Giovanni Santos (MM ’07) has new work premiered by Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble
This month, the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble will premiere Thornton alum Giovanni Santos’ (MM ‘07) new saxophone concerto, “I Dream Awake,” with soloist and fellow alumnus Andrew Harrison. Santos currently serves as the director of wind and percussion studies at La Sierra University, where he directs the University Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds and Big… Continue reading Giovanni Santos (MM ’07) has new work premiered by Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble
Gabriel Martins joins Opus 3 Artists roster
USC Thornton Strings Department alum Gabriel Martins (’19) has signed to independent artist management firm Opus 3 Artists. Martins is an acclaimed cellist who has been recognized for his artistry in many competitions including the 2020 Sphinx Competition, the David Popper International Cello Competition and the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. Earlier this year,… Continue reading Gabriel Martins joins Opus 3 Artists roster
Juan Pablo Contreras premieres “MeChicano” with the Las Vegas Philharmonic
Alumnus Juan Pablo Contreras (DMA ’21) premieres MeChicano, a piece honoring Mexican-American communities, with the Las Vegas Philharmonic on May 7. Contreras is one of the seven composers selected by New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices, a program supporting composers of underrepresented backgrounds. His work was co-commisisioned by the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the California Symphony, the… Continue reading Juan Pablo Contreras premieres “MeChicano” with the Las Vegas Philharmonic
USC Thornton faculty Beatriz Ilari and Veronika Krausas receive Advancing Scholarship awards
USC Thornton faculty members Veronika Krausas and Beatriz Illari were awarded by Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences (ASHSS). The ASHSS research and creative project grants program, an initiative of the USC Office of the Provost, promotes the development of innovative and influential scholarly and creative output in the arts, humanities and humanistic… Continue reading USC Thornton faculty Beatriz Ilari and Veronika Krausas receive Advancing Scholarship awards
LA Phil performs piece by alumnus and former Thornton Composition program faculty member Andrew Norman
The LA Phil will perform Play: Level 1, a work by USC Thornton alumnus and former composition program faculty member Andrew Norman, on April 23 and 24. This pair of concerts is part of the LA Phil’s Gen X Festival, a series that takes a “multidisciplinary, multi-genre look at the slackers, hackers and latch-key kids… Continue reading LA Phil performs piece by alumnus and former Thornton Composition program faculty member Andrew Norman
Veronika Krausas composition featured in LA Phil’s Voices of a Generation concert
A work by USC Thornton Composition faculty member Veronika Krausas, Caryatids, will be performed by the LA Phil on April 22 during its Voices of a Generation concert. Krausas also works as a pre-concert lecturer and interviewer at the LA Phil and serves on the advisory boards of Jacaranda Music and People Inside Electronics.
Ronald C. McCurdy and Anita Dashiell-Sparks present Nobody Knows: Voices Unmuted at the GRAMMY Museum
Ronald C. McCurdy, the assistant dean of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Initiatives for the USC Thornton School of Music, along with Anita Dashiell-Sparks, the associate dean of JEDI for the USC School of Dramatic Arts, has curated a collaborative interdisciplinary project entitled Nobody Knows: Voices Unmuted. This student-driven project features empowered voices from… Continue reading Ronald C. McCurdy and Anita Dashiell-Sparks present Nobody Knows: Voices Unmuted at the GRAMMY Museum
Meet the new faculty: Seth Parker Woods
As part of a new series this spring, USC Thornton is introducing a number of exceptional new faculty members at the school. Acclaimed cellist Dr. Seth Parker Woods joins the faculty as an assistant professor of practice, string chamber music and cello. A recipient of the 2022 Chamber Music America Michael Jaffee Visionary Award and hailed by The Guardian as “a cellist of power and grace” who possesses “mature artistry and… Continue reading Meet the new faculty: Seth Parker Woods
Ted Hearne commissioned by UCLA to reimagine Stephen Sondheim composition
UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance commissioned USC Thornton Composition faculty member Ted Hearne to write a re-imagined version of a Stephen Sondheim piece. The song will be played by celebrated pianist Anthony de Mare in his performance of Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano on April 10 at 7 p.m.
Michael Abels interviewed on TODAY show
Award-winning composer and USC Thornton Composition program alum Michael Abels (’84) was featured in a Today Show segment about how he’s breaking down barriers in Hollywood. The segment detailed Abels’ career from when he started working with director Jordan Peele on the horror hit Get Out to his involvement with the Composers Diversity Collective and… Continue reading Michael Abels interviewed on TODAY show