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. […]
Strong USC Thornton showing in LA Phil’s 2017-18 season
The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) recently announced its 2017-18 concert season, which includes featured performances by numerous USC Thornton faculty and alumni. In December, the Calder Quartet, which includes Thornton alumni Benjamin Jacobson (BM’01, MM’07, violin), Andrew Bulbrook (BM ’02, violin), Jonathan Moerschel (BM ’01, MM ’03, viola) and Eric Byers (BM ’03, cello), […]
Brice Burton takes percussion position with Charlotte Symphony
Brice Burton, a graduate student of the USC Thornton Winds & Percussion department, won the Principal Percussion position with the Charlotte Symphony. Burton has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the American Youth Symphony and took first place in the Division I Modern Snare Drum Competition in 2014.
Thornton percussionists take center stage in LA Phil’s Reich tribute
On January 17, several alumni and USC Thornton Percussion faculty celebrated legendary composer Steve Reich’s 80th birthday in a special Green Umbrella concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil). Faculty member James Babor joined alumni Jeffrey Grant (GCRT ’14), Nick Terry (DMA ’11), and Matthew Howard (’12), who is principal percussionist for the LA […]
Clarinetist Eric Abramovitz wins Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition
Clarinetist Eric Abramovitz, a USC Thornton Winds & Percussion graduate student of faculty member Yehuda Gilad, recently took 1st Prize for Classical Clarinet at the 2017 Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition. The Vandoren competition, sponsored by the eponymous mouthpiece and reed manufacturing company, celebrates “the next generation of great clarinetists and saxophonists,” and selects three winners […]
Alumni Micah Wright and Jason Lo to compete at MTNA
USC Thornton alumni Micah Wright (DMA ’15, clarinet) and Jason Lo (MM ’12, DMA ’16, piano) recently won the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Woodwind State Competition. This month, they will perform in the Regional Competition in Honolulu, Hawaii. Outside of the competition, Wright currently performs with Trio Brillante and the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra. […]
Eric Abramovitz joins alumnus Donald Foster in the Santa Barbara Symphony clarinet section
Clarinetist Eric Abramovitz, a USC Thornton Winds & Percussion graduate student of faculty member Yehuda Gilad, has won the 2nd/Eb clarinet position with the Santa Barbara Symphony. The ensemble also includes Thornton alumnus Donald T. Foster (MM ’96) as the principal clarinet.