also paramount to releasing its character.… Continue reading Vijay Venkatesh on The Playful Musician Podcast
Reyna Gordon promoted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Vocal arts alum Dr. Reyna Gordon (BM ‘01) has been promoted to associate professor and awarded tenure in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery. Gordon currently serves as one of the co-directors of the Vanderbilt Music Cognition Lab, where she leads an interdisciplinary research program focused on musicality… Continue reading Reyna Gordon promoted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Jenny Wong co-directs the LA Master Chorale
USC Thornton Department of Choral & Sacred Music alum Jenny Wong (MM ‘13, DMA ‘17) will be co-directing the Los Angeles Master Chorale on Jan. 30. in City Called Heaven. The program, which takes its name from the famous African American spiritual, will explore themes of homecoming and aspiring toward paradise. It will feature works… Continue reading Jenny Wong co-directs the LA Master Chorale
Thornton alumni win Copland House Residencies
Thornton composition alumni Sarah Gibson (MM ‘10, DMA ‘15), Lansing McLoskey (MM ‘92) and Ali Can Puskulcu (MM ‘18) were selected from a pool of 221 composers as winners of the 2021 Copland House Residency Awards. Every year, the Copland House invites eight to ten American composers to reside at Rock Hill, Aaron Copland’s restored,… Continue reading Thornton alumni win Copland House Residencies
Julia Adolphe premieres violin concerto with LA Phil
Composition DMA student Julia Adolphe (MM ‘12) premiered a violin concerto, “Woven Loom, Silver Spindle,” with the LA Philarmonic in December. She collaborated closely with Martin Chalifour, the LA Phil’s principal concertmaster and a faculty member of the USC Thornton Strings program, on this piece during the 2020 lockdown. This is the second commission that… Continue reading Julia Adolphe premieres violin concerto with LA Phil
USC Thornton alumni and students named “composers and performers to watch” by The Washington Post
USC Thornton alumni and students were recently highlighted in The Washington Post’s round-up of 22 composers and performers to watch in 2022. This list includes current DMA student in composition Rohan Chander, as well as two alumni: choral composer Dale Trumbore (MM’11) and cellist and composer Paul Wiancko (‘05). The Washington Post said “this year’s… Continue reading USC Thornton alumni and students named “composers and performers to watch” by The Washington Post
Sophie Beem profiled in Daily Trojan
USC Thornton junior Sophie Beem was recently featured in an article for the Daily Trojan. The piece explored Beem’s journey in the music industry as a songwriter and an artist. Before attending Thornton, Beem was signed to a three-year deal with Beyoncé’s management and entertainment company, Parkwood Entertainment, and she also toured with Charlie Puth… Continue reading Sophie Beem profiled in Daily Trojan
Jon Burlingame wins 2021 ASCAP Award for penning Midnight Cowboy essay
Last year, Jon Burlingame, a faculty member in USC Thornton’s Screen Scoring program, received the ASCAP Foundation Paul Williams “Loved the Liner Notes” Award for his 4,000-word essay that was included in an expanded reissue of the Midnight Cowboy film soundtrack. Burlingame is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on movie music… Continue reading Jon Burlingame wins 2021 ASCAP Award for penning Midnight Cowboy essay