Spotlights Archive - USC Thornton School of Music

Alumna Remi Wolf Named 2025 Commencement Speaker

Critically acclaimed musician and performer Remi Wolf will speak to Thornton School of Music graduates on May 16, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.

4/2

Inspiring the Next Generation of Artists

USC Thornton Mentorship Program connects students Ella Dunbar-Wilcox and Luke Bell to mentor, R&B star Dawn Richard.

3/31

Double Majoring at USC Thornton

Thornton Student Ambassadors Ellen Cheng and Ashley Melendres.

A trumpeter plays center stage surrounded by an ensemble.

3/26

Rockin’ in Rhythm: Re-Imagining the Music of Duke Ellington

Students and faculty from across Thornton celebrate an American master with genre-defying arrangements from his classic songbook.

A classical music ensemble takes a bow on stage.

3/21

Celebrating 40 Years of the Polish Music Center

The USC Polish Music Center dedicates an evening of music to Henryk Wars on its 40th anniversary.

Photo of person in blue light with orange hair.

3/12

PopCon 2025: Baby, It’s A Look!

The Pop Conference returns to USC Thornton with a focus on the intersection of music and fashion throughout history.

3/6

Mak Grgić: A USC Homecoming

Grammy-nominated classical guitarist and Thornton alum Mak Grgić returns to campus for a special alumni concert.

Photo of composer Katya Richardson in the recording studio.

2/28

A Composer’s Path

Composition alum Katya Richardson discusses her immersion in the world of film scoring, a path that has led her all the way to the Oscars and back.

Meghan Chen performs on stage at a rock concert.

2/26

Thornton Student Ambassadors: Performance Opportunities

Thornton Student Ambassadors Ellen Cheng and Meghan Chen offer a glimpse into the classical and popular music performance opportunities available at USC Thornton.

Photo of León F. García Corona standing outside in a field.

2/11

Office Hours with León F. García Corona

In this ongoing series called “Office Hours,” get to know some of the exceptional scholars and artists who make up USC Thornton’s faculty as they answer questions about themselves.

Jazz vocalist and composer Sara Gazarek holds a Grammy award statuette after the awards ceremony.

2/4

USC Thornton Alumni Win at the Grammys

At the 2025 Grammy Awards, USC Thornton alumni were celebrated for outstanding achievement across all corners of the music industry.

Photo of a band of college students performing together.

1/24

Thornton Student Ambassadors: Learning Through Collaboration

Thornton Student Ambassadors Madeline Clara Cheng, Alyssa Holland and Oliviana Marie share highlights from their collaborations as USC Thornton students.

12/12

A Year in Photos

As the fall semester comes to a close, we look back on our favorite photos from a remarkable year at USC Thornton.

11/21

Thornton Student Ambassadors: Pursuing a Minor Degree as a USC Thornton Major

Thornton Student Ambassadors Madeline Clara Cheng and Julian Najah share their experiences pursuing minor degrees.

11/8

USC Thornton Faculty and Alumni Honored with Grammy Nominations

Counted among the 2025 Grammy Award nominees are current USC Thornton faculty members, recent graduates and alumni.

10/30

Thornton Student Ambassadors: Balancing Schedules

Thornton Student Ambassadors Aileen Conner and Samson Rabinowitz share their experiences balancing core Thornton requirements with USC core classes and other commitments.

A group of college-aged students gather on stage after a performance.

10/3

USC Thornton Celebrates Trojan Family Weekend

The USC Thornton community celebrated Trojan Family Weekend from Thursday, Sept. 26 to Sunday, Sept. 29.

7/18

Alumni Garner 2024 Emmy Nominations

Seven Thornton alumni were recognized with the 76th Emmy Awards nominations on July 17.

Black and white photo of a pianist looking off to the side in their office.

7/9

Collaborating Across Generations

Pioneering women in the Keyboard Collaborative Arts program spotlight the innovative nature of USC Thornton.

Harpist JoAnn Turovsky looking into the camera next to her instrument.

6/28

Office Hours with JoAnn Turovsky

In this ongoing series called “Office Hours,” get to know some of the exceptional scholars and artists who make up USC Thornton’s faculty as they answer questions about themselves.