The Los Angeles Times draws musical parallels between Los Angeles and Berlin
The musical vitality of Los Angeles takes center stage in a recent Los Angeles Times article by music critic Mark Swed, which juxtaposes the city’s artistic dynamism with that of the more established metropolis of Berlin. Surveying the German capital’s three major opera companies and the venerable Berlin Philharmonic, Swed drew parallels to several Los […]
Soprano Jessica Rivera reprises role in “Hubble Cantata” in Los Angeles
Soprano and USC Thornton alumna Jessica Rivera (MM ’98) returns to Southern California in October to reprise her role in the groundbreaking Hubble Cantata, a multimedia “experience that pushes the boundaries of art and science as it takes audiences on a journey of wonder and exploration.” Soprano Jessica Rivera performing during the premiere of the […]
Donald Crockett, Thornton alumni featured at Caramoor
USC Thornton Composition chair Donald Crockett (MM ’76) recently visited the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts in Katonah, New York, where the Argus Quartet is preparing his commissioned string quartet for its July premiere. Thornton alumni and faculty feature prominently throughout the Center’s spring and summer seasons. The Los Angeles-based Argus Quartet, which […]
Kenneth Cazan directs “Frau Schindler” opera in Munich
USC Thornton Vocal Arts & Opera chair Kenneth Cazan is currently in Munich to stage direct the opera Frau Schindler, which premieres this coming March. The opera, which received a concert reading at USC Thornton last year, follows the life of Emilie Schindler, wife of the well known Oskar, and explores her contributions during the […]
Gamble House to host USC Thornton student concert series
This season, the iconic Gamble House in Pasadena will collaborate with USC Thornton to present a four-part music series entitled “House Music.” The 1908 showpiece of American Arts and Crafts architecture, a National Historic Landmark, is currently deeded to the city of Pasadena and managed by the USC School of Architecture. The first of four […]
Carrie St. Louis of “Wicked” performs at White House event
USC Thornton alumna Carrie St. Louis (‘12, vocal arts), who plays Glinda in the national touring production of Wicked, was invited to perform in New York for First Lady Michelle Obama’s event, Let Girls Learn. To celebrate strong female characters in entertainment, St. Louis and her co-star Jennifer DiNoia performed “For Good” from Wicked for […]
Soprano Jessica Rivera featured in Paola Prestini’s spectacular “Hubble Cantata”
Soprano and USC Thornton alumna Jessica Rivera (MM ’98) recently performed in the groundbreaking Hubble Cantata as part of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival in Prospect Park. In celebration of the 26th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope, composer Paola Prestini and filmmaker Eliza McNitt engaged live performers and virtual-reality technology to bring festival audiences inside […]
Thornton musicians sweep Frances Walton Competition in Seattle
Mezzo-soprano and USC Thornton Vocal Arts & Opera graduate student Lesley Baird (MM ’15) was a winner of the 2016 Frances Walton Competition in Seattle, where she was accompanied by pianist and Keyboard Collaborative Arts DMA candidate Jasper Jimenez (MM ’13, GCRT ’15). Since winning the competition in July, the duo has presented several area […]
Ryan Reithmeier named opera director at Azusa Pacific
Ryan Reithmeier (DMA ’16, vocal arts) has been appointed the Director of Opera at the Azusa Pacific University (APU) School of Music. Reithmeier first joined the APU vocal faculty in 2015 while he was still in his doctoral studies at USC Thornton. In addition to his work with the APU Opera, Reithmeier directs high school […]
Rod Gilfry sings Don Alfonso in back-to-back European productions
Baritone Rod Gilfry, a member of USC Thornton’s Vocal Arts & Opera faculty, recently performed the role of Don Alfonso in back-to-back runs of Mozart’s Così fan tutte in the UK and France. The co-production, directed by Christophe Honoré and conducted by Louis Langrée and Jérémie Rhorer, was first presented at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in […]