Derrick Lawrence is full-time professor at USC Thornton School of Music and an internationally acclaimed baritone who has performed on major opera stages throughout Europe and North America, including Zurich Opera House, the Royal Danish Opera, La Monnaie, Opera Lyon, Santa Fe Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. His repertoire spans more than 80 roles, from Mozart and Verdi to Wagner and Puccini. Lawrence has appeared in leading concert halls worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and has performed with major orchestras such as the Cleveland Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts, Juilliard School, and Curtis Institute of Music, and is a winner of numerous international vocal awards.

Gabby Samone is a Baltimore-born vocalist whose powerful voice and emotive delivery are rooted in gospel, R&B, and classic soul. She first gained widespread attention through viral reinterpretations of R&B classics, earning recognition from artists including Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia Barrino, and Mariah Carey. She has performed at the Apollo Theater, opened for Keke Wyatt and Kelly Price, and made her theatrical debut in Dreamgirls. Gabby was a finalist on Season 23 of American Idol and has since appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show and NFL Sunday Night Football.

Georgia Anne Muldrow is a second-generation electronic musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer raised in Los Angeles’ Leimert Park. She has collaborated with artists including Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus, Anderson .Paak, Yasiin Bey, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Robert Glasper. Her Grammy-nominated album Overload and expansive catalog of more than 20 releases reflect a fiercely independent and genre-defying creative vision rooted in Afrocentric art technologies and experimental traditions.

Jason King is Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music and a multi-disciplinary scholar, journalist, producer, and curator. He previously served as Chair and founding faculty member of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. His work spans music journalism, film, radio, and live performance, with contributions to The New York Times, Pitchfork, and NPR Music. Recent projects include producing A Concert Tribute to Sylvester at Lincoln Center, co-curating The Hip-Hop Mixtape exhibition at the GRAMMY Museum, and consulting on Morgan Neville’s feature film Piece by Piece.

Jayson Jackson is a producer of Tony Award–winning theater, Emmy Award–winning film, and Grammy Award–winning music. He guided Lauryn Hill through her landmark album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and produced the Oscar-nominated documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? He is currently producing a documentary on Gil Scott-Heron.

Lara Downes is an American pianist, curator, and radio host honored as Classical Woman of the Year by NPR’s Performance Today. She is creator and host of NPR’s AMPLIFY with Lara Downes and a Billboard chart-topping recording artist. She is the creator of The Declaration Project, a national initiative reflecting on American identity through music ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary, and serves as Creative Partner with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Mykal Kilgore is an award-winning actor and Grammy- and NAACP Image Award–nominated singer-songwriter. His debut album A Man Born Black blends American roots music with jazz, soul, gospel, and Broadway storytelling. His theater credits include The Wiz, Motown the Musical, and Hair, with television appearances including Jesus Christ Superstar Live.

Nedra Wheeler is a bassist, vocalist, composer, and educator who has performed internationally for more than 25 years. A recipient of the Charles Mingus Jazz Artist Award and Jazz Legend of Los Angeles Award, she has collaborated with artists including Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Patrice Rushen, and Alice Coltrane. Her work spans jazz, R&B, pop, film, and contemporary composition, with credits including La La Land and Malcolm X.

Nikki Campbell is a multicultural percussionist, teaching artist, and producer born in Colón, Panama and raised in Los Angeles. Her work centers Afro-Caribbean and African Diasporic traditions, emphasizing rhythm as a tool for healing and community connection. She has collaborated with artists including Stevie Wonder, Lila Downs, Aloe Blacc, and the Danilo Pérez Jazz Foundation.

Nikka Costa is a singer-songwriter known for her dynamic fusion of soul, funk, and rock. She emerged as a leading voice in the nu-soul movement with her debut album Everybody Got Their Something. She has toured and collaborated with artists including Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Coldplay, and D’Angelo and is renowned for her electrifying live performances.

Qur’an Shaheed is an experimental pianist, poet, and composer based in Los Angeles. Trained in jazz, classical, and contemporary music, her work blends improvisation with neo-classical and neo-soul approaches. She composes for film and released her albums Process (2020) and Pulse (2025).

Ron McCurdy is Associate Dean of Culture, Community, and Impact and Professor of Music at the USC Thornton School of Music. He is creator of The Langston Hughes Project and co-author of The Artist Entrepreneur. McCurdy is an active performer, educator, and interdisciplinary collaborator.

Ruby Simon is an 18-year-old baritone saxophonist who has worked with artists including Ziggy Marley and Cut Chemist and recorded on Lecrae’s Grammy-winning album Church Clothes 4. She is a senior at Hamilton High School’s Academy of Music & Performing Arts.

Rufus Wainwright is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and composer praised for his originality and vocal artistry. He has released ten studio albums and collaborated with artists including Elton John, Joni Mitchell, and David Byrne. His recent works include the GRAMMY-nominated albums Unfollow the Rules and Folkocracy and the orchestral Dream Requiem.

Sly5thAve is a Grammy Award–winning composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist whose work bridges hip-hop, jazz, soul, and orchestral music. He has collaborated with artists including Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Questlove.

Todd Simon is a trumpeter, arranger, producer, conductor, and educator whose collaborations span jazz, hip-hop, and orchestral music. He has worked with artists including Lauryn Hill, Kelis, Ziggy Marley, and Madlib. He is founder of Ethio Cali and the Angel City All-Star Brass Band.

V.C.R. is a three-time Grammy-nominated Alt-R&B recording artist, composer, and violinist from Memphis, Tennessee. A USC Thornton alumna, she merges gospel roots, orchestral composition, and experimental rhythm into her signature “Cinematic Soul” sound. She has collaborated with artists including André 3000, Beyoncé, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

ARTWORK
Frank Gargiulio / The Art Dictator

SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Alamy
Alex Scull
Andrew Guzman
Anshia Crooms
Beong-Soo Kim
Bovard Auditorium Team
Brent Anderson
Brian Head
Cheryl Brown
Daria Yudacufski
David Delgado
Effie Turnbull Sanders
Erika Jordan
Gene & Tracy Sykes
Gregg Field
Hannah Burnham
Harvey Mason Jr.
Heather Pio Roda
Ilea Dibble
Joanna Demers
Jeremy Levy
Jochen Neuffer
Josh Kun
KUSC
Ledisi
Luciana Souza
Metropole Orkest & Associates
Michael Doshier
Mike Basak
Phillip Placenti
Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective Team
Robin Sukhadia
Ron McCurdy
Rotem Gilbert
Sal Lozano
Sean David Christensen
Sean Holt
Sebastian Koolhaven
Sharon Lavery
Stephen Ames Brown
Susan Lopez
Tim Davies
USC Thornton Faculty and Staff
USC Visions & Voices Team
Vladimir Nikolov
William Kanengiser