LA Phil to perform Daniel Slatkin’s “Voyager 130” at the Hollywood Bowl
On July 24, the Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform USC Thornton alumnus Daniel Slatkin’s (’16) “Voyager 130” at the Hollywood Bowl. The piece was inspired by the Golden Record on NASA’s Voyager spacecraft that carries Earth’s music to the edge of interstellar space. Conducted by Leonard Slatkin, the concert features violinist and USC Thornton Strings… Continue reading LA Phil to perform Daniel Slatkin’s “Voyager 130” at the Hollywood Bowl
Saunder Choi premiered “To Imagine Creation” at The Kennedy Center
USC Thornton Composition program alum Saunder Choi (MM ’16) presented the world premiere of his piece, “To Imagine Creation,” at The Kennedy Center on June 15. The piece was commissioned by the Choral Arts Society of Washington for their 60th anniversary concert. It features text written by poet Brian Sonia-Wallace. Choi is a Los Angeles-based… Continue reading Saunder Choi premiered “To Imagine Creation” at The Kennedy Center
Seth Parker Woods to serve as artistic director of “Rencontres Franco-Américaines” chamber music festival
Seth Parker Woods, cellist and Robert Mann Chair in Strings and Chamber Music at USC Thornton, will serve as the USA artistic director of the “Rencontres Franco Américaines” chamber music festival—an annual gathering of French and American classical music artists taking place August 15-20. The 2025 festival will feature the Ivory Trio, comprised of pianist… Continue reading Seth Parker Woods to serve as artistic director of “Rencontres Franco-Américaines” chamber music festival
Nina Shekhar premiered “In Bloom” with Commonwealth Youth Choir
Composer, multimedia artist and USC Thornton alumna Nina Shekhar (MM ’20) presented the world premiere of her piece, “In Bloom,” with the Commonwealth Youth Choir. The piece is inspired by Shekhar’s experience leading workshops with the young singers and watching them grow. “Between these workshops, the singers shared over 200 pages of responses with me,… Continue reading Nina Shekhar premiered “In Bloom” with Commonwealth Youth Choir
Austin Wintory composed score for “Eternal Strands”
USC Thornton Composition program alumnus Austin Wintory (‘07) composed the score for the video game “Eternal Strands,” developed by Yellow Brick Games. “Eternal Strands” is a fantasy, action-adventure video game starring a female protagonist with magical abilities who must save the world. “This was about four years of collaboration and joyous experimentation,” Wintory shared in… Continue reading Austin Wintory composed score for “Eternal Strands”
SAKURA Cello Quintet debuts Donald Crockett’s “Carving an Alphabet”
On May 18, the SAKURA Cello Quintet gave the debut performance of Carving an Alphabet, a set of 12 madrigals for five cellos, written by USC Thornton Chair of Composition Donald Crockett for New Music USA. The SAKURA Cello Quintet consists of Thornton alumni Stella Cho (’12, MM ’14, DMA ’22), Michael Kaufman (MM ’12,… Continue reading SAKURA Cello Quintet debuts Donald Crockett’s “Carving an Alphabet”
Tonality featured in L.A. Times for choral tribute to Ahmaud Arbery
Grammy Award-winning choral ensemble Tonality, led by USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music alumnus Alexander Lloyd Blake (DMA ’19), was featured in the Los Angeles Times on May 19. The article spotlights Tonality’s May 24 tribute show to Ahmaud Arbery, who in 2020 was murdered during a racially motivated hate crime. The program, “Put Your… Continue reading Tonality featured in L.A. Times for choral tribute to Ahmaud Arbery
Quenton Blache released debut studio recording, “To Whom I Pray”
USC Thornton composition and cello performance alumnus Quenton Blache (‘23) released his debut studio recording, “To Whom I Pray,” as a premiere on I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, the award-winning multimedia hub for living music creators powered by American Composers Forum (ACF). Written for string quintet and electronics, the piece is a collaboration between the… Continue reading Quenton Blache released debut studio recording, “To Whom I Pray”
Rixiang Huang releases new solo album of Scarlatti sonatas
Pianist and USC Thornton Keyboard Studies alumnus Rixiang Huang (DMA ’23) recently released his fourth solo album, Scarlatti: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 30, via Naxos Records. The album features 17 sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti, presenting a range of expressive and stylistic contrasts. “This recording represents a deeply personal milestone in my artistic journey, and I’m… Continue reading Rixiang Huang releases new solo album of Scarlatti sonatas
Gibson Mahnke’s “Through this ocean glass” premieres at Hear Now Music Festival
USC Thornton Composition program student Gibson Mahnke’s piece Through this ocean glass premiered at the Hear Now Music Festival on April 13. The festival, which took place at 2200 Arts + Archives in Los Angeles, is one of several concerts spotlighting primarily young composers involved with university music programs. The next concert takes place at… Continue reading Gibson Mahnke’s “Through this ocean glass” premieres at Hear Now Music Festival