Remembering violinist, alumnus Barry Socher
Violinist Barry Socher (’69, violin), an alumnus of USC Thornton and former Strings department faculty member who performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 35 years, recently passed away at the age of 68. While at USC, Socher studied with Alice Schoenfeld, Eudice Shapiro, Frederick Lesemann, Hans Beer, and Daniel Lewis. He also served as… Continue reading Remembering violinist, alumnus Barry Socher
Masters student receives funding to research and perform Brubeck’s “Gates of Justice”
Daniel Newman-Lessler, a second year student in the USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music master’s program, has received a research grant from The Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific to edit a new edition of Dave Brubeck’s jazz-imbued cantata, The Gates of Justice, which he will later perform. The Gates of Justice dates… Continue reading Masters student receives funding to research and perform Brubeck’s “Gates of Justice”
Pianist Vijay Venkatesh wins Classics Alive Artists competition
USC Thornton Keyboard Studies senior Vijay Venkatesh, a student of Jeffrey Kahane, recently took the Grand Prize at the 2016 Classics Alive Artists competition in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, Venkatesh won 1st Prize in the Frances Walton Competition in Seattle, the Pyrenees Music Society Competition in Pasadena, and the USC Symphony Concerto Competition. Violinist… Continue reading Pianist Vijay Venkatesh wins Classics Alive Artists competition
Carl St.Clair and the USC Thornton Symphony to perform Mozart & Strauss at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Maestro Carl St.Clair and the USC Thornton Symphony have announced the program for their January 22nd performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. The orchestra will be joined by Keyboard Studies faculty members Bernadene Blaha and Kevin Fitz-Gerald for Mozart’s artful Piano Concerto No. 10, K.365, for two pianos. In the… Continue reading Carl St.Clair and the USC Thornton Symphony to perform Mozart & Strauss at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Thornton musicians sweep Frances Walton Competition in Seattle
Mezzo-soprano and USC Thornton Vocal Arts & Opera graduate student Lesley Baird (MM ’15) was a winner of the 2016 Frances Walton Competition in Seattle, where she was accompanied by pianist and Keyboard Collaborative Arts DMA candidate Jasper Jimenez (MM ’13, GCRT ’15). Since winning the competition in July, the duo has presented several area… Continue reading Thornton musicians sweep Frances Walton Competition in Seattle
Andrew Norman earns “Composer of the Year” distinction from Musical America
Andrew Norman (’02, MM ’04), a member of the USC Thornton Composition faculty, has been named Composer of the Year for 2017 by the Musical America organization, which characterized Norman’s compositional style as “a voice singularly his own.” Norman, who received a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship last spring and was nominated for a 2016 GRAMMY Award,… Continue reading Andrew Norman earns “Composer of the Year” distinction from Musical America
USC Annenberg features a Q&A with Jeffrey Kahane
The USC Annenberg Media site recently published a Q&A with Jeffrey Kahane, USC Thornton faculty member and music director of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO). Kahane is currently in his 20th year with the orchestra and will join the Thornton Keyboard Studies faculty full time beginning next year. In anticipation of LACO’s October 16th performance… Continue reading USC Annenberg features a Q&A with Jeffrey Kahane
Guitarist Colin Davin joins faculty at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory
USC Thornton Classical Guitar alumnus Colin Davin (BM ’09) has been appointed to the guitar faculty at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music in Ohio. Prior to this appointment, Davin taught and performed at the Aspen Music Festival as a teaching assistant to guitarist Sharon Isbin. As a performer, Davin has appeared at Carnegie Hall,… Continue reading Guitarist Colin Davin joins faculty at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory
Ted Hearne’s oratorio, “The Source,” receives West Coast premiere
The Source, an oratorio by USC Thornton Composition faculty member Ted Hearne, will receive its west coast premiere this month at REDCAT in a production by the Los Angeles Opera. The strikingly contemporary work incorporates spoken language, snippets of popular music, and disjointed instrumental riffs, to tell the story of Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning,… Continue reading Ted Hearne’s oratorio, “The Source,” receives West Coast premiere
Alumna Carrie Rexroat joins South Dakota Symphony
USC Thornton Winds & Percussion alumna Carrie Rexroat (MM ’15, horn) will be joining the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra as a second horn. The orchestra’s 2016-2017 season began October 8 under the direction of Delta David Gier. Before her most recent appointment, Rexroat performed in the Dearborn Symphony, the American Youth Symphony, and the Debut… Continue reading Alumna Carrie Rexroat joins South Dakota Symphony