Cristian Grases elected to IFCM Executive Council
USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music faculty member Cristian Grases was recently elected to the Executive Council of the International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM). Grases was appointed in July while attending the World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona and will serve as one of four Vice Presidents for the group. The IFCM is… Continue reading Cristian Grases elected to IFCM Executive Council
Alumna Michelle Tseng joins the LA Phil
Violinist Michelle Tseng (’13, GCRT ’17), an alumna of the USC Thornton Strings program, recently joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) as a Second Violinist. She has performed as a soloist with the Torrance, Downey, Peninsula, South Coast, USC, and Rio Hondo Symphonies and served as concertmaster under conductors David Robertson, Alan Gilbert, and… Continue reading Alumna Michelle Tseng joins the LA Phil
Oxford University Press releases Stewart Gordon’s new book
“Beethoven’s 32 Piano Sonatas: A Handbook for Performers,” a book by USC Thornton Keyboard Studies faculty member Stewart Gordon, was recently published by the Oxford University Press. The book provides historical context, as well as important conceptual and interpretive information, for each of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. A well-known pianist, composer, and author, Gordon has… Continue reading Oxford University Press releases Stewart Gordon’s new book
Terry S. Cravens
Terry S. Cravens, bass trombonist and professor of the USC Thornton Winds & Percussion department for 42 years, earned performance degrees from the University of Louisville, the Academy of Music in Vienna, and in 1972 completed doctoral studies at the University of Southern California. He was a member of the Louisville Orchestra and the Kentucky… Continue reading Terry S. Cravens
Troy Quinn named music director of Owensboro Symphony
USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music alumnus Troy Quinn (DMA ’13) was recently named Music Director of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra in Owensboro, Kentucky. Quinn, who is also Music Director of Alaska’s Juneau Symphony, will begin his three-year term on October 28th with a performance of Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and Brahms’ Fourth Symphony.
Composition alumnus wins two prestigious awards
USC Thornton Composition alumnus Eric Guinivan (MM ’08, DMA ’11) recently received a commission from Harvard University’s Fromm Music Foundation, as well as the Andrew Imbrie Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for “a composer of demonstrated artistic merit in mid-career.” An accomplished composer and GRAMMY Award-nominated percussionist, Guinivan’s work has been… Continue reading Composition alumnus wins two prestigious awards
In Memoriam: Daniel Lewis, longtime leader of the USC Thornton Symphony
Daniel Lewis, Emeritus Professor of the USC Thornton School of Music, longtime conductor of the USC Thornton Symphony and former director of Conducting Studies, has recently passed away. He was 92. Lewis was raised in the La Mesa/San Diego area. While stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii during his stint in the U.S. Navy in World War… Continue reading In Memoriam: Daniel Lewis, longtime leader of the USC Thornton Symphony
Andrew Norman premieres new children’s opera with Berlin Philharmoniker
Composer Andrew Norman, a USC Thornton faculty member who has emerged as one of the most distinctive musical voices of his generation, recently premiered a new children’s opera with the renowned Berlin Philharmoniker Orchestra. A Trip to the Moon opened June 17 under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, with help from the Vocal Heroes… Continue reading Andrew Norman premieres new children’s opera with Berlin Philharmoniker
Jenny Wong takes interim post at All Saints Church
Jenny Wong (MM ’13, choral), a DMA candidate in the USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program, has been named Interim Director of Music at All Saints Church in Pasadena. She adds this to her role as Assistant Conductor of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. A native of Hong Kong, Wong began conducting in 2009… Continue reading Jenny Wong takes interim post at All Saints Church
The Los Angeles Times draws musical parallels between Los Angeles and Berlin
The musical vitality of Los Angeles takes center stage in a recent Los Angeles Times article by music critic Mark Swed, which juxtaposes the city’s artistic dynamism with that of the more established metropolis of Berlin. Surveying the German capital’s three major opera companies and the venerable Berlin Philharmonic, Swed drew parallels to several Los… Continue reading The Los Angeles Times draws musical parallels between Los Angeles and Berlin