Tram Sparks named Associate Professor of Practice in the Choral & Sacred Music Program
After five years at USC Thornton as an adjunct associate professor, Tram Sparks has been named associate professor of practice in the Choral & Sacred Music Program. Prior to joining the USC faculty in 2015, Sparks taught for over ten years at Temple University Boyer College of Music & Dance, serving as associate professor and… Continue reading Tram Sparks named Associate Professor of Practice in the Choral & Sacred Music Program
Max Opferkuch wins Pasadena Showcase Instrumental Competition
Clarinetist Max Opferkuch, an undergraduate at USC Thornton and the principal clarinetist in the student-run USC Concerto Chamber Orchestra, won the Grand Prize of the 33rd Pasadena Showcase Instrumental Competition. As part of his prize, he received $6000 to support his studies. The showcase for string, woodwind and brass music students from Southern California aged… Continue reading Max Opferkuch wins Pasadena Showcase Instrumental Competition
Jeffrey Kahane recreates Beethoven’s iconic marathon concert
Jeffrey Kahane, USC Thornton professor of Keyboard Studies, led the Sacramento Philharmonic in a concert paying homage to Beethoven’s famous marathon concert of 1808, which featured the world premieres of his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, his Mass in C, and his Choral Fantasy, among others. In addition to conducting, Kahane also performed the piano solos… Continue reading Jeffrey Kahane recreates Beethoven’s iconic marathon concert
Vicki Ray earns rave reviews for her solo performance
Pianist and USC Thornton alumna Vicki Ray (DMA ’88) received a rave review from SF Classical Voice for her January 16 performance at CalArts REDCAT in downtown Los Angeles. Ray performed a solo concert featuring two works with the accompaniment of visual projections by artist Carole Kim. The review described Ray as “stealing the show.”
Yoko Rosenbaum presents research at National Collegiate Research Conference
Yoko Rosenbaum, a sophomore double major in Piano Performance at USC Thornton and Philosophy, Politics, and Law at USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, presented at the 2019 National Collegiate Research Conference, the nation’s largest student-run research conference, at Harvard University from January 24-26. Rosenbaum’s looked at the lives and works of renowned… Continue reading Yoko Rosenbaum presents research at National Collegiate Research Conference
Callisto Trio earns standing ovation in Amsterdam
Keyboard Studies master’s student Katelyn Vahala (’18), and alumna cellist Annie Jacobs-Perkins ’18, are currently touring the Netherlands and Slovakia with the Callisto Piano Trio, which also features violinist Geneva Lewis. On Jan. 13, the trio earned a standing ovation for their performance of Schoenfield, Ives and Dvořák at Amsterdam’s famed concert hall, the Royal… Continue reading Callisto Trio earns standing ovation in Amsterdam
Judith Farmer performs at Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition and Bassoon Symposium
Judith Farmer, USC Thornton faculty member in bassoon, performed with alumnus Nick Gerpe (DMA ‘12) at the 2019 Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition and Bassoon Symposium (MQVC), held at the Colburn School from January 11-13. MQVC is a three-day event that includes master classes, presentations, performances, and a competition for female bassoonists. Farmer, a 2016 GRAMMY… Continue reading Judith Farmer performs at Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition and Bassoon Symposium
Jeffrey Kahane earns rave review with Houston Symphony
Keyboard Studies professor Jeffrey Kahane earned a rave review in the San Angelo Standard-Times for his performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with the Houston Symphony. Kahane’s performance, described as “simply spectacular” and “an extension of him(self),” ended with an encore of “America the Beautiful” where he briefly switched into a minor key, resulting in… Continue reading Jeffrey Kahane earns rave review with Houston Symphony
Midori Goto featured in Violinist.com
Violinist.com recently featured USC Distinguished Professor Midori Goto for a masterclass she presented at USC Thornton last Spring. In “The Art of Giving a Masterclass,” Midori encouraged students to think how they would structure their own masterclasses, an important skill when hunting for a teaching job. The article highlighted the thought process behind how instructors… Continue reading Midori Goto featured in Violinist.com
Sara Hiner named director of Settlement Music School’s Germantown Branch
USC Thornton alumna Sara Hiner (BM ’04, MM ’06) was recently appointed director of the Germantown Branch of the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. Settlement, one of the oldest and largest community schools of the arts in the nation, provides financial aid to more than 60% of their students in music, dance and the creative… Continue reading Sara Hiner named director of Settlement Music School’s Germantown Branch