DMA candidate Rina Ritivoiu produces album of Christian music in Navajo language
Rina Ritivoiu, a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program, has produced the first album of Christian children’s music in the Navajo language. Ritivoiu arranged 10 Christian songs in the language and worked with a chorus of Navajo children to record the songs in Flagstaff, Arizona, over a period of two… Continue reading DMA candidate Rina Ritivoiu produces album of Christian music in Navajo language
Clarinetist Micah Wright takes 2nd place in Backun International Competition
USC Thornton Winds & Percussion alumnus Micah Wright (DMA ’15, clarinet) received 2nd place in this year’s Backun International Clarinet Competition. The competition, which took place March 9-11 at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music in Nashville, featured 16 participants from 8 different countries. Wright also recently received an honorable mention in the William C.… Continue reading Clarinetist Micah Wright takes 2nd place in Backun International Competition
Pacific Symphony performance with Peter Boyer to be broadcast on PBS
Ellis Island: The Dream of America, a multimedia orchestral work by composer and USC Thornton alumnus Peter Boyer (GCRT ’96, SMPTV) was the centerpiece of the Pacific Symphony’s recent American Composers Festival from April 6-8. Conducted by music director and USC Thornton faculty member Carl St.Clair, the GRAMMY-nominated piece incorporates narration and projected imagery to… Continue reading Pacific Symphony performance with Peter Boyer to be broadcast on PBS
Gail Samuel serving as LA Phil’s Acting President
The Los Angeles Times reports that USC Thornton Board of Councilors member and alumnus Gail Samuel (BA ’89, psychology & music, MBA ’02) has been appointed as Acting President of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, in addition to her duties as Chief Executive Officer for the Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil). Samuel serves as an… Continue reading Gail Samuel serving as LA Phil’s Acting President
Composition grad student Peter Shin awarded Fulbright
Peter Shin, a master’s student in the USC Thornton Composition program, was recently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship that will allow him to travel to South Korea to study local musical forms. In the process, he plans to create new orchestral compositions that will draw on his Korean research. This summer, Shin will join professor emeritus… Continue reading Composition grad student Peter Shin awarded Fulbright
Compositions students, alumni shine in ASCAP Foundation awards
USC Thornton Composition students and alumni comprised six of the nineteen recipients of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation 2017 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, which were announced March 30. The winners include Composition doctoral candidate Julia Adolphe (MM ’12), graduate student Tommy Dougherty, and Composition alumni Saad Haddad (BM ’14),… Continue reading Compositions students, alumni shine in ASCAP Foundation awards
Thomas Kotcheff and the Argus Quartet team for music video
Thomas Kotcheff (MM ’12, composition), a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Composition program, recently collaborated with the Argus Quartet to create a music video of his work, scratch cradle. The quartet, which includes alumni violinists Jason Issokson (MM’10) and Clara Kim (DMA ’15), along with violist Dana Kelley and cellist Joann Whang, originally commissioned… Continue reading Thomas Kotcheff and the Argus Quartet team for music video
Hanbo Ma earns second prize in Fresno piano competition
USC Thornton Keyboard Studies DMA candidate Hanbo Ma recently competed in the Fresno Musical Club’s annual scholarship competition, where she earned second prize, also known as the Susan Torres Award. This past November, Ma, a student of faculty member Daniel Pollack, took the top prize in the Budapest Concert Division of the Los Angeles International… Continue reading Hanbo Ma earns second prize in Fresno piano competition
Alumnus named Conducting Fellow for Long Beach Symphony
USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music alumnus Daniel Gee (MM ’15, Choral Music) was recently appointed Conducting Fellow for the Long Beach Symphony. Gee will work closely with exceptional conductors and musicians, including incoming music director Eckart Preu, to learn the inner workings of a professional orchestra. A cellist, educator, and composer, Gee recently premiered… Continue reading Alumnus named Conducting Fellow for Long Beach Symphony
Jo-Michael Scheibe authors “Teaching Music through Performance in Choir”
USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music chair Jo-Michael Scheibe (DMA ’85) is the editor and author of the 4th volume of GIA Publications’ Teaching Music Through Performance in Choir. In it, Scheibe discusses the importance of consonants in choral music and the shaping of healthy, vibrant tones. The volume, which was recently released at the… Continue reading Jo-Michael Scheibe authors “Teaching Music through Performance in Choir”