Posts Tagged ‘Alumni’


Photo collage of a woman dressed in a USC Trojan drum major costume holding a sword.

USC Trailblazer: India Anderson

March 7, 2023

Becoming the first female drum major of the USC Trojan Marching Band set India Anderson on a path toward self-actualization and feminism.


Photo of Seth Parker Woods performing with an illustration of a GRAMMY Award.

Multiple USC Thornton Grads and Faculty Nominated for 2023 GRAMMY Awards

November 15, 2022

Alumni and faculty from the Jazz Studies program lead a lengthy list of USC Thornton nominees.


Photo of Anni Hochhalter holding at French horn.

Anni Hochhalter releases album with WindSync

July 28, 2022

French horn performance alumna and international chamber musician Anni Hochhalter (’05) released the album “All Worlds, All Times” with the wind quintet WindSync on the New York label Bright Shiny Things on April 29.


Photo of Eli Brueggemann smiling and wearing a hat.

Thornton alumni garner 2022 Emmy nominations

July 22, 2022

Three USC Thornton alumni have been recognized with 2022 Emmy nominations. Music director and Thornton Jazz Studies Department alumnus Eli Brueggemann (MM ’03) was nominated for Outstanding Music Direction for his work on “Saturday Night Live.” Executive producer and Thornton Music Industry program alumnus Bobby Campbell (’08) received a nomination for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-recorded)… Continue reading Thornton alumni garner 2022 Emmy nominations


Formal portrait of Billy Childs dressed in black

Billy Childs premieres violin concerto at Grant Park Music Festival

July 12, 2022

​​GRAMMY Award-winning artist and Thornton alumnus Billy Childs (’79) premieres his Violin Concerto No. 2 at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago on July 15-16. The piece will be performed by the festival’s Project Inclusions String Quartet and features acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine as a soloist. Grant Park Music Festival co-commissioned the composition,… Continue reading Billy Childs premieres violin concerto at Grant Park Music Festival


Roger Neill premieres new musical comedy with Westwind Orchard

June 22, 2022

On June 4, Westwind Orchard will host the premiere of the musical comedy Da Ponte by Roger Neill (’86), an alumnus of USC Thornton’s Composition program, and Niel Cohen. The comedy explores the life of famous librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, his partnership with Mozart and how he came to run a grocery store in New… Continue reading Roger Neill premieres new musical comedy with Westwind Orchard


Grant Gershon photoraphed against blank backdrop

Grant Gershon’s 20th season with the LA Master Chorale celebrated by the LA Times

June 20, 2022

USC Thornton alumnus Grant Gershon (’85) recently celebrated his 20th season as the artistic director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The Los Angeles Times recognized this milestone with a story that explored how Gershon has transformed the LA Master Chorale into one of the country’s most adventurous and boundary-pushing choirs. Associate artistic director and… Continue reading Grant Gershon’s 20th season with the LA Master Chorale celebrated by the LA Times


Photo of Branden Brown holding a saxophone.

Branden Brown premieres film score at Palm Springs International ShortFest

June 13, 2022

Thornton Jazz Studies Department alumnus Branden Brown (’21) will premiere his first original film score for What I Had to Leave Behind at the Academy Award and BAFTA-qualifying 28th Palm Springs International ShortFest in June. Brown’s score features instrumentalists and fellow Thornton alumni Ethan Chilton (’20, M.M. ’22), Cyrus Elia (’20) and Lauren Ellis (’21),… Continue reading Branden Brown premieres film score at Palm Springs International ShortFest


Photo of Bear McCreary

Bear McCreary wins at 2022 ASCAP Screen Music Awards

June 10, 2022

Composer and USC Thornton alumnus Bear McCreary (’02) was one of the winners in the Most Performed Themes & Underscore category at the 2022 ASCAP Screen Music Awards. He won the award for his score for the Apple TV+ series Foundation. McCreary is an accomplished film and video game composer who has scored many projects… Continue reading Bear McCreary wins at 2022 ASCAP Screen Music Awards


Gretchen Parlato in a gown holding a white flower

Gretchen Parlato wins 2022 German Jazz Prize

June 6, 2022

USC Thornton alumna and GRAMMY-nominated composer and vocalist Gretchen Parlato recently won a German Jazz Prize for Vocal Album of the Year (International) at Deutscher Jazzpreis 2022 for her album Flor. The Deutscher Jazzpreis aims to highlight the diversity and creativity of the German jazz scene and honors exceptional, artistic and innovative achievements in a… Continue reading Gretchen Parlato wins 2022 German Jazz Prize