Alumni featured in Los Angeles Times about pandemic loss and hope
Three USC Thornton alumni were recently featured in a Los Angeles Times article on classical musicians’ stories of pandemic loss and hope. Alexander Blake (DMA ‘19), Melissa Tong (BM ‘00), and Jonathan Karoly (BM ‘97) shared their stories of overcoming struggles during the pandemic and embracing new opportunities. “This time has confirmed that I’m a […]
New Opera West releases animated opera short
New Opera West, a nonprofit opera company co-founded by Vocal Arts doctoral student Emily Thebaut and Composition faculty member Mark Weiser, recently released “Pepito.” The animated dog opera written by Nicolas Lell Benavides, a doctoral student in the Composition program, is currently streaming on Vimeo. The work was animated by Esperanza Guevara, Connor Jacobs, and […]
Michael Tilson Thomas and Los Angeles Philharmonic win at 2021 GRAMMY Awards
The 63rd annual GRAMMY Awards, held virtually on Sunday, March 14, brought wins for faculty and alumni at USC Thornton. Celebrated conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, a Thornton alum and Judge Widney Professor at USC, won for Best Orchestral Performance for the San Francisco Symphony’s “Copland: Symphony No. 3.” And the many alumni and faculty who […]
Gina Luciani featured in Avid campaign
Gina Luciani (MM ‘13), a USC Thornton alum and flutist, was recently featured in a campaign for Avid, a company that supplies the tools and technology for creators and media enterprises to thrive in the digital media era. Luciani was featured in a video spotlight for Avid’s new “I Am Avid” initiative highlighting artists and […]
Chris O’Brien wins position with U.S. Navy Band
Chris O’Brien (GCRT ’20), a trumpeter and alum of USC Thornton’s Winds & Percussion program, has won a position with the U.S. Navy Band. He is one of many Thornton alumni to join the prestigious band. O’Brien is also a co-founder and current member of Two Button Brass, a Los Angeles-based brass quintet founded by […]
Judith Farmer releases new album of chamber music for bassoon
Winds & Percussion faculty member Judith Farmer has released a new album of chamber music for bassoon, Judith Farmer Plays Favorites. The album includes performances by Strings faculty member Andrew Shulman and alum Vicki Ray (DMA ’88), as well as a recording of a piece by alum composer Gernot Wolfgang (GCRT ’94). The album is […]
James Babor to lead clinic at Percussive Arts Society Convention
James Babor, USC Thornton faculty and member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will lead a clinic on snare drum technique at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 3:30 pm. PASIC is one of the largest drum and percussion events in the world, featuring concerts, clinics, panels and presentations given […]
Los Angeles Orchestra Fellow Malik Taylor featured on Spectrum News 1
Los Angeles Orchestra Fellow Malik Taylor, one of the four Fellows accepted into the second cohort of the Los Angeles Orchestra Fellowship, was recently featured in a Spectrum News 1 segment about the program. In the segment, Taylor appears with two of his earliest mentors to share his musical journey that led him to the […]
Vimbayi Kaziboni appointed Artistic Advisor of Boston Lyric Opera
USC Thornton alum Vimbayi Kaziboni (BM ‘10) has been appointed to the newly created position of Artistic Advisor for the Boston Lyric Opera (BLO). In the position, Kaziboni will take a curatorial and leadership role in BLO, telling the Boston Globe that his goal is “to tell new stories and unheard stories.” One of the […]
Andrew Harrison to launch new online concert series
USC Thornton alum and saxophonist Andrew Harrison (DMA ’15) will launch a new online concert series, Concert Cast, on Tues., Sept. 1. An advocate for contemporary saxophone music, Harrison will perform with pianist Jason Lo (MM ’12, DMA ’16) in a program that features works by Bozza, Eiunaudi, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, and more. The event will […]