Yura Lee named principal violist of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
USC Thornton Strings Department Associate Professor of Practice Yura Lee was appointed principal violist of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO). Lee assumes her new post in the 2022-23 season. Lee is a recipient of the Lincoln Center’s prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, and at age 12, she became the youngest artist to ever receive… Continue reading Yura Lee named principal violist of Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Thornton students and alumni win at Virginia Waring International Piano Competition
Several USC Thornton students and alumni won awards in the 2022 Virginia Waring International Piano Competition. Christopher Richardson, a master’s student in the Thornton Keyboard Studies program, won second place in the concerto division. Keyboard studies DMA candidate Andrew Boyle and USC Thornton alumnus Benjamin Hopkins (BM ’12, GC ’14, MM ’16) also won solo… Continue reading Thornton students and alumni win at Virginia Waring International Piano Competition
Kate Crellin publishes debut choral compositions
Kate Crellin (’19), an alumna of the USC Thornton Department of Choral & Sacred Music, recently published her debut choral compositions with Heritage Music Press. The debut pieces include “Day of Fire and Sun,” “Give Me Your Stars to Hold” and “Home-Thoughts, From Abroad.” Crellin currently serves as the choir director for the GRAMMY Award-winning… Continue reading Kate Crellin publishes debut choral compositions
Giovanni Santos (MM ’07) has new work premiered by Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble
This month, the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble will premiere Thornton alum Giovanni Santos’ (MM ‘07) new saxophone concerto, “I Dream Awake,” with soloist and fellow alumnus Andrew Harrison. Santos currently serves as the director of wind and percussion studies at La Sierra University, where he directs the University Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds and Big… Continue reading Giovanni Santos (MM ’07) has new work premiered by Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble
Gabriel Martins joins Opus 3 Artists roster
USC Thornton Strings Department alum Gabriel Martins (’19) has signed to independent artist management firm Opus 3 Artists. Martins is an acclaimed cellist who has been recognized for his artistry in many competitions including the 2020 Sphinx Competition, the David Popper International Cello Competition and the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. Earlier this year,… Continue reading Gabriel Martins joins Opus 3 Artists roster
Juan Pablo Contreras premieres “MeChicano” with the Las Vegas Philharmonic
Alumnus Juan Pablo Contreras (DMA ’21) premieres MeChicano, a piece honoring Mexican-American communities, with the Las Vegas Philharmonic on May 7. Contreras is one of the seven composers selected by New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices, a program supporting composers of underrepresented backgrounds. His work was co-commisisioned by the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the California Symphony, the… Continue reading Juan Pablo Contreras premieres “MeChicano” with the Las Vegas Philharmonic
Austin Wintory celebrates ten years of video game Journey
Composer and USC Thornton Composition program alum Austin Wintory (’07) was interviewed by Screen Rant and NME about the ten-year anniversary of the popular video game Journey. Wintory composed the score for the game, which came out in 2012. The Journey score debuted higher on the Billboard charts than any original score in gaming history,… Continue reading Austin Wintory celebrates ten years of video game Journey
USC Thornton faculty Beatriz Ilari and Veronika Krausas receive Advancing Scholarship awards
USC Thornton faculty members Veronika Krausas and Beatriz Illari were awarded by Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences (ASHSS). The ASHSS research and creative project grants program, an initiative of the USC Office of the Provost, promotes the development of innovative and influential scholarly and creative output in the arts, humanities and humanistic… Continue reading USC Thornton faculty Beatriz Ilari and Veronika Krausas receive Advancing Scholarship awards
LA Phil performs piece by alumnus and former Thornton Composition program faculty member Andrew Norman
The LA Phil will perform Play: Level 1, a work by USC Thornton alumnus and former composition program faculty member Andrew Norman, on April 23 and 24. This pair of concerts is part of the LA Phil’s Gen X Festival, a series that takes a “multidisciplinary, multi-genre look at the slackers, hackers and latch-key kids… Continue reading LA Phil performs piece by alumnus and former Thornton Composition program faculty member Andrew Norman
Veronika Krausas composition featured in LA Phil’s Voices of a Generation concert
A work by USC Thornton Composition faculty member Veronika Krausas, Caryatids, will be performed by the LA Phil on April 22 during its Voices of a Generation concert. Krausas also works as a pre-concert lecturer and interviewer at the LA Phil and serves on the advisory boards of Jacaranda Music and People Inside Electronics.