USC Thornton students to perform at KAABOO Festival
USC Thornton Popular Music students Marshall Via (’21) and Shane Cronin (’22) will perform at the KAABOO Del Mar festival on Sat., Sept 14 with their band, Sir, Please. Their performance, part of the festival’s Amplify (VIP) lineup, will feature a horn section of current students from the Jazz Studies program: Sam Shapiro (’21), Gray… Continue reading USC Thornton students to perform at KAABOO Festival
Heesong Lee places second in international choral competition
Heeseong Lee, a doctoral candidate in USC Thornton’s Choral & Sacred Music program, recently placed second in the 2019 World Choral Conducting Competition. The native of South Korea stood out in a field that included contestants from 29 countries. In addition to a cash prize, Lee also received the opportunity to study with choral conducting… Continue reading Heesong Lee places second in international choral competition
Strauss Shi to solo with Pacific Symphony
Violinist and USC Thornton Master’s of Music student Strauss Shi will be a featured soloist in the Pacific Symphony’s Symphony in the Cities series. Carl St.Clair, the Music Director of the Pacific Symphony and Artistic Leader and Principal Conductor of the USC Thornton Orchestras, will conduct the four concerts that will take place over two… Continue reading Strauss Shi to solo with Pacific Symphony
Three Music Industry Students win MBA scholarships
The Music Business Association recently awarded scholarships to three USC Thornton Music Industry students. Hannah Abrahim, Ugonnaya Chilaka and Chandler Lawn were selected based on their academic achievement and evidence of future potential to receive financial assistance through the Association’s Scholarship Foundation. Since 1966, these scholarships have assisted the children of Music Business Association members… Continue reading Three Music Industry Students win MBA scholarships
USC Percussion Group noted in LA Times
The USC Percussion Group performed “Fear-Release” by Ellen Reid at the third-annual LA Phil’s Noon to Midnight event. The LA Times mentioned the performance in their review of the event, saying it was “captivating in its gentle rustling.” Also mentioned was Thornton alumna and faculty member Sara Gibson’s performance with HOCKET and percussionist Michael Basak’s… Continue reading USC Percussion Group noted in LA Times
Nicholas Méndez Del Valle wins Collegiate Concerto Competition
USC Thornton undergraduate pianist Nicholas Méndez Del Valle recently was the unanimous grand prize winner of the Santa Monica Symphony and Westside Music Foundation’s new Collegiate Concerto Competition. The Santa Monica Mirror profiled Del Valle for this accomplishment and mentioned his May 26 performance with the Santa Monica Symphony.
Senior Logan Nelson wins at World Soundtrack Awards
USC Thornton Composition senior Logan Nelson has won the SABAM Award for the Most Original Composition by a Young International Composer from the World Soundtrack Academy. The annual competition calls for submissions of original symphonic film or TV scores and includes a cash prize of €2500. Nelson will have the opportunity to hear his winning… Continue reading Senior Logan Nelson wins at World Soundtrack Awards
Juan Pablo Contreras premieres new work with LACO
Tonight, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) will present the U.S. premiere of current doctoral student Juan Pablo Contreras’ harp concerto, Ángel Mestizo. The event, which begins at 8:00 pm at Hauser + Wirth in Downtown Los Angeles, is part of SESSION, a series in which LACO musicians collaborate with compelling composers in unique spaces. … Continue reading Juan Pablo Contreras premieres new work with LACO
Thomas Mellan presents Ukrainian premiere of Messiaen organ work
Thomas Mellan (BM ’17), who is currently double majoring in Organ Studies and Composition at USC Thornton, recently undertook a Summer concert tour of France and the Ukraine, performing in spectacular churches and festival venues, including Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye and Saint-Martin d’Esquermes. In Lviv, Ukraine, Mellan presented a series of three concerts at the Lviv Organ Hall,… Continue reading Thomas Mellan presents Ukrainian premiere of Messiaen organ work
Daniel Linder joins University of Arizona piano faculty
Pianist and USC Thornton doctoral candidate Daniel Linder recently took the position of Assistant Professor of Music in the Keyboard/Accompanying department of the University of Arizona’s Fox School of Music. Linder, who was named a 2018 USC Thornton Outstanding Graduate, also earned the 2018 Fresno Musical Club Susan Torres Award, and received first prize in… Continue reading Daniel Linder joins University of Arizona piano faculty