Posts Tagged ‘Classical Performance and Composition’


Photo of Lenny Hayes

Lenny Hayes receives top prize at Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association’s 2021 Scholarship Competition

December 8, 2021

Classical pianist and keyboard studies doctoral student Lenny Hayes received first prize in the 2021 Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association (LAKMA) Scholarship Competition. The scholarship is awarded annually to college students who are majoring in music. As one of the winners, Hayes will be performing the first movement of the Price concerto with the LAKMA… Continue reading Lenny Hayes receives top prize at Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association’s 2021 Scholarship Competition


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Pardy Minassian receives grant for composition highlighting folk songs of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide

December 6, 2021

Armenian guitarist Pardy Minassian, a graduate certificate student in the USC Thornton Classical Guitar program, was awarded a project grant from the Calouste Gyukbenkian Foundation for her multimedia series based on forgotten, unpublished Armenian folk songs, which she’s gathered from her father’s collection of interviews with Armenian genocide survivors. Minassian began working on this project… Continue reading Pardy Minassian receives grant for composition highlighting folk songs of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide


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Juhi Bansal commissioned by the Oregon Mozart Players

November 30, 2021

Composition alum Juhi Bansal (BM ‘06, MM ‘08, DMA ‘12) has been commissioned by the Oregon Mozart Players to compose an orchestral work to be premiered in spring 2022. The piece is inspired by the whale songs Bansal heard when she went diving with humpback whales. Bansal is leading a series of salons over the… Continue reading Juhi Bansal commissioned by the Oregon Mozart Players


Neil Stipp’s “Symphony Capriccio” premiered in Moldova

November 22, 2021

Earlier this year, Thornton alum Neil Stipp (MM ‘78) had his “Symphony Capriccio” premiered in the capital city of Moldova by the Symphonic Orchestra of the National Philharmonic. A recording of the premiere concert can be found here and is also available on Phasama Music’s “Chisinau 1 — New Music for Orchestra.” Stipp is a… Continue reading Neil Stipp’s “Symphony Capriccio” premiered in Moldova


Alondra Santos featured in Daily Trojan

November 15, 2021

Alondra Santos, a sophomore in the USC Thornton Vocal Arts program, was recently featured in a Daily Trojan article discussing her background as a mariachi performer and its influence on her artistry as a singer-songwriter. The piece also explores the close student-mentor relationship that Santos has established with vocals arts & opera faculty member Elizabeth… Continue reading Alondra Santos featured in Daily Trojan


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Paul Hodgins recognized for coining term ‘choreomusical’ in The Journal of Music Theory

November 10, 2021

USC Thornton faculty member Paul Hodgins was credited for coining the term “choreomusical” in a recent issue of the Journal of Music Theory. He first used the term in his 1992 doctoral dissertation, which discussed and analyzed the relationship between choreography and music. “Hodgins coined the term choreomusical, which has since been modified by others… Continue reading Paul Hodgins recognized for coining term ‘choreomusical’ in The Journal of Music Theory


Split-screen photo of Ted Hearne and Nina C. Young

USC Thornton Composition faculty members awarded MacDowell Fellowships

November 8, 2021

USC Thornton Composition faculty members Ted Hearne and Nina C. Young have been awarded fellowships from MacDowell, the nation’s first artist residency program. This fellowship program recognizes artistic excellence across a range of seven disciplines and provides creative individuals with the necessary resources to create “enduring works of the imagination.” Young and Hearne were selected… Continue reading USC Thornton Composition faculty members awarded MacDowell Fellowships


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Angel Velez opens Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra’s 2021-2022 season

November 5, 2021

Thornton alum and conductor Angel Velez (MA ‘14) opened the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra’s 2021-2022 season on August 7 with a special “Hollywood Magic” concert that celebrated the magic of cinema. This musical presentation was a culmination of the summer session of the Los Angeles Film Directing Intensive Event (LAFCI), a workshop designed for students… Continue reading Angel Velez opens Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra’s 2021-2022 season


Photo of Alexander Lloyd Blake with Kelly Clarkson

Alexander Lloyd Blake and David Morales talk new Tonality album on The Kelly Clarkson Show

November 3, 2021

Earlier this week, Thornton alumni Alexander Lloyd Blake (DMA ‘19), the artistic director of Tonality, and David Morales (MA ’20), a Tonality ensemble member, were interviewed on an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. Blake spoke to Kelly about the background of the group and how the 24-voice choir explores stories of social justice and other difficult topics… Continue reading Alexander Lloyd Blake and David Morales talk new Tonality album on The Kelly Clarkson Show


Album cover for Agave Baroque

Agave Baroque collaborates on “American Originals: A New World, A New Canon”

November 2, 2021

Agave Baroque, a string chamber music group featuring Thornton alumni Kevin Cooper (DMA ‘06) and William Skeen (MM ‘01), collaborated with countertenor Reginald Mobley on a new album. American Originals: A New World, A New Canon celebrates the overlooked works of American composers of color in an effort to rectify the racial imbalance that has… Continue reading Agave Baroque collaborates on “American Originals: A New World, A New Canon”