Thornton new music ensembles sparkle in LATimes review
Two new music ensembles featuring USC Thornton students and faculty were reviewed in the Los Angeles Times for a recent performance as part of Tuesdays@MonkSpace. The HOCKET piano due includes DMA Composition student Thomas Kotcheff (MM ’12) and Composition faculty member Sarah Gibson (MM ’10, DMA ’15). The Sakura ensemble centers around five cellists: Jonathan… Continue reading Thornton new music ensembles sparkle in LATimes review
Violinist YuEun Kim featured in LACMA recital
USC Thornton Artist diploma student YuEun Kim (GCRT ’15, violin), who studies under Midori Goto, won the 2015 Sundays Live at LACMA competition to present a solo recital at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art on September 13. Kim was the winner among 13 finalists who competed for the opportunity in February. Sundays Live… Continue reading Violinist YuEun Kim featured in LACMA recital
Tuba student Brandon Davis receives Tommy Johnson Scholarship
Tuba player Brandon Davis (MM ’13), currently a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Winds & Percussion program, has received the 2015-16 Tommy Johnson Tuba Scholarship, which is awarded annually to an outstanding graduating student. Davis, a native of Washington State, also studies conducting and composition at Thornton. The scholarship honors the legacy of Tommy… Continue reading Tuba student Brandon Davis receives Tommy Johnson Scholarship
Doctoral candidate Alin Melik-Adamyan shines at Centrum Chamber Music Workshop
Alin Melik-Adamyan (’12, MM ’14, piano), a doctoral candidate in USC Thornton’s Keyboard Collaborative Arts program, was one of two pianists invited to participate in the 2015 Chamber Music Workshop hosted by the Centrum Foundation in Port Townsend, Washington. Melik-Adamyan was nominated for the posting by Lucinda Carver, Vice Dean of Thornton’s Division of Classical… Continue reading Doctoral candidate Alin Melik-Adamyan shines at Centrum Chamber Music Workshop
Popular Music vocalist Malia Civetz performs with several orchestras
Malia Civetz, a senior in the USC Thornton Popular Music program, will perform as a vocal soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony in a special concert of composer Steven Hackman‘s symphonic mash-up, “Beethoven + Coldplay.” Civetz also performed the work with the Indianapolis Symphony in January and was featured in Hackman’s “Bartok + Bjork” piece at… Continue reading Popular Music vocalist Malia Civetz performs with several orchestras
Keyboard Collaborative Arts student HyeJung Shin performs in Austria and Japan
HyeJung Shin, currently a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Keyboard Collaborative Arts program under Alan Smith, attended the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria this past summer. The annual program is a highly competitive training ground for musicians, with performances, masterclasses, and intensive study. Shin also performed at the International Double… Continue reading Keyboard Collaborative Arts student HyeJung Shin performs in Austria and Japan
Student Emily Browne takes principal position with Spokane Symphony
USC Thornton masters student Emily Browne has won the position of Johnston-Fix Principal Chair, Horn, with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra, under music director Eckart Preu. Browne currently studies with Kristy Morrell in the Winds and Percussion program.
Vijay Venkatesh wins prize in Seattle piano competition
Vijay Venkatesh (BM ’17, piano performance), currently a student in the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies program under Norman Krieger, has won second prize in the Seattle Symphony Piano Competition, earning $5000 and the opportunity to perform in concert with the symphony. Venkatesh will next perform in a chamber music recital with clarinetist Micah Wright at… Continue reading Vijay Venkatesh wins prize in Seattle piano competition
Evan Pensis shares sophisticated piano repertoire with prison audiences
Evan Pensis (BM ’16, piano), a fourth-year student in the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies program, has garnered press attention for his performances for prisoners at the Arizona State Prison in Florence, Arizona. The Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune profiled Pensis’ recent recital before an audience of 140 prisoners and guests, which included works by Stravinsky,… Continue reading Evan Pensis shares sophisticated piano repertoire with prison audiences
SMPTV student Jacques Brautbar receives ASCAP scholarship
Jacques Brautbar (BA ’15), currently a graduate student of the USC Thornton Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television (SMPTV) program, has been awarded the Betty Rose Scholarship in Film Scoring from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). This scholarship is awarded annually to a selected student in the ASCAP Foundation Composer-in-Residence Program… Continue reading SMPTV student Jacques Brautbar receives ASCAP scholarship