Chamber Singers awarded 2015 American Prize
The USC Thornton Chamber Singers, led by Jo-Michael Scheibe, have been awarded the 2015 American Prize in Choral Music in the University/College Division. The American Prize series celebrates artistic excellence in a number of creative disciplines. Formed as the Madrigal Singers in 1939, the Chamber Singers have been hailed as a model of excellence since… Continue reading Chamber Singers awarded 2015 American Prize
Musicologist Andrew Cashner receives top honors from the American Musicological Society
Andrew Cashner, a member of the USC Thornton Musicology faculty, was recently presented with the Alfred Einstein Award at this year’s annual meeting of the American Musicological Society in Louisville. The award, which honors a musicological article of exceptional merit, recognizes Cashner’s Journal of Early Modern History article, entitled “Playing Cards at the Eucharistic Table:… Continue reading Musicologist Andrew Cashner receives top honors from the American Musicological Society
MusicalAmerica names Yehuda Gilad one of its Professionals of the Year
Clarinetist and conductor Yehuda Gilad, a member of the USC Thornton Winds and Percussion faculty, has been named one of MusicalAmerica’s Professionals of the Year. In a brief website profile, MusicalAmerica lauded Gilad’s teaching reputation as “second to none” and acknowledged the accomplishments of his former students, many of whom now occupy important positions with… Continue reading MusicalAmerica names Yehuda Gilad one of its Professionals of the Year
The L.A. Times and L.A. Phil celebrate clarinetist Michele Zukovsky
Michele Zukovsky, a member of the USC Thornton Winds and Percussion faculty, will retire from her position as principal clarinetist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic after 54 years with the orchestra. The Los Angeles Times celebrated Zukovsky’s incredible career with a special profile, affectionately noting that she joined the orchestra at 18 – apparently, she… Continue reading The L.A. Times and L.A. Phil celebrate clarinetist Michele Zukovsky
Lisa Cooper Vest
Lisa Cooper Vest is a musicologist whose work is focused on the aesthetic and political contexts of the post-WWII Polish musical avant-garde. Her work is situated within the field of Cold War studies, as she considers the effects of political ideologies upon musical culture and its meanings. Vest is particularly interested in the complicated power… Continue reading Lisa Cooper Vest
Rave reviews for Andrew Norman’s “Split” with Jeffrey Kahane and the N.Y. Philharmonic
“Can the young American composer Andrew Norman keep this up?,” is the question posed by the New York Times in its fervent review of Norman’s new work, “Split,” which he premiered with pianist Jeffrey Kahane, maestro James Gaffigan, and the New York Philharmonic on December 10. Norman, whose previous orchestral work, “Play,” is currently nominated for… Continue reading Rave reviews for Andrew Norman’s “Split” with Jeffrey Kahane and the N.Y. Philharmonic
Percussionist Joseph Pereira featured on PBS’s ”Craft in America”
Joseph Pereira, director of USC Thornton’s percussion studio and principal timpani for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, was recently featured on the “Music” episode of PBS’s “Craft in America,” which explored the complex relationship between the design and manufacture of musical instruments and their use in performance. Pereira’s segment was the result of a full day… Continue reading Percussionist Joseph Pereira featured on PBS’s ”Craft in America”
Clarinet alumni take orchestral positions
Two clarinet alumni of USC Thornton Winds and Percussion faculty member Yehuda Gilad have secured positions with American orchestras. Brad Whitfield (MM ’11) recently won the Assistant Principal Clarinet chair with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, under maestro Christopher Confessore. Sergei Vassiliev (GCRT ’09), who recently became Principal Clarinet for the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, was the… Continue reading Clarinet alumni take orchestral positions
Four stars for Ron McCurdy’s Langston Hughes Project with rapper Ice-T
The Langston Hughes Project, an ongoing series of music, artworks and performances by trumpeter and USC Thornton Jazz Studies professor Ron McCurdy, received rave reviews for its European premiere at the Barbican Theatre in London last month. The project realizes the late poet Langston Hughes’ ambitions to create a jazz accompaniment to his 1961 poem,… Continue reading Four stars for Ron McCurdy’s Langston Hughes Project with rapper Ice-T
Faculty member Lynn Helding inaugurates vocal science association
Lynn Helding, a faculty member of the USC Thornton Vocal Arts and Opera program who specializes in vocal pedagogy, delivered the keynote address at the inaugural symposium of PAVA, the Pan-American Vocology Association, in October at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. PAVA stems from the relatively new field of voice science — also… Continue reading Faculty member Lynn Helding inaugurates vocal science association