Martin Chalifour to perform Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto at the Hollywood Bowl
Violinist Martin Chalifour, Principal Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) and a member of the USC Thornton Strings faculty, will perform Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 1, under the baton of Paolo Bortolameolli, at the Hollywood Bowl on August 2nd. Chalifour has spent much of the summer as a Valade Teaching Fellow and Valade… Continue reading Martin Chalifour to perform Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto at the Hollywood Bowl
Guitarist Mak Grgić to tour with k.d. lang
Classical guitarist Mak Grgić (MM ’12, DMA ’16), a graduate certificate candidate at USC Thornton and an alumnus of the school’s Arts Leadership program, will open for k.d. lang during the artist’s Fall tour across the American South. Beginning September 7th, Grgić will perform on lang’s Ingénue Redux Tour in nine cities, closing the tour… Continue reading Guitarist Mak Grgić to tour with k.d. lang
Alumnus Carlos Rafael Rivera receives two Emmy nominations
Composer and USC Thornton alumnus Carlos Rafael Rivera (MM ’04, DMA ’10) has received two Emmy Award nominations for his work on the Netflix limited series, Godless. Rivera’s music has been nominated in the categories of Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music and Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic… Continue reading Alumnus Carlos Rafael Rivera receives two Emmy nominations
Ted Hearne premieres new work with Michael Tilson Thomas and the National Youth Symphony
On Thursday, July 19th, the National Youth Orchestra of the USA will premiere a new work by composer and USC Thornton faculty member Ted Hearne, under the baton of alumnus Michael Tilson Thomas (BM ’67, MM ’76), a Judge Widney Professor of Music at USC. Hearne’s Brass Tacks was commissioned by Carnegie Hall, where the… Continue reading Ted Hearne premieres new work with Michael Tilson Thomas and the National Youth Symphony
Pianist Robert Thies named Artistic Director of South Bay Chamber Music Society
Pianist Robert Thies (BM ’93, MM ’95), an alumnus of the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies program, has been appointed Artistic Director of the South Bay Chamber Music Society, which presents about 15 concerts each season in venues across the South Bay. Thies won the Gold Medal at the Second International Prokofiev Competition in 1995 and… Continue reading Pianist Robert Thies named Artistic Director of South Bay Chamber Music Society
Michael Lee premieres chamber work with New Orleans Chamber Orchestra
In June, composer and USC Thornton alumnus Michael Lee’s (DMA ’17) chamber work for strings and piano, Echoes for Strings and Piano, received its world premiere at the Marigny Opera House by the New Orleans Chamber Orchestra. Lee was the winner of the ensemble’s Spectri Sonori Composition Competition. Lee’s 2015 work for classical guitar, Unmasked,… Continue reading Michael Lee premieres chamber work with New Orleans Chamber Orchestra
Musicologist Alison Maggart joins UT Austin faculty
Alison Maggart (PhD ’17), a graduate of the USC Thornton Musicology program, has been named assistant professor of instruction at the University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music. Maggart has previously taught at California State University, Northridge, the Colburn Conservatory, and the KM Music Conservatory in India, among others. Maggart’s research is focused… Continue reading Musicologist Alison Maggart joins UT Austin faculty
Alumnus Andrew Goldman publishes neurological research about improvisational musicianship
Andrew Goldman (’08), a piano performance and neuroscience alumnus of USC Thornton and USC Dornsife, recently published a research paper, “Improvisation experience predicts how musicians categorize musical structures,” in the Psychology of Music journal. Goldman, who earned his PhD from the University of Cambridge, is currently a Presidential Scholar in Society and Neuroscience at Columbia… Continue reading Alumnus Andrew Goldman publishes neurological research about improvisational musicianship
Rainer Crosett wins prestigious Pierre Fournier Cello Award
Cellist Rainer Crosett (GCRT ’17), currently a graduate student of USC Thornton Strings chair Ralph Kirshbaum, has won the 2018 Pierre Fournier Award, one of the top honors in the field. Crosett, the first American cellist to win the Fournier Award, will present a debut recital at London’s Wigmore Hall, a concerto performance with the… Continue reading Rainer Crosett wins prestigious Pierre Fournier Cello Award
Composer, exchange student Tuomas Kettunen shares collaborative work
Finnish composer Tuomas Kettunen, a master’s student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, recently concluded a semester as an exchange student at USC Thornton, where he studied with Donald Crockett and took classes in orchestration, game scoring, and music technology. Kettunen shared the fruits of his work from the Writer-Composer class, led by Lisa Sylvester,… Continue reading Composer, exchange student Tuomas Kettunen shares collaborative work