Alumna Michelle Tseng joins the LA Phil
Violinist Michelle Tseng (’13, GCRT ’17), an alumna of the USC Thornton Strings program, recently joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) as a Second Violinist. She has performed as a soloist with the Torrance, Downey, Peninsula, South Coast, USC, and Rio Hondo Symphonies and served as concertmaster under conductors David Robertson, Alan Gilbert, and… Continue reading Alumna Michelle Tseng joins the LA Phil
Daniel Gee joins Lilly Graduate Fellow cohort
Daniel Gee (MM ’15), a DMA candidate in the USC Thornton Choral Music program, has been accepted as a Lilly Graduate Fellow. The Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts, which includes doctoral students from USC, Yale, Fordham University, among others, hosts conferences and colloquia discussing pedagogical questions in art, music, literature, philosophy, and… Continue reading Daniel Gee joins Lilly Graduate Fellow cohort
Troy Quinn named music director of Owensboro Symphony
USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music alumnus Troy Quinn (DMA ’13) was recently named Music Director of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra in Owensboro, Kentucky. Quinn, who is also Music Director of Alaska’s Juneau Symphony, will begin his three-year term on October 28th with a performance of Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and Brahms’ Fourth Symphony.
Composition alumnus wins two prestigious awards
USC Thornton Composition alumnus Eric Guinivan (MM ’08, DMA ’11) recently received a commission from Harvard University’s Fromm Music Foundation, as well as the Andrew Imbrie Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for “a composer of demonstrated artistic merit in mid-career.” An accomplished composer and GRAMMY Award-nominated percussionist, Guinivan’s work has been… Continue reading Composition alumnus wins two prestigious awards
Alumnus Andrew DeWitt nominated for Sports Emmy
Andrew DeWitt (BS ’06, music industry) was nominated in the category of Outstanding Music Direction at the 38th Annual Sports Emmy Awards for his work as Music Director on the American Experience documentary film “The Boys of ’36.” The film aired on PBS in August 2016 and is now available for streaming on Netflix.
Andrew Norman premieres new children’s opera with Berlin Philharmoniker
Composer Andrew Norman, a USC Thornton faculty member who has emerged as one of the most distinctive musical voices of his generation, recently premiered a new children’s opera with the renowned Berlin Philharmoniker Orchestra. A Trip to the Moon opened June 17 under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, with help from the Vocal Heroes… Continue reading Andrew Norman premieres new children’s opera with Berlin Philharmoniker
Jenny Wong takes interim post at All Saints Church
Jenny Wong (MM ’13, choral), a DMA candidate in the USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program, has been named Interim Director of Music at All Saints Church in Pasadena. She adds this to her role as Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. A native of Hong Kong, Wong began conducting in 2009… Continue reading Jenny Wong takes interim post at All Saints Church
The Los Angeles Times draws musical parallels between Los Angeles and Berlin
The musical vitality of Los Angeles takes center stage in a recent Los Angeles Times article by music critic Mark Swed, which juxtaposes the city’s artistic dynamism with that of the more established metropolis of Berlin. Surveying the German capital’s three major opera companies and the venerable Berlin Philharmonic, Swed drew parallels to several Los… Continue reading The Los Angeles Times draws musical parallels between Los Angeles and Berlin
The Calder Quartet signs recording deal with Pentatone
The Calder Quartet, which includes USC Thornton alumni Benjamin Jacobson (BM’01, MM’07, violin), Andrew Bulbrook (BM ’02, violin), Jonathan Moerschel (BM ’01, MM ’03, viola) and Eric Byers (BM ’03, cello), has signed an exclusive recording deal with Pentatone. The ensemble, which is known for its artful interpretations of both classical and contemporary repertoire, will… Continue reading The Calder Quartet signs recording deal with Pentatone
William Dehning, long-time USC Thornton Choral chair, 1942-2017
Choral conductor and USC Thornton alumnus William Dehning (MA ’67, DMA ’71, choral), who led the department of Choral & Sacred Music as chair from 1992 to 2007, passed away on June 23, 2017. A native of Minnesota, Dehning studied with Ingolf Dahl, Walter Ducloux, Charles C. Hirt, Halsey Stevens and James Vail at USC… Continue reading William Dehning, long-time USC Thornton Choral chair, 1942-2017