Patrice Rushen and Thornton alumni invited into the Academy
Patrice Rushen, chair of the Popular Music program at USC Thornton, along with three Thornton alumni—Chanda Dancy (GCRT ’04), Roger Neill (BM ’86), and Jermaine Stegall (GCRT ’04)—have been invited into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Rushen’s classic song “Forget Me Nots” was sampled for Will Smith’s “Men in Black,” from the… Continue reading Patrice Rushen and Thornton alumni invited into the Academy
Martin Chalifour leads drive-in classical music concerts
Martin Chalifour, concertmaster of the LA Phil and a faculty member in the Strings program, will lead two drive-in strings concerts presented by San Diego-based organization Mainly Mozart on July 11. Chalifour had the idea to host a drive-in classical music concert as an innovative way to allow audiences to safely enjoy live music, and… Continue reading Martin Chalifour leads drive-in classical music concerts
Thornton Alumni receive ASCAP 2020 Screen Music Awards
Multiple alumni of USC Thornton received awards and nominations for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) 2020 Screen Music Awards, honoring the accomplishments of composers for film, television and video games from 2019. Bear McCreary (BM ’02) and Gordy Haab (GCRT ’02) received top honors in the Composers’ Choice categories. McCreary was… Continue reading Thornton Alumni receive ASCAP 2020 Screen Music Awards
Jeffrey Kahane to appear in Oregon Bach Festival radio broadcast
Performances by renowned pianist and Keyboard Studies faculty member Jeffrey Kahane will be broadcast July 6 and 8 as part of the first-ever radio broadcast edition of the award-winning Oregon Bach Festival. The festival airs from June 26 through July 10, and features recordings by critically-acclaimed musicians. Kahane made is Oregon Bach Festival debut in… Continue reading Jeffrey Kahane to appear in Oregon Bach Festival radio broadcast
Choirs from around the world perform Frank Ticheli’s “Earth Song” in global project
In a call to unity during difficult times, a collective of 21 choirs from around the world premiered a performance of “Earth Song,” by Composition faculty member Frank Ticheli, a piece that has resonated with many artists since the pandemic began. The ensemble of 167 singers came together virtually for the “Sing Around The gloBe”… Continue reading Choirs from around the world perform Frank Ticheli’s “Earth Song” in global project
Garrett McQueen talks Trilloquy podcast and resisting the status quo in Rewire interview
Bassoonist, radio host and USC Thornton alum Garrett McQueen (MM ’12) discusses the origins and work behind his classical music podcast, Trilloquy, in a recent interview with Rewire. Hosted by McQueen and his collaborator, Scott Blankenship, the podcast takes on subjects not often addressed in conversations around classical music, such as the intersection of classical… Continue reading Garrett McQueen talks Trilloquy podcast and resisting the status quo in Rewire interview
Emily Cooley and Sturdivant Adams awarded 2020 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards
USC Thornton Composition alum Emily Cooley (MM ’14) and Screen Scoring alum Sturdivant Adams (MM ’19) have both been awarded the 2020 Morton Gould Young Composer Award. The national juried competition honors composers of original, classical concert music under the age of 30. Cooley received the award in recognition of her piece titled “Dissolve.” Adams… Continue reading Emily Cooley and Sturdivant Adams awarded 2020 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards
LACMA Sundays Live to air encore performance featuring Bernadene Blaha and Judith Farmer
Sunday, June 21 at 6:00 p.m., a 2018 performance by the Los Angeles Piano Sextet, featuring USC Thornton faculty members Bernadene Blaha and Judith Farmer, will be aired as a part of LACMA Sundays Live. The performance was originally performed in LACMA’s Bing Theater, and includes a selection of music by Mozart, Thuille, and Poulenc.… Continue reading LACMA Sundays Live to air encore performance featuring Bernadene Blaha and Judith Farmer
Thornton faculty and alumni join MusiCares relief benefit
USC Thornton faculty members and alumni are among the many artists and composers contributing their talents to “Soundtrack of Our Lives: A Celebration for the Film & TV Music Community,” an online benefit show for the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. Screen Scoring alum Jongnic Bontemps (GCRT ’12), Composition alumni Austin Wintory (BM ’07) and Michael… Continue reading Thornton faculty and alumni join MusiCares relief benefit
HOCKET launches new commission series #What2020SoundsLike
USC Thornton alumni Sarah Gibson (MM ’10, DMA ’15) and Thomas Kotcheff (MM ’12, DMA ‘19), who together form piano duo HOCKET, have launched a new commission series called #What2020SoundsLike. They have commissioned 50 composers to create new, short works between 15 and 45 seconds in length, which the duo will record and release on… Continue reading HOCKET launches new commission series #What2020SoundsLike