Viola Masterclass with Kim Kashkashian featured on Violinist.com
Kim Kashkashian, GRAMMY Award-winning violist and a professor at the New England Conservatory of Music, was recently featured on Violinist.com for her viola masterclass with USC Thornton String students this past January. The article dives into Kashkashian’s effective rapport with the students and discusses specific technical and instructional devices she used in the masterclass.
Callisto Trio earns standing ovation in Amsterdam
Pianist Katelyn Vahala, a USC Thornton undergraduate, and alumna cellist Annie Jacobs-Perkins ’18, are currently touring Holland and Bratislava with the Callisto Trio, which also features violinist Geneva Lewis. On Jan. 13, the trio earned a standing ovation for their performance of Schoenfield, Ives and Dvorak at the Concertgebouw. Formed in 2011, the Callisto Trio […]
Midori Goto featured in Violinist.com
Violinist.com recently featured USC Distinguished Professor Midori Goto for a masterclass she presented at USC Thornton last Spring. In “The Art of Giving a Masterclass,” Midori encouraged students to think how they would structure their own masterclasses, an important skill when hunting for a teaching job. The article highlighted the thought process behind how instructors […]
Two recent USC Thornton grads featured in College Magazine
College Magazine included two recent USC Thornton alumni – Cooper Bell and Nick Kennerly – in their recent article, “Meet 10 Outstanding College Music Students.” A Popular Music major, Bell discussed his dedication to writing and performing music and how his USC instructors helped him grow as an artist. He also touched on the opportunity […]
YuEun Kim and Sung Chang take 2nd Prize at Boulder duo competition
Violinist YuEun Kim (GCRT ’15, ARTD ’17) and pianist Sung Chang (GCRT ’17), have been jointly awarded 2nd prize at the Art of Duo: Boulder International Chamber Music Festival in Boulder, Colorado. The USC Thornton alumni performed the 2nd movement of Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 2 Enjoy a video of their winning performance below: Kim, […]
Cellist Marek Szpakiewicz tours Japan to support Fukushima earthquake victims
Cellist and USC Thornton alumnus Marek Szpakiewicz (DMA ’08), is currently undertaking a two-week performance tour of Japan to support children in the disaster-ravaged region of Fukushima, where an earthquake and tsunami set off a nuclear accident in 2011. Szpakiewicz, who serves as director of String Studies and Chamber Music at Azusa Pacific University, has […]
Grant Gershon warmly reviewed for work with LA Master Chorale and LA Opera
USC Thornton alumnus Grant Gershon (’85, piano), artistic director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, recently launched the ensemble’s 2018-19 season on September 22 with a performance of Shawn Kirchner’s Songs of Ascent, featuring baritone and faculty member, Rod Gilfry, and faculty harpist JoAnn Turovsky as soloists. Gershon is currently conducting the LA Opera’s production […]
Four Thornton violinists join the Long Beach Symphony
The Long Beach Symphony recently welcomed four new violinists to its roster of musicians, all of whom are USC Thornton students or alumni. Chloe Chiu (GCRT ’15) joins the ensemble’s First Violin section, while YuEun Kim (GCRT ’15, ARTD ’17), Sakura Tsai (MM ’07, GCRT ’09, DMA ’13), and current Los Angeles Orchestra Fellow Sydney […]
Hank Mou appointed Associate Dean at New England Conservatory
Hank Mou (BM ’06, double bass), an alumnus of the USC Thornton Strings program, has been appointed Associate Dean for Artistic Administration at the New England Conservatory (NEC) in Boston, Massachusetts. Mou, who teaches double bass for the NEC’s Preparatory & Continuing Education program, also serves as managing director for the New York City-based East […]
Delirium Musicum chamber ensemble announces call for scores
Delirium Musicum, a conductorless chamber ensemble founded by violinist and USC Thornton alumnus Etienne Gara, has announced a call for scores open to composers of any age and nationality. The deadline for submission is October 15, 2018 with the works to be premiered in a February concert. The ensemble, which won the 2018 Beverly Hills […]