Jazz Studies faculty and alumni collaborated with Michael Bublé on chart-topping holiday album
This month, Michael Bublé’s tenth anniversary edition of Let It Snow! topped Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Charts. The album features arrangements by Thornton Jazz Studies Department Chair Jason Goldman (BM ’04) and features several Thornton alumni including pianist Alan Chang (BM ’02), trumpeter Bryan Lipps and drummer Robert Perkins (BM ’97, MM ’02). USC Thornton faculty… Continue reading Jazz Studies faculty and alumni collaborated with Michael Bublé on chart-topping holiday album
Nate Sloan talks Mariah Carey’s Christmas hit with NBC News
Nate Sloan, a Thornton Musicology program faculty member, was recently quoted in a NBC News article about the popularity of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Sloan said, “Charts are dominated by the newest hit single, and the appetite for new music is the drive for climbing the charts — the only… Continue reading Nate Sloan talks Mariah Carey’s Christmas hit with NBC News
Emily Rosenfield tours with Hamilton (And Peggy) Company
Session guitarist and USC Thornton Studio Guitar alum Emily Rosenfield (’16) is the first female guitarist to tour with the Hamilton (And Peggy) Company. She is also part of Hamilton‘s first-ever majority female band. The company’s music director, Lily Ling, called Rosenfield “amazing” in the November issue of International Musician. Rosenfield has previously played on… Continue reading Emily Rosenfield tours with Hamilton (And Peggy) Company
Lenny Hayes receives top prize at Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association’s 2021 Scholarship Competition
Classical pianist and keyboard studies doctoral student Lenny Hayes received first prize in the 2021 Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association (LAKMA) Scholarship Competition. The scholarship is awarded annually to college students who are majoring in music. As one of the winners, Hayes will be performing the first movement of the Price concerto with the LAKMA… Continue reading Lenny Hayes receives top prize at Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association’s 2021 Scholarship Competition
Pardy Minassian receives grant for composition highlighting folk songs of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide
Armenian guitarist Pardy Minassian, a graduate certificate student in the USC Thornton Classical Guitar program, was awarded a project grant from the Calouste Gyukbenkian Foundation for her multimedia series based on forgotten, unpublished Armenian folk songs, which she’s gathered from her father’s collection of interviews with Armenian genocide survivors. Minassian began working on this project… Continue reading Pardy Minassian receives grant for composition highlighting folk songs of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide
Bruce Forman featured on cover of Jazz Guitar Today
Guitarist Bruce Forman, a faculty member in the Thornton Studio Guitar program, was the focus of a cover story in the latest issue of Jazz Guitar Today. In the feature, Forman speaks about his new album, Reunion!, the way that storytelling influences his music and how he developed the skill to hold a conversation and… Continue reading Bruce Forman featured on cover of Jazz Guitar Today
Peter Erskine and Vince Mendoza honored at 2021 Jazz Tribute Awards Concert
USC Thornton Jazz Studies Department faculty members Peter Erskine and Vince Mendoza will be honored at the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s 2021 Jazz Tribute Awards Concert on December 4 at The Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. Erskine will be recognized as the Tribute Honoree and Mendoza will receive the Composer/Arranger Award. This annual concert celebrates jazz… Continue reading Peter Erskine and Vince Mendoza honored at 2021 Jazz Tribute Awards Concert
Juhi Bansal commissioned by the Oregon Mozart Players
Composition alum Juhi Bansal (BM ‘06, MM ‘08, DMA ‘12) has been commissioned by the Oregon Mozart Players to compose an orchestral work to be premiered in spring 2022. The piece is inspired by the whale songs Bansal heard when she went diving with humpback whales. Bansal is leading a series of salons over the… Continue reading Juhi Bansal commissioned by the Oregon Mozart Players
USC Thornton ranked among top 20 music schools for composing for film and TV by The Hollywood Reporter
This month, the USC Thornton School of Music topped the list of the 20 best music schools for composing for film and TV by The Hollywood Reporter. The rankings noted Thornton’s commitment to inclusivity — women comprise 50% of students currently enrolled in the screen scoring program, making it one of the most gender-diverse programs… Continue reading USC Thornton ranked among top 20 music schools for composing for film and TV by The Hollywood Reporter
Erika Poh scores string arrangment for K-pop singer CL
Sophomore Thornton composition student Erika Poh scored a string arrangement for K-Pop singer CL’s song “Siren,” which is featured on her newest album, Alpha. Poh co-arranged the piece with Josh Wei at Snakewood Studios in Singapore, and the score was performed by a quartet of Singapore Symphony Orchestra players. Alpha was released on October 20… Continue reading Erika Poh scores string arrangment for K-pop singer CL