DMA student Jenny Wong to conduct with Helmuth Rilling in Hong Kong
USC Thornton Choral Music DMA student Jenny Ching Yee Wong recently served as a conductor at the Norfolk Choral Workshop with Simon Carrington and at the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra Institute at Peabody Conservatory. This summer, Wong will both sing and conduct with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Helmuth Rilling.
Artist-in-residence Young Guru profiled by Wall Street Journal
USC Thornton artist-in-residence Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton was profiled in a Wall Street Journal article about his technical contributions to hip hop music. The Grammy Award-nominated engineer, DJ and producer, best known for his collaborations with rapper Jay-Z, has also worked artists such as Eminem, Notorious BIG, Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Rihanna. Young Guru has… Continue reading Artist-in-residence Young Guru profiled by Wall Street Journal
Thornton Opera’s “Iphigénie en Tauride” reviewed in LA Times
The USC Thornton Opera Program‘s recent production of Gluck’s “Iphigénie en Tauride” received a positive review in the Los Angeles Times. Writer Mark Swed noted that “The USC production by Ken Cazan brought some of the underlying violence to the surface but without compromising the refined beauty of Gluck’s near-perfect score.” Swed went on to… Continue reading Thornton Opera’s “Iphigénie en Tauride” reviewed in LA Times
Piano student Evan Pensis selected for USC fellowship
USC Thornton junior Evan Pensis (BM ’16, piano performance) was selected for an Undergraduate Fellowship with the USC Center for Excellence and Teaching for the 2015-16 academic year. Pensis studies under Keyboard Studies professor Daniel Pollack. Pensis was recently awarded First Place in the VSA Kennedy Center International Young Soloists Competition and will present a… Continue reading Piano student Evan Pensis selected for USC fellowship
Shou Ping Liu to take summer conducting role with Oregon Bach Festival
USC Thornton doctoral candidate Shou Ping Liu was selected as one of eight student conductors for the Oregon Bach Festival, which is held each summer in Eugene. In this role, Liu will work alongside Artistic Director Matthew Halls and Director Emeritus Helmuth Rilling. At USC Thornton, Liu studies choral conducting with Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe and… Continue reading Shou Ping Liu to take summer conducting role with Oregon Bach Festival
Thom Mason featured in article about Jelly Roll Morton
Thom Mason, professor and founder of the Jazz Studies department at USC Thornton, was featured in an article by LA Downtown News. He spoke about the legacy of jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton. “[Morton] deserves more recognition than we tend to give him today,” Mason said in the article, which profiles a recent theatrical piece… Continue reading Thom Mason featured in article about Jelly Roll Morton
Jong-In Kim joins Incheon City Chorale as Assistant Conductor
USC Thornton alumnus Jong-In Kim (DMA ’11) has been named Assistant Conductor of Korea’s most prestigious professional choir, the Incheon City Chorale. In this role, he will function as an interim conductor during the choir’s search for a new Artistic Director. Mr. Kim has served as Assistant Conductor with both CALA (Choral Alchemy of Los… Continue reading Jong-In Kim joins Incheon City Chorale as Assistant Conductor
Composition by Thomas Osborne featured on new piano album
A composition by USC Thornton alumnus Thomas Osborne (DMA ’06, composition), “The Ends of the Earth,” was prominently featured on pianist Derek Polischuk’s album, “Terra Incognita,” which was released last month. In a review for City Pulse, Lawrence Cosentino called Osborne’s piece “a grand, terrifying and beautiful new work for piano” that “heaves like ocean… Continue reading Composition by Thomas Osborne featured on new piano album
Francisco Fullana takes top prize at Munetsugu Angel Violin Competition
Francisco Garcia Fullana (GCRT, ’15) recently won the Munetsugu Angel Violin Competition in Nagoya, Japan, a biennial competition open to international candidates under the age of 25. In addition to winning first prize, Fullana also won the audience prize, the Prize of the Central Aichi Orchestra and the Special Prize from Mr. Munetsugu, himself. As… Continue reading Francisco Fullana takes top prize at Munetsugu Angel Violin Competition
Cardinal Winds receive strong review for Clyde Montgomery Concert performance
The Cardinal Winds woodwind sextet performed at the annual Clyde Montgomery Concert in Pasadena on March 29, during which they premiered composer Stephen Cohn’s “Aria for Winds.” Rodney Punt, in a review for LA Opus, reported that the sextet members “had their work cut out” on Cohn’s piece, but “deftly conveyed both the work’s craftsmanship… Continue reading Cardinal Winds receive strong review for Clyde Montgomery Concert performance