Spotlights

Filter By: Programs Arts LeadershipChamber MusicChoral & Sacred MusicClassical GuitarClassical Performance and CompositionCommunity EngagementCompositionContemporary MusicEarly Music PerformanceJazz StudiesKeyboard Collaborative ArtsKeyboard StudiesMusic IndustryMusic Teaching & LearningMusic TechnologyMusicologyOrgan StudiesOther ProgramsPolish Music CenterPopular MusicResearch and Scholarly StudiesScreen ScoringStringsStudio GuitarVocal Arts & OperaWinds & Percussion show all

• 5/27

  Sustainability Rock Star: Skylar Funk

  Skylar Funk (MA ’25) — a professional rock musician and climate activist — has helped make USC a greener place as graduate co-chair of the Student Sustainability Committee.

• 5/7

  Thornton Student Ambassadors Look Back

  On the eve of graduating, USC Thornton Student Ambassadors reflect on what they’ve learned, offering lessons and perspectives to the incoming class.

• 4/22

  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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 7/9

  Collaborating Across Generations

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

• 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.

• 6/5

  Mentorship: ‘The Secret to Success’

  USC Thornton’s revamped mentorship program connects even more students with industry professionals across all genres.

• 5/28

  Teen Dreams Realized

  Award-winning podcaster Shima Oliaee (’05) talks about her latest series on teen girls, and how she made it as an artist.

Show more