Jim Self releases new CD that includes a one-of-a-kind instrument, the fluba
USC Thornton Winds & Percussion faculty member Jim Self, a tuba player widely-known for his performances on over 1500 film soundtracks, has released a new album with guitarist John Chiodini. Floating in Winter includes several tracks featuring the fluba, a one-of-a-kind instrument that combines the tuba with qualities of the trumpet-like flugelhorn. The F-pitched fluba […]
Five Thornton musicians win principal positions with the American Youth Symphony
Five USC Thornton students and alumni have become principal chairs with the Los Angeles-based American Youth Symphony for the 2017-18 season. Student Tiffany Chung will serve as principal second violin, alongside principal oboe Laura Arganbright, and principal clarinet Sergio Coelho (GRCT ’16), while alumna Lieza Hansen (MM ’16) will serve as principal bassoon and Amy […]
Thomas Kolakowski wins Snare Drum Competition
Thomas Kolakowski, a USC Thornton master’s student in percussion, recently won the 10th Annual Modern Snare Drum Competition in Cleveland, Ohio. Kolakowski beat out a large field to win the competition, which takes place every year at the Cleveland Institute of Music and is sponsored by Pearl Drums. The organizers described it as “another inspiring […]
Percussionist Michael Daley joins the New World Symphony
Michael Daley (GRCT ’17), an alumnus of the USC Thornton Winds & Percussion program, recently took a percussion position with the New World Symphony. The Miami-based ensemble, which is led by Artistic Director and alumnus Michael Tilson Thomas (BM ’67, MM ’76), prepares highly-gifted graduates of distinguished music programs for leadership roles in orchestras and […]
Applications are now open for the LA Phil’s Hack Music LA
Applications are now open for Hack Music LA, a two-day event (October 7 & 8) that will bring together 75 of the country’s most creative makers to develop tools and experiences to expand music for all. The innovative, music-inspired hackathon is hosted by the LA Phil in partnership with the USC Thornton School of Music […]
Clarinetist Ryan Toher to be NY Philharmonic Global Academy Fellow
USC Thornton clarinetist Ryan Toher, a second-year master’s student of Yehuda Gilad, has been selected to participate in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellowship Program this January. One of several full-scholarship musicians selected by the Music Academy of the West, Toher will travel to New York City for an intensive ten days of training […]
Clarinet student Dario Brignoli takes principal position with Tucson Symphony
Clarinetist and USC Thornton graduate student Dario Brignoli recently won the principal clarinet position with the Tucson Symphony. Brignoli joins three Thornton alumni performing with the ensemble: principal flutist Alexander Lipay (MM ’07, flute), principal keyboardist Paula Fan (MM ‘74, DMA ’82, keyboard collaborative arts), and bassoonist Benjamin Yingst (MM ’08, bassoon). Thornton graduate certificate […]
Clarinet student Eric Abramovitz takes new position with Nashville Symphony
Clarinetist Eric Abramovitz, a USC Thornton Winds & Percussion graduate student of faculty member Yehuda Gilad, was recently named the associate principal/E-flat/2nd clarinet with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. This is the latest accolade in a banner year for Abramovitz, who also took 1st Prize for Classical Clarinet at the 2017 Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition and […]
Alumna Erika Binsley to premiere commission at D.C. Horn Day
USC Thornton Winds & Percussion alumna Erika Binsley (BM ’12, Horn) will premiere Nick Norton’s Gone to the Other Shore on May 7th at D.C. Horn Day in Washington, D.C., where she is a featured artist. Binsley commissioned the strikingly-contemporary piece, which features “sounds from many of the world’s oceans” and includes electronic instrumentation, with […]
Clarinetist Micah Wright takes 2nd place in Backun International Competition
USC Thornton Winds & Percussion alumnus Micah Wright (DMA ’15, clarinet) received 2nd place in this year’s Backun International Clarinet Competition. The competition, which took place March 9-11 at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music in Nashville, featured 16 participants from 8 different countries. Wright also recently received an honorable mention in the William C. […]