Hanbo Ma earns second prize in Fresno piano competition
USC Thornton Keyboard Studies DMA candidate Hanbo Ma recently competed in the Fresno Musical Club’s annual scholarship competition, where she earned second prize, also known as the Susan Torres Award. This past November, Ma, a student of faculty member Daniel Pollack, took the top prize in the Budapest Concert Division of the Los Angeles International… Continue reading Hanbo Ma earns second prize in Fresno piano competition
Alumnus named Conducting Fellow for Long Beach Symphony
USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music alumnus Daniel Gee (MM ’15, Choral Music) was recently appointed Conducting Fellow for the Long Beach Symphony. Gee will work closely with exceptional conductors and musicians, including incoming music director Eckart Preu, to learn the inner workings of a professional orchestra. A cellist, educator, and composer, Gee recently premiered… Continue reading Alumnus named Conducting Fellow for Long Beach Symphony
Choral Music alumna combines music and neuroscience to treat Parkinson’s
USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music alumna Bronte Ficek (’15, Choral Music) explores the effects of group singing on patients with Parkinson’s Disease in her work as a clinical neuroscience researcher at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. As part of her research, Ficek acts as assistant and accompanist for the Parkisonics, a choir for… Continue reading Choral Music alumna combines music and neuroscience to treat Parkinson’s
Julia Adolphe premieres new work with LACO
Julia Adolphe (MM ’12, composition), a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Composition program, premiered a new work with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) last week as part of the ensemble’s Sound Investment commission series. The 13-minute piece, Shiver and Bloom, which the Los Angeles Times described “beautifully scored,” was conducted by LACO music… Continue reading Julia Adolphe premieres new work with LACO
Choral alumnus David Means leads South Texas choir
USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music alumnus David Means (DMA ’97, choral music) is the founder of the Valley Choral Artists, South Texas’s first semi-professional chamber choir. He formed the ensemble in 2013 after he was appointed Director of Choral Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Following a highly successful 2015 performance… Continue reading Choral alumnus David Means leads South Texas choir
Strong USC Thornton showing in LA Phil’s 2017-18 season
The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) recently announced its 2017-18 concert season, which includes featured performances by numerous USC Thornton faculty and alumni. In December, the Calder Quartet, which includes 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),… Continue reading Strong USC Thornton showing in LA Phil’s 2017-18 season
Grant Gershon to conduct Hoffmann at LA Opera
USC Thornton alumnus and Board of Councilors member Grant Gershon (’85, piano) will conduct LA Opera’s production of The Tales of Hoffmann on April 6th. Gershon, Resident Conductor and a long-time Chorus Master of the company, will step in for LA Opera’s General Director Plácido Domingo, who will be conducting the remainder of the production’s… Continue reading Grant Gershon to conduct Hoffmann at LA Opera
Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program strongly represented at ACDA conference
Irene Apanovitch, a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program, recently took the podium as a semi-finalist at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Graduate Choral Conducting Competition. One of only eight conductors selected for this honor, Apanovitch currently serves as the Teaching Assistant and lead conductor for Thornton’s Oriana Women’s… Continue reading Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program strongly represented at ACDA conference
Cynthia Phelps presents all-French trio program
Violist and USC Thornton alumna Cynthia Phelps recently performed with the Les Amies Trio for the San Antonio Chamber Music Society’s 74th season. The Trio, which included harpist Nancy Allen and flutist Carol Wincec, presented an all-French program, including Jacques Ibert’s Deux Interludes suivi de Carillon and Arnold Bax’s Elegiac Trio, as well as works… Continue reading Cynthia Phelps presents all-French trio program
Alumna guitarist Eva Beneke to perform with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
USC Thornton Classical Guitar alumna Eva Beneke (DMA ’12) will perform with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra on Saturday, March 11th. The concert will include the U.S. premiere of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Unremembered, an “hour-long, 13-part song cycle inspired by poems and illustrations by Nathaniel Bellows.” Beneke is currently the artistic director for Lowertown Classics,… Continue reading Alumna guitarist Eva Beneke to perform with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra