Michael Abels interviewed by Jon Burlingame in Variety
USC Thornton Composition alumnus Michael Abels (BM ‘84) was interviewed in Variety about composers of color in the film industry by Thornton faculty member and music writer Jon Burlingame. Abels, one of the co-founders of the Composers Diversity Collective, spoke about the changes he has seen in Hollywood over the past years as race and […]
Michael Tilson Thomas and Los Angeles Philharmonic win at 2021 GRAMMY Awards
The 63rd annual GRAMMY Awards, held virtually on Sunday, March 14, brought wins for faculty and alumni at USC Thornton. Celebrated conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, a Thornton alum and Judge Widney Professor at USC, won for Best Orchestral Performance for the San Francisco Symphony’s “Copland: Symphony No. 3.” And the many alumni and faculty who […]
Ludwig Göransson discusses “Tenet” score in Variety
Ludwig Göransson (GCRT ‘08), an alum of the USC Thornton Screen Scoring program, was interviewed by Variety about his score for Christopher Nolan’s recent film, “Tenet.” In the article, Göransson discusses the details of his collaboration with Nolan, including how he was challenged to experiment with different sounds for the film’s otherworldly score. “So many […]
Grammy-winning TV and film composer Perry Botkin Jr. dies at 87
Perry Botkin Jr., a GRAMMY Award-winning and Oscar-nominated television and film composer, and alumnus of USC Thornton, died on January 18 at the age of 87. The acclaimed arranger was well-known for his composition of the themes to “Happy Days,” “Mork and Mindy,” and “The Young and the Restless.” Botkin’s musical career began when he […]
Peter Boyer composes music for presidential inauguration
Composer and USC Thornton alum Peter Boyer (GCRT ’96) received the honor of composing a new piece for the festivities surrounding the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Joe Biden. Boyer was featured in the Los Angeles Times in a story about the significance of the commission. Titled “Fanfare for Tomorrow,” the piece was commissioned to […]
Jermaine Stegall featured on The Star Wars Show
Screen Scoring alum Jermaine Stegall (GCRT ’04) was interviewed in a special segment of “The Star Wars Show” about the composer’s work on “Our Star Wars Stories,” a digital series about the devoted fans of Star Wars. Stegall’s connection to the Star Wars universe began when he attended a composing lab at Skywalker Ranch, which […]
Screen Scoring program top-ranked in Hollywood Reporter
USC Thornton’s Screen Scoring Program has once again been ranked near the top of The Hollywood Reporter’s poll of the “Top 20 Music Schools for Composing for Film and TV of 2020.” For the third year in a row, the report has placed USC at #2, just one spot under Julliard. This year, the report […]
Garry Schyman discusses the making of “Metamorphosis” score
Garry Schyman, a faculty member in the Screen Scoring program, was interviewed alongside collaborator Mikolai Stroinski by TheGamer and Push Square to discuss their score for the Kafka-inspired video game Metamorphosis, released by Ovid Works this summer. In the interviews, Schyman spoke to both outlets about the various musical elements he and his collaborator used […]
USC Thornton alumni named to Variety’s “Hollywood’s New Leaders” list
USC Thornton alumni Ludwig Göransson (GCRT ‘08) and Justin Lubliner (BS ‘12) were named two of Hollywood’s New Leaders by Variety. The list showcases the newest generation of leaders and change-makers across the entertainment industry under the age of 40, including agents, creatives, producers, and more. Lubliner is recognized for his achievements as the founder […]
Roger Neill discusses remote screen scoring with Variety
Roger Neill (BM ‘86), an alum of USC Thornton’s Composition program, was recently interviewed for Variety’s Songs for Screens column about his approach to scoring film and television projects remotely. In the interview, Neill discusses how he drew from his network of session musicians to create a virtual orchestra for the score of the HBO […]