Posts Tagged ‘Classical Performance and Composition’


Photo of Ted Hearne

Ted Hearne releases new album “Hazy Heart Pump”

October 30, 2019

Composition faculty member Ted Hearne has released a new album, “Hazy Heart Pump,” from New Focus Recordings. The album of chamber works includes unique collaborations between Hearne and other performers, such as a piece with renowned poet Saul Williams in which Hearne composed music around Williams’ reading of a spoken word poem. The album also… Continue reading Ted Hearne releases new album “Hazy Heart Pump”


Frank Ticheli and Morten Lauridsen featured on PBS show

October 29, 2019

A new SoCal PBS show called American Voices featuring three Southern California composers, including Composition faculty member Frank Ticheli, will premiere on Nov. 1 at 8:30 p.m. American Voices will focus on Ticheli, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Composition Morten Lauridsen, and Eric Whitacre and their journeys of being American choral composers who are prominent in… Continue reading Frank Ticheli and Morten Lauridsen featured on PBS show


Image of Tonebase logo with photos of musicians

Chris Garwood launches online learning platform for pianists

October 28, 2019

Classical Guitar alum Chris Garwood (BM ’15) has launched an online educational platform for pianists on his music education website Tonebase. Garwood originally launched Tonebase in 2017 as a platform for learning classical guitar, with the goal of making the best in online music education available to all musicians. Tonebase’s guitar platform now has over… Continue reading Chris Garwood launches online learning platform for pianists


Alexander Miller stages multi-media performance about lost LA landmarks

October 17, 2019

USC Thornton alumnus Alexander Miller (DMA ’10) will perform a multi-media project To…Oblivion: Historic Landmarks Around Los Angeles for the first time in its entirety on Friday, October 25 at Boston Court Pasadena. Using electric guitar and audio and visual effects, Miller’s performance will explore six LA landmarks that have been irreparably altered or destroyed.… Continue reading Alexander Miller stages multi-media performance about lost LA landmarks


Image of Austin Wintory in video game-style video

Austin Wintory scores new game “John Wick Hex”

October 15, 2019

Composition alum Austin Wintory (’07) has composed the music of “John Wick Hex,” a new video game based on the popular John Wick movie series. Wintory is best known for his GRAMMY-nominated score for the game “Journey” and his score for “Assassin’s Creed Syndicate.” Lionsgate and game developer Bithell Games made the announcement of Wintory’s… Continue reading Austin Wintory scores new game “John Wick Hex”


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Faculty and alumni come together at fourth annual CollabFest

October 11, 2019

USC Thornton will have a strong presence at the upcoming CollabFest conference, with many alumni and faculty attending. Alan Smith, director of Keyboard Collaborative Arts, Andrew Harley (DMA ’97), Russell Miller (BM), James Douglass (DMA ’04), ChoEun Lee (DMA, ’13) and Lisa Sylvester, Chair of Vocal Arts & Opera at Thornton, will all be participating.… Continue reading Faculty and alumni come together at fourth annual CollabFest


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USC Thornton faculty and alumni enter GRAMMY Award consideration

October 9, 2019

A number of Thornton faculty and alumni have entered consideration for GRAMMY award nominations. Jazz Studies faculty member Sara Gazarek’s album Thirsty Ghost is up for consideration in multiple categories including Best Jazz Vocal Album. Alumnus Gernot Wolfgang’s (GCRT ’94) chamber music album, Vienna and the West, was entered in the Best Classical Compendium category.… Continue reading USC Thornton faculty and alumni enter GRAMMY Award consideration


Photo of David Allen Moore with double bass

David Allen Moore releases book of double bass instruction

October 1, 2019

Thornton faculty member and alumnus David Allen Moore has published his first book, “Fractal Fingering: A scaleable concept of fingerboard geography for the Double Bass.” The book is founded on 10 years of scholarship and teaching and redefines the methods for fingerboard organization and double bass left-handed technique. The book has already been put on… Continue reading David Allen Moore releases book of double bass instruction


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Three Thornton doctoral candidates among this year’s USC International Artist Fellows

September 30, 2019

USC recently announced the 2019-2020 class of International Artist Fellows, including three USC Thornton DMA candidates: Classical Guitar student Bokyung Byun, Keyboard Studies student Wesley Chu, and Composition student Guang Yang. Since 2013, the International Artist Fellowship has provided scholarships and other resources to enable talented artsits from around the world to study at USC’s… Continue reading Three Thornton doctoral candidates among this year’s USC International Artist Fellows


Photo of Sarah Gibson on red backdrop

Sarah Gibson to join faculty at UCSB Department of Music

September 23, 2019

Thornton alumna Sarah Gibson (MM ’10, DMA ’15) will join the faculty at the UC Santa Barbara Department of Music and College of Creative Studies as Teaching Professor in Composition this fall. Gibson will be teaching courses in composition, music theory, orchestration and other performance-related courses. “Her background and support of new musical compositions, along… Continue reading Sarah Gibson to join faculty at UCSB Department of Music