Alumnus Manny Sanoja self-publishes book
USC Thornton Vocal Arts alumnus Manny Sanoja (BA ’14) has published a book entitled Enlightening Awakening: A Practical Guide to Self Awareness, Hope and Healing. Sanoja’s life-long love of music performance, interrupted by the death of his father, eventually compelled him to pursue his vocal and operatic studies. He later left the music world to […]
Alumna Tricia Oney to serve as artist-in-residence with the U.S. Army Band
Vocal Arts alumna and jazz vocalist Tricia Oney (DMA ’07) will join the U.S. Army Band’s “Pershing’s Own” as Artist-In-Residence and Composer-In-Residence from October 19th to 22nd. Oney will present workshops, masterclasses and vocal jazz clinics for Army Voices during the week, culminating in a performance with both ensembles on Sunday, October 22nd at Arlington […]
Ken Cazan praised for production of Britten’s “The Burning Fiery Furnace”
USC Thornton Vocal Arts & Opera chair Ken Cazan’s recent production of Benjamin Britten’s The Burning Fiery Furnace at the Central City Opera in Boulder, Colorado, received high praise. “Cazan’s imaginative staging combined with Britten’s music makes the message universal,” the review stated. Cazan’s stage direction delivered a modern take on Britten’s opera “where the […]
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 […]