Lynn Helding receives Lifetime Achievement Award for research in vocal pedagogy
USC Thornton Vocal Arts and Opera faculty member Lynn Helding has been recognized as a legendary figure in the field of voice pedagogy by the Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University, and has received the 2020 CCM Institute Lifetime Achievement Award. As this year’s recipient, she will be in residence at… Continue reading Lynn Helding receives Lifetime Achievement Award for research in vocal pedagogy
$1M gift ensures continued collaboration between USC Thornton, Kaufman School of Dance
The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance has received an anonymous $1 million gift, which will be used specifically to support continued artistic collaboration with USC Thornton. The two schools already share a history of collaborative programming, such as the annual Choreographers & Composers concert, which pairs Thornton composer with Kaufman dancers to produce new… Continue reading $1M gift ensures continued collaboration between USC Thornton, Kaufman School of Dance
Ted Hearne to premiere new opera in partnership with Beth Morrison Projects
Beth Morrison Projects, Trinity Church Wall Street, and PROTOTYPE Festival have announced a multi-year partnership that will produce the premieres of five new operas over the next three seasons, including the 2022 premiere of “Slaying of Innocence,” a new opera composed by Ted Hearne, acclaimed composer, performer and USC Thornton Composition faculty member. The work… Continue reading Ted Hearne to premiere new opera in partnership with Beth Morrison Projects
Thomas Newman receives Oscar nomination for “1917” score
USC Thornton Board of Councilors member and award-winning composer Thomas Newman has been nominated for an Oscar in the category of “Music (Original Score)” for his score of the World War I film “1917”. Newman faced a unique challenge scoring “1917,” which was shot to appear as one continuous take, at an unrelenting pace. The… Continue reading Thomas Newman receives Oscar nomination for “1917” score
Piatigorsky documentary, “The Cellist,” to be screened at USC Thornton following DVD release
“The Cellist,” a documentary detailing the life of famed cellist Gregor Piatigorsky will be released on DVD Jan. 28. Often heralded as one of the greatest classical musicians of the 20th century, Piatigorsky was a musical prodigy at an early age, and fled the Soviet Union to the United States in the 1920s. He ultimately… Continue reading Piatigorsky documentary, “The Cellist,” to be screened at USC Thornton following DVD release
Alan Smith to premiere song cycle at NYC songSLAM Festival
Pianist Alan Smith, chair of Keyboard Studies and director of Keyboard Collaborative Arts at USC Thornton, will be premiering a new song cycle on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the final event of the songSLAM Festival in New York City, organized by the art song consortium Sparks and Wiry Cries. The five-song piece, titled “Surfing the… Continue reading Alan Smith to premiere song cycle at NYC songSLAM Festival
Veronika Krausas’ “Ghost Opera” named among decade’s best operas
Ghost Opera, a full-length dramatic opera by Composition faculty member Veronika Krausas, was recently named among the best operas of the decade by Opera Canada. Writer Stephan Bonfield praises the production as “aesthetically the most beautiful opera I saw this past decade.” The 2019 co-production between Calgary Opera and Old Trout Puppet Workshop featured artfully… Continue reading Veronika Krausas’ “Ghost Opera” named among decade’s best operas
Cherry Rhodes juries and delivers lecture at Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Organ Festival
From November 5–9, 2019, Organ Studies faculty member Cherry Rhodes had a return engagement to participate in the Second International Organ Festival in Shanghai, China, sponsored by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She performed in the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, adjudicated the Second International Pipe-Organ Competition, and was on an international panel at the Shanghai… Continue reading Cherry Rhodes juries and delivers lecture at Shanghai Conservatory of Music International Organ Festival
Katelyn Vahala wins first prize at Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition
Keyboard Studies alum and current graduate student Katelyn Vahala (BM ’18) has recently won first prize at the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition, and also won the prize for best contemporary performance. The international competition is named for the late Rosalyn Tureck, an acclaimed pianist, teacher, conductor, scholar, and author, who was known for her… Continue reading Katelyn Vahala wins first prize at Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition
Morten Lauridsen and Grant Gershon discuss 25th anniversary of “O Magnem Mysterium” on KUSC
USC Thornton alum Grant Gershon (BM ’85) and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Composition and Thornton alum Morten Lauridsen recently appeared on KUSC’s Arts Alive to discuss the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 25th anniversary of Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mysterium.” The Master Chorale premiered the iconic work, and will perform it on Sunday, Dec. 15 in celebration… Continue reading Morten Lauridsen and Grant Gershon discuss 25th anniversary of “O Magnem Mysterium” on KUSC