Thornton students and ensembles to shine at the 2018 Festival of Books
This weekend, an estimated 150,000 book-lovers will descend on the USC campus for the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, April 21 & 22. The massive event will feature books, film, art, comedy, photography, lots of food, and, of course, plenty of music. A host of USC Thornton student and alumni musicians will take… Continue reading Thornton students and ensembles to shine at the 2018 Festival of Books
Morten Lauridsen to receive honorary degree from Muhlenberg College
This spring, composer, USC Thornton faculty member, and National Medal of Arts recipient Morten Lauridsen will receive an honorary doctorate from Pennsylvania’s Muhlenberg College. He has previously earned honorary degrees from Whitman College, Oklahoma State University, Westminster Choir College, and King’s College at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. At the May 18th ceremony in Allentown,… Continue reading Morten Lauridsen to receive honorary degree from Muhlenberg College
Ted Hearne a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music
Composer and USC Thornton faculty member Ted Hearne was selected as a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Music. His politically-charged album, Sound from the Bench (Cantaloupe Music), was recorded with the Philadelphia-based Crossing Choir and explores subjects including the Iraq War, white privilege, and the Supreme Court’s “Citizen’s United” decision. In a review… Continue reading Ted Hearne a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music
Soprano Shana Blake Hill to perform with Verdi Chorus
USC Thornton Vocal Arts alumna Shana Blake Hill (MM ’12) will perform as a featured guest soloist in the Verdi Chorus’s 35th anniversary concert, “The Force of Destiny,” on April 28th and 29th. The Santa Monica-based ensemble is directed by Anne Marie Ketchum and the program will feature excepts from La Forza del Destino, Nabucco,… Continue reading Soprano Shana Blake Hill to perform with Verdi Chorus
Ted Hearne brings “Katrina Ballads” to Australia
The Australian publication Broadsheet recently profiled Katrina Ballads by composer and USC Thornton faculty member Ted Hearne, ahead of the work’s performance debut as part of the 2018 Perth Festival. Hearne’s series of ballads explores the social and physical destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, primarily in the aftermath of government inaction that contributed to a… Continue reading Ted Hearne brings “Katrina Ballads” to Australia
New World Symphony hosts Network Performing Arts Production Workshop (NPAPWS)
Registration is now open for the Network Performing Arts Production Workshop, an annual event hosted by the New World Symphony (NWS) in Miami Beach Florida. Taking place from April 24-26th, the conference enables performing artists, academic administrators, faculty, technology developers, administration and staff from performing arts venues to learn about new technologies for art instruction,… Continue reading New World Symphony hosts Network Performing Arts Production Workshop (NPAPWS)
Adan Fernandez studies the musicological and theological aspects of hymns
Adan Fernandez, a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program, has recently presented at several conferences on the musicological and theological dimensions of religious hymns, including the Eureka Musical Minds Conference at CSU Fullerton, the Hymn Society Conference in Waterloo, Canada, and the American Academy of Religion Western Conference. Fernandez’ articles,… Continue reading Adan Fernandez studies the musicological and theological aspects of hymns
Thornton alumni form the Delirium Musicum Chamber Orchestra
Violinist and USC Thornton alumnus Etienne Gara has recently teamed with a number of Thornton alumni to form the Delirium Musicum Chamber Orchestra, a conductorless ensemble focused on music from the Baroque through the contemporary. The group’s roster includes violinists Mishkar Núñez-Fredell (MM ’09, DMA ’17), Yu-Eun Kim (GCRT ’17), and Sun Jung Lee (DMA… Continue reading Thornton alumni form the Delirium Musicum Chamber Orchestra
Michael Tree, violist of the Guarneri Quartet, dies at 84
Violist Michael Tree, a founding member of the Guarneri Quartet, died on March 30 in New York City at the age of 84. The acclaimed musician joined the USC Thornton Strings faculty in the fall of 2014 and taught at the school for three semesters. Initially trained as a violinist, it has been said that… Continue reading Michael Tree, violist of the Guarneri Quartet, dies at 84
Several volumes of songs by Alan L. Smith published
Several volumes of song arrangements by Alan L. Smith, USC Thornton Keyboard Studies chair and director of Keyboard Collaborative Arts, were recently published by Classical Vocal Reprints. The collection features several volumes of folk song arrangements, some of which were written for renowned mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, and also includes a song cycle for soprano, violin,… Continue reading Several volumes of songs by Alan L. Smith published