SMPTV grad students help bring Bugs Bunny to life on stage
A team of graduate students from the USC Thornton Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television Program recently assisted conductor George Daugherty in transcribing and restoring the music of 1930’s and 1940’s Warner Bros. cartoons, including selections from the beloved “Looney Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies.” The New Yorker magazine reviewed Daugherty’s work with the New York… Continue reading SMPTV grad students help bring Bugs Bunny to life on stage
Piano student Esther Lee presents Chicago recital
USC Thornton student Esther Lee (GCRT ’15, keyboard studies) recently presented a solo recital hosted by the International Music Foundation of Chicago as part of their Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts series. The May 13 event took place at the Chicago Cultural Center and featured works by Haydn, Chopin and Ravel. Lee is a student… Continue reading Piano student Esther Lee presents Chicago recital
Masters student Yoona Jeong to participate in conducting masterclass
USC Thornton Choral Music masters candidate Yoona Jeong was selected to participate in the 2015 Princeton Festival Conducting Masterclass in New Jersey this June. The eight-day masterclass, led by Dr. Jan Harrington, will focus on rehearsal technique and participants will lead daily rehearsals with chamber and choral ensembles.
Daniel Gee to take teaching position at Westmont College
USC Thornton Choral Music student Daniel Gee (MM ’15) will take a teaching position at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, his undergraduate alma mater, as a sabbatical replacement in Theory and Composition for the 2015-16 academic year. Gee is presently co-conductor of the USC Thornton University Chorus, which presented his English folksong arrangement, “The Ploughman,”… Continue reading Daniel Gee to take teaching position at Westmont College
SoCal VoCals a cappella group wins fourth international championship in New York City
The premiere USC a cappella group, SoCal VoCals, recently won first place at the 2015 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, or the I.C.C.A., in New York City. This was the fourth time that the group has taken the title, following wins in 2008, 2010 and 2012. The SoCal VoCals’ 2015 I.C.C.A. triumph was documented… Continue reading SoCal VoCals a cappella group wins fourth international championship in New York City
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.
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
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