Faculty and alumni perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert
USC Thornton faculty and alumni performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert in February. On Feb. 19, Composition program faculty member Camae Ayewa (Moor Mother) performed a Tiny Desk Concert with the free-jazz group, Irreversible Entanglements. She sang six tracks, including songs from the band’s new album, Protect Your Light. Watch the performance here. Jazz Studies… Continue reading Faculty and alumni perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert
Kaitlin Miller named 2023-2025 Concert Artist of American Harp Society
Kaitlin Miller, a master’s student in the USC Thornton Strings department, was named the American Harp Society’s (AHS) 2023-2025 Concert Artist. As AHS Concert Artist, she will give performances, classes and/or workshops that benefit local harp communities. In February, she performed recitals and taught masterclasses in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Chicago and Denver, with more travels on… Continue reading Kaitlin Miller named 2023-2025 Concert Artist of American Harp Society
PopCon brings first-ever Los Angeles conference to USC
PopCon, the annual music writing and popular music studies conference, came to USC and Los Angeles for the first time on March 7-9. This year’s theme focused on music collections and archives. The conference featured over 30 events—including keynote sessions with funk legend George Clinton, filmmaker dream hampton and journalist Danyel Smith. USC Thornton Dean… Continue reading PopCon brings first-ever Los Angeles conference to USC
USC Thornton celebrates 2024 Oscar winners
USC Thornton composers were celebrated at the 96th Academy Awards, held on Sunday, March 10 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Ludwig Göransson (GCRT ’08) won his second Oscar for Best Original Score for Oppenheimer, the year’s most-nominated film. He took home his first Oscar in 2019 for Black Panther. Composition alumna Katya Richardson… Continue reading USC Thornton celebrates 2024 Oscar winners
Alumni nominated for 2024 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards
On February 21, several USC Thornton alumni received nominations in the 2024 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards. Raashi Kulkarni (GCRT ’16, MM ’18) was nominated for Film Score of the Year with World’s Best. Katya Richardson (’19) was nominated for Documentary Score of the Year with The Last Repair Shop. Bear McCreary (’02), “God of War:… Continue reading Alumni nominated for 2024 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards
Ludwig Göransson wins 2024 BAFTA Award for “Oppenheimer” score
Ludwig Göransson (GCRT ’08) won a 2024 BAFTA Award in the Best Original Score category for his soundtrack to Oppenheimer, marking the composer’s first BAFTA Award. The awards ceremony was held on Feb. 18 at The Royal Festival Hall in London. Oppenheimer led with wins in seven categories.
Dean Jason King quoted by NPR
USC Thornton Dean Jason King was quoted in an NPR review of the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show, published on Feb. 9. King, an NPR contributor and music scholar, commented on the topic of Las Vegas residencies: “[Vegas Residencies] almost exist outside critical infrastructure,” he said. “These are blockbuster celebrities doing a blockbuster show for… Continue reading Dean Jason King quoted by NPR
Seoyon MacDonald’s recording of Prelude and Fugue selected for 2024 Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival
Seoyon MacDonald, a DMA student in the USC Thornton Keyboard Collaborative Arts program, will present her music video and short documentary of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue in C# minor at the 2024 Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival. The festival runs through March 11 via Vimeo OnDemand. Discovered in 2019, the Prelude and Fugue was composed… Continue reading Seoyon MacDonald’s recording of Prelude and Fugue selected for 2024 Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival
Jules Pegram joins 2024 International Music Festival of the Adriatic Sea
Jules Pegram (‘13), a USC Thornton Composition program alumnus, has joined the composition faculty for the 2024 International Music Festival of the Adriatic Sea (IMFA). Set in Duino, Italy, IMFA is a collaborative music-making program that provides masterclasses, workshops and recitals for musicians 18 and up. The program will be held on June 2-29. Pegram’s… Continue reading Jules Pegram joins 2024 International Music Festival of the Adriatic Sea
Diana Newman and Arnold Geis perform in New York Philharmonic’s U.S. premiere of Émigré
USC Thornton Vocal Arts & Opera alumni Diana Newman (‘12, MM ‘14) and Arnold Geis (MM ‘14) will be soloists in the New York Philharmonic’s U.S. premiere of Émigré, composed by Aaron Zigman. The performance takes place on Feb. 29–Mar. 1 at David Geffen Hall. Émigré is a musical drama of love and loss that… Continue reading Diana Newman and Arnold Geis perform in New York Philharmonic’s U.S. premiere of Émigré