Frank Ticheli Festival to be held in Westminster, UK
Composition faculty Frank Ticheli will participate in this week’s Frank Ticheli Festival, taking place Thursday, June 26 in Westminster, England. Ticheli will conduct a combined band and choir in the festival finale, which will feature some of his favorite pieces for band and for choir. The individual choirs, Los Gatos High School and London Sings, will sing… Continue reading Frank Ticheli Festival to be held in Westminster, UK
Composition students honored with BMI Student Composer Awards
USC Thornton Composition students Saad Nadim Haddad and Daniel Temkin are two of eight young classical composers named winners of the 62nd Annual BMI Student Composer Awards. Haddad, an undergraduate student, won for Mai, a work for string quartet and electronics; Temkin was honored for From Distant Dreams, a work for orchestra. Winners are selected for their superior musical compositional ability,… Continue reading Composition students honored with BMI Student Composer Awards
Work by DMA student premiered by New York Philharmonic
DMA student Julia Adolphe’s “Dark Sand, Sifting Light” was performed at the New York Philharmonic as a part of the NY Phil Biennial. The New York Times called the piece “colorful, mercurial, [and] deftly orchestrated.” USC Distinguished Professor, Jascha Heifetz Chair in Violin, Midori Goto, also performed as a soloist during the concert.
Work by Jason Michael Saunders (MM, ’14) reviewed in Choral Journal
“Monotone,” a choral composition by alumnus Jason Michael Saunders (MM, ’14), was reviewed in the most recent edition of the American Choral Directors Association publication, Choral Journal. “With beautifully conjunct phrasing and accessible yet interesting phrasing,” writes reviewer Steven Grives, “Saunders has created a choral setting that can be performed by both amateur and professional ensembles.”
Somang Jeagal awarded grand prize at Washington International Competition for Piano
Somang Jeagal, a student in the Keyboard Studies Artist Diploma Program studying under faculty Kevin Fitz-Gerald, was awarded the grand prize in the 61st Washington International Competition for Piano on June 8, 2014. The award comes with a $10,000 financial prize, as well as a debut solo recital and concerto appearance at the Kennedy Center in… Continue reading Somang Jeagal awarded grand prize at Washington International Competition for Piano
Alumni mentioned in New York Philharmonic review in New York Times
Sheryl Staples and Michelle Kim, both graduates of USC Thornton’s Strings program, were mentioned in a recent New York Philharmonic concert review in the New York Times. The event featured Russian conductor Vladimir Jurowski, principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Scottish violinist, Nicola Benedetti. Staples, who serves as principal associate concertmaster for the New York Philharmonic,… Continue reading Alumni mentioned in New York Philharmonic review in New York Times
Grant Gershon named Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale
The Los Angeles Master Chorale announced that Music Director and USC Thornton alumnus Grant Gershon will continue at the choir’s helm through the 2019-2020 season with the new title of Artistic Director. Gershon’s title change from Music Director to Artistic Director reflects the highly regarded conductor’s expanded vision to redefine the choral experience.
Vocal Arts students take home honors at Classical Singer Preliminary Auditions
Vocal performance organization Classical Singer awarded several Thornton students in their recent Classical Singer Preliminary Auditions, held in Malibu this March. Emily Peterson placed first in the Classical University category, Grant Yosenick placed second in the Musical Theatre University category and Lesley Baird was awarded third place in the Classical Young Artist category.
USC Thornton alumni to star in opera by Composition student Georgi Dimitrov
Composition student Georgi Dimitrov‘s chamber opera, Maximus, will be performed at Monk Space in Los Angeles on May 21 at 8:00 p.m. The cast features many USC Thornton alumni, including clarinetist Eric Jacobs and singer James Hayden. The one act opera involves a parking ticket that, despite being generated in error, comes back to destroy the life… Continue reading USC Thornton alumni to star in opera by Composition student Georgi Dimitrov
Morten Lauridsen to be featured guest at Valley Concert Chorale anniversary celebrations
USC Distinguished Professor of Composition Morten Lauridsen will serve as the guest of honor at this weekend’s “Morten Lauridsen Festival” in the San Francisco Bay Area. The event is being held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Valley Concert Chorale. During the festival, Lauridsen will host workshops for local high school and college… Continue reading Morten Lauridsen to be featured guest at Valley Concert Chorale anniversary celebrations