Jason Issokson and Yoshika Masuda join Rolston String Quartet
The Rolston String Quartet recently announced the addition of two USC Thornton alumni to the ensemble. Violinist Jason Issokson (DMA ’11), currently Second Violin with Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and cellist Yoshika Masuda (GCRT ’12, DMA ’16), a founding member of the SAKURA Cello Quintet, join members Luri Lee and Hezekiah Leung in their new… Continue reading Jason Issokson and Yoshika Masuda join Rolston String Quartet
Michael Abels and Laura Karpman quoted in Variety
Composition alum Michael Abels (BM ’84) and Screen Scoring faculty member Laura Karpman were recently quoted in a Variety article about the increase in the diversity of the Emmy Awards’ music categories. Abels and Karpman are both award-winning composers and founders of organizations that work to support underrepresented composers in film and television. Abels, who… Continue reading Michael Abels and Laura Karpman quoted in Variety
Andrew Harrison to launch new online concert series
USC Thornton alum and saxophonist Andrew Harrison (DMA ’15) will launch a new online concert series, Concert Cast, on Tues., Sept. 1. An advocate for contemporary saxophone music, Harrison will perform with pianist Jason Lo (MM ’12, DMA ’16) in a program that features works by Bozza, Eiunaudi, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, and more. The event will… Continue reading Andrew Harrison to launch new online concert series
Gina Luciani to release original arrangement of Bizet’s “Carmen Fantasy”
USC Thornton alum and flutist Gina Luciani (MM ‘13) will release an arrangement of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen Fantasy” in September. A celebrated studio musician with an active following, Luciani’s version has been over 10 years in the making and features music for both flute and piano. Luciana was first introduced to “Carmen Fantasy” at the… Continue reading Gina Luciani to release original arrangement of Bizet’s “Carmen Fantasy”
Javier Morales-Martinez receives Music Academy of the West Fast Pitch Award
Undergraduate clarinetist Javier Morales-Martinez was one of three winners of Music Academy of the West’s Fast Pitch Awards in July. During the live online event, Morales-Martinez and other students pitched entrepreneurial ideas for new endeavors in classical performance, presentation and social impact, and received live feedback from industry professionals. Morales-Martinez pitched an initiative to create… Continue reading Javier Morales-Martinez receives Music Academy of the West Fast Pitch Award
Grant Gershon shares advice for virtual choirs
In a recent KCET article, USC Thornton alum Grant Gershon (BM ‘85), artistic director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC), shares advice and lessons learned while conducting choirs virtually during the pandemic. Choir directors like Gershon have transitioned to edited ensemble performances, with choir members recording their parts individually from home. The solution requires… Continue reading Grant Gershon shares advice for virtual choirs
Sydney Adedamola announced as 2020/21 LA Phil Resident Fellow
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced that Sydney Adedamola (BM ’18), violinist and alum of the USC Thornton Strings program, is one of this season’s cohort of the Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen LA Phil Resident Fellows program. The program was founded in 2018 to build stronger career pathways for musicians historically underrepresented in today’s… Continue reading Sydney Adedamola announced as 2020/21 LA Phil Resident Fellow
Grant Gershon pens KCET article about equity in the arts
USC Thornton alum Grant Gershon (BM ‘85), artistic director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, recently penned an article for KCET about how artists and arts organizations can do more to make the arts accessible and equitable. “I believe that the single most important thing that arts organizations must do now is lift up a… Continue reading Grant Gershon pens KCET article about equity in the arts
Juan Pablo Contreras appears on Trilloquy podcast with Garrett McQueen
Juan Pablo Contreras, Latin GRAMMY-nominated composer and a doctoral student in the Composition program, is a guest on the latest episode of Trilloquy, a podcast hosted by USC Thornton alum Garrett McQueen (MM ’12). On Trilloquy, McQueen hosts conversations about challenging the status quo and addressing inequities in classical music. In his interview with McQueen,… Continue reading Juan Pablo Contreras appears on Trilloquy podcast with Garrett McQueen
Classical Guitar students and alumni launch Guitarlab online learning platform
A group of entrepreneurial alumni and students of USC Thornton’s Classical Guitar program have launched Guitarlab, a new international online classical guitar intensive and competition for guitarists ages 12-21. Alumni Bokyung Byun (DMA ’20), Tomasz Fechner (MM ’16, DMA ’20), and Jaxon Williams (DMA ’20) along with doctoral students Mircea Gogoncea and Brendon Grabowski built… Continue reading Classical Guitar students and alumni launch Guitarlab online learning platform