Jessica Hall serves as pianist and coach at Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland
Pianist and USC Thornton Keyboard Collaborative Arts alumna Jessica Hall (MM ’09, GC ’11, DMA ’14) has recently served as the principal coach and orchestral pianist for William Bolcom’s opera, Dinner at Eight, at the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland. Hall has been involved with the piece since 2016, when it was workshopped at the… Continue reading Jessica Hall serves as pianist and coach at Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland
Senior Logan Nelson wins at World Soundtrack Awards
USC Thornton Composition senior Logan Nelson has won the SABAM Award for the Most Original Composition by a Young International Composer from the World Soundtrack Academy. The annual competition calls for submissions of original symphonic film or TV scores and includes a cash prize of €2500. Nelson will have the opportunity to hear his winning… Continue reading Senior Logan Nelson wins at World Soundtrack Awards
Jeremy Frank
Acclaimed by Opera News for his precise and disciplined direction and his superbly trained chorus, Jeremy Frank was named Chorus Director at LA Opera in 2022. Since joining LA Opera in 2007 as Assistant Conductor, he served as Associate Chorus Director from 2013 to 2022 and has worked closely with the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist… Continue reading Jeremy Frank
Keyboard Studies students honored at the California Association of Professional Music Teachers conference
Students and alumni of USC Thornton’s Keyboard Studies program recently enjoyed an excellent showing at the 50th annual California Association of Professional Music Teachers’ (CAPMT) state conference in Torrance. DMA candidate Daniel Linder won the award for Article of the Year in CAPMT Connect, the organization’s official peer-reviewed journal, for “A Multisensory Approach to Memorization,”… Continue reading Keyboard Studies students honored at the California Association of Professional Music Teachers conference
H. Robert Reynolds to launch dedicated conducting institute at the Midwest Clinic
This December, H. Robert Reynolds, principal conductor of the USC Thornton Wind Ensemble, will debut the Reynolds Conducting Institute as part of the 72nd annual Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago. Reynolds, along with clinician Kevin Sedatole, will lead the selective two-day intensive program to cultivate advanced skills in band conducting and… Continue reading H. Robert Reynolds to launch dedicated conducting institute at the Midwest Clinic
Morten Lauridsen receives 2018 Half Century Trojans Hall of Fame Award
On Tuesday, October 23rd, noted composer and USC Distinguished Professor Morten Lauridsen was one of six alumni to receive the Half Century Trojans Hall of Fame Award from the USC Alumni Association. The Hall of Fame awards are given each year to alumni who graduated 50+ years ago and exemplify the ideals of the Trojan… Continue reading Morten Lauridsen receives 2018 Half Century Trojans Hall of Fame Award
Cellist Marek Szpakiewicz tours Japan to support Fukushima earthquake victims
Cellist and USC Thornton alumnus Marek Szpakiewicz (DMA ’08), is currently undertaking a two-week performance tour of Japan to support children in the disaster-ravaged region of Fukushima, where an earthquake and tsunami set off a nuclear accident in 2011. Szpakiewicz, who serves as director of String Studies and Chamber Music at Azusa Pacific University, has… Continue reading Cellist Marek Szpakiewicz tours Japan to support Fukushima earthquake victims
Four Thornton violinists join the Long Beach Symphony
The Long Beach Symphony recently welcomed four new violinists to its roster of musicians, all of whom are USC Thornton students or alumni. Chloe Chiu (GCRT ’15) joins the ensemble’s First Violin section, while YuEun Kim (GCRT ’15, ARTD ’17), Sakura Tsai (MM ’07, GCRT ’09, DMA ’13), and current Los Angeles Orchestra Fellow Sydney… Continue reading Four Thornton violinists join the Long Beach Symphony
Bill Kanengiser premieres orchestral guitar work by Sérgio Assad
Classical guitarist and USC Thornton faculty member Bill Kanengiser recently presented the world premiere of a five-movement work by Brazilian composer Sérgio Assad. The Walls, which Kanengiser commissioned, calls for a guitar soloist with a 50-guitar orchestra and received its premiere at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Oct. 4th. Kanengiser also presented The… Continue reading Bill Kanengiser premieres orchestral guitar work by Sérgio Assad
Gloria Cheng releases album in tribute to Steven Stucky
Pianist Gloria Cheng (DMA ’91), an alumna of the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies program, recently released an album in tribute to the late composer Steven Stucky, who passed away in 2016. Garlands for Steven Stucky features 24 short works by composers who knew Stucky, personally, including Thornton Composition chair Donald Crockett, a long-time friend of… Continue reading Gloria Cheng releases album in tribute to Steven Stucky