Marilyn Horne celebrated at Music Academy gala
USC Thornton alumna Marilyn Horne was honored at a gala concert on June 4, 2016 at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, where she is director of the Voice Program. The concert, which opened the Academy’s 2016 Summer School and Festival, featured performances by vocalists Simone Osborne, Isabel Leonard, Ben Bliss, and… Continue reading Marilyn Horne celebrated at Music Academy gala
Pianist Nadia Shpachenko receives raves for Bargemusic concert in NYC
Nadia Shpachenko (DMA ’04, MM ’99, Piano Performance), an alumna of the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies program, recently presented her “Poetry of Places” recital program as part of the Bargemusic concert series in Brooklyn. The June 24th recital featured new works by six composers – Lewis Spratlan, Harold Meltzer, James Matheson, Hannah Lash, Amy Beth… Continue reading Pianist Nadia Shpachenko receives raves for Bargemusic concert in NYC
Pianist Tomomi Sato to be featured soloist at LACMA’s Sundays Live
USC Thornton Masters student Tomomi Sato (BM ’15, Keyboard Collaborative Arts) was named the winner of the 2016 Sundays Live audition through the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). She will perform a program featuring the works of Bach, Schumann and Wild on Sunday, September 11. Her performance is part of LACMA’s Sundays Live… Continue reading Pianist Tomomi Sato to be featured soloist at LACMA’s Sundays Live
Nathan Fryml joins growing list of professional appointments for Choral grads
USC Thornton DMA candidate Nathan Fryml has been appointed Director of Choral Activities at Amarillo College in Texas, where he will conduct three choirs and teach theory at the college. Fryml’s is the fifth professional appointment of Choral & Sacred Music graduates recently: Jenny Wong (MM ’13, choral) was named Assistant Conductor of the LA… Continue reading Nathan Fryml joins growing list of professional appointments for Choral grads
Donald Crockett remembers composer Steven Stucky
Donald Crockett, chair of the USC Thornton Composition department, was quoted in the Boston Globe about his close friendship with composer Steven Stucky, who died in February. Crockett came to know the Pulitzer Prize-winner in the 1980’s when Stucky began serving as composer in residence for the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil). “His sense of… Continue reading Donald Crockett remembers composer Steven Stucky
Calder Quartet to begin Broad Stage residency next year
The Calder Quartet, which includes USC Thornton Strings alumni Benjamin Jacobson (BM ’01, MM ’07) and Andrew Bulbrook (BM, ’02), violin, violist Jonathan Moerschel (BM ’01, MM ’03), and cellist Eric Byers (BM, ’03), will become Artists in Residence at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica next year. The ensemble will present three concerts in… Continue reading Calder Quartet to begin Broad Stage residency next year
Trojan Family Magazine spotlights musicians – and the specialists who keep them healthy
The spring issue of USC’s Trojan Family Magazine includes a feature article exploring the special relationship between musicians and the medical specialists who help to keep them in top performing condition. The piece profiled two USC Thornton students – Popular Music junior Javen Smith and Vocal Arts alumnus Justin Fatu Su’esu’e (MM ’16) – and… Continue reading Trojan Family Magazine spotlights musicians – and the specialists who keep them healthy
Alumnus Saad Haddad receives CAPMT commission
Composer and alumnus Saad Haddad (BM ’14, composition) has received the Distinguished Composer of the Year Award from the California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) and has been has commissioned by the organization to compose a new work for flute, viola and harp. The work will be premiered at the CAPMT State Conference in… Continue reading Alumnus Saad Haddad receives CAPMT commission
Choral alumnus Robert Istad receives CSUF’s top faculty award
Robert Istad (DMA ’06), an alumnus of the USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program, has received the 2016 Outstanding Professor Award for his work at the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). In addition to his teaching responsibilities in the School of Music, Istad oversees several ensembles, including the CSUF University Singers, Concert Choir, Women’s… Continue reading Choral alumnus Robert Istad receives CSUF’s top faculty award
Organ student Weicheng Zhao takes AGO competition prizes
Weicheng Zhao (MM ’14), a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Organ Studies department, recently won both 3rd Place and the Audience Prize at the American Guild of Organists (AGO) National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance (NYACOP). Zhao studies with Thornton faculty members Ladd Thomas and Cherry Rhodes. The NYACOP competition, which took place… Continue reading Organ student Weicheng Zhao takes AGO competition prizes