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
Composer Jaco Wong collaborates with animation artist
Composer and conductor Jaco Wong (MM ’16, Choral and Composition) was commissioned by animation artist Evan Tedlock to compose Psithaura, a ritualized experience inspiring reflection on our relationship to nature, for 16-part mixed chorus. The work was premiered in April, 2018, in an interactive installation exhibited at the USC Firehouse art gallery, then was later… Continue reading Composer Jaco Wong collaborates with animation artist
Accepting applications for the Kerže Scholarship
The American Slovenian Education Foundation (ASEF) recently announced the 2019 Kerže Scholarship fund for Slovenian music students at USC Thornton. The scholarships give Slovenian students the opportunity to travel to the U.S. to study at Thornton while enabling research and innovation between the two countries. Five students are currently benefiting from these scholarship funds, including… Continue reading Accepting applications for the Kerže Scholarship
Jenny Wong conducts the LA Master Chorale on tour
Jenny Wong, an alumna of the USC Thornton Choral Music program and associate conductor of the Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC), was warmly reviewed for her conducting of Orlando di Lasso’s Lagrine di San Pietro at the Melbourne International Arts Festival in Australia. The Renaissance madrigal cycle, which the LAMC is currently touring in an… Continue reading Jenny Wong conducts the LA Master Chorale on tour
Juan Pablo Contreras premieres new work with LACO
Tonight, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) will present the U.S. premiere of current doctoral student Juan Pablo Contreras’ harp concerto, Ángel Mestizo. The event, which begins at 8:00 pm at Hauser + Wirth in Downtown Los Angeles, is part of SESSION, a series in which LACO musicians collaborate with compelling composers in unique spaces. … Continue reading Juan Pablo Contreras premieres new work with LACO
Ted Hearne earns strong NY Times review
The Crossing, a Philadelphia-based choral ensemble focusing on contemporary music, recently premiered a new work by composer and USC Thornon faculty member Ted Hearne, at the Park Avenue Armory. Hearne’s Animals, which incorporated a brief text by President Donald Trump about illegal immigrants, was one of ten works on patriotism and war, environmental depredation, and… Continue reading Ted Hearne earns strong NY Times review