Posts Tagged ‘Classical Performance and Composition’


black and white portrait of Schyman

Garry Schyman to premiere concerto with the L.A. Jewish Symphony

August 17, 2016

Garry Schyman, alumnus and USC Thornton Screen Scoring faculty member, will premiere a new viola concerto, Zingaro, with the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony on August 21. The program, conducted by Noreen Green and featuring violist Matthew Cohen, highlights music by composers from the film and gaming industries, including selections from Schyman’s scores for the BioSchock… Continue reading Garry Schyman to premiere concerto with the L.A. Jewish Symphony


Organist Thomas Mellan takes first place at San Diego competition

August 9, 2016

Thomas Mellan, a USC Thornton junior double-majoring in Organ Studies and Composition, recently took first place in the keyboard division of the Musical Merit Foundation’s competition for instrumentalists and vocalists, earning the distinction of Fenstermaker Scholar. Mellan, who also took the top prize in the 2015 competition, performed at the foundation’s 70th Annual Awards Concert… Continue reading Organist Thomas Mellan takes first place at San Diego competition


Thornton alumni perform at the Salzburg Festival

August 5, 2016

Several USC Thornton alumni are performing at the celebrated Salzburg Festival this summer, including the Calder Quartet (violinists Benjamin Jacobson BM ’01, MM ’07 and Andrew Bulbrook BM ’02; violist Jonathan Moerschel BM ’01, MM ’03; and cellist Eric Byers BM ’03), which presented a program of works by Thomas Adès, György Kurtág, and Franz… Continue reading Thornton alumni perform at the Salzburg Festival


Eunghee Cho takes 2nd prize at Schoenfeld Competition

August 4, 2016

Cellist Eunghee Cho (BM ’16, cello), a recent USC Thornton graduate, has won 2nd Prize – Cello Division – at the Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, China. Cho was also awarded a special prize for his performance of a new work by Chinese composer Damin Ren, as seen in the video… Continue reading Eunghee Cho takes 2nd prize at Schoenfeld Competition


DMA candidate Irene Apanovitch awarded prestigious CET Fellowship

August 2, 2016

Irene Apanovitch, a doctoral candidate in the USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music program, has been appointed as a Teaching Assistant Fellow with the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching (CET) for the 2016-17 academic year. CET Fellows take an active role in guiding the work and objectives of Teaching Assistants across the university. In… Continue reading DMA candidate Irene Apanovitch awarded prestigious CET Fellowship


Alumnus George Shaw composes ballet

August 2, 2016

The I.C. Movement Project contemporary ballet company has commissioned USC Thornton Composition alumnus George Shaw to compose a ballet. The work, “Through the Glass Ceiling,” explores issues of gender inequality and will receive its premiere in the Washington D.C area on August 6th. Shaw recently scored the theme and music for the web video series… Continue reading Alumnus George Shaw composes ballet


Conservatory building named in honor of alumnus Robert L. Annis

August 1, 2016

Westminster Choir College, a music conservatory associated with Rider University of Princeton, New Jersey, has named its Playhouse venue in honor of Robert L. Annis (MM ’74, clarinet), an alumnus of USC Thornton, who served as Choir College’s dean from 1992-2014. The historical Playhouse, which was renovated in 2015, has occupied a central role at… Continue reading Conservatory building named in honor of alumnus Robert L. Annis


Jeffrey Kahane appointed music director of Sarasota Music Festival

July 29, 2016

Conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, a member of the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies faculty, has been appointed music director of the Sarasota Music Festival, a program of the Sarasota Orchestra. The annual festival, founded in 1965, welcomes international faculty artists and college-aged musicians for three weeks of orchestral and chamber music concerts, recitals, masterclasses, and… Continue reading Jeffrey Kahane appointed music director of Sarasota Music Festival


Marilyn Horne wearing green, smiling to the camera

Marilyn Horne celebrated at Music Academy gala

July 27, 2016

USC Thornton alumna Marilyn Horne was honored at a gala concert on June 4, 2016 at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, where she is director of the Voice Program. The concert, which opened the Academy’s 2016 Summer School and Festival, featured performances by vocalists Simone Osborne, Isabel Leonard, Ben Bliss, and… Continue reading Marilyn Horne celebrated at Music Academy gala


Pianist Nadia Shpachenko receives raves for Bargemusic concert in NYC

July 26, 2016

Nadia Shpachenko (DMA ’04, MM ’99, Piano Performance), an alumna of the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies program, recently presented her “Poetry of Places” recital program as part of the Bargemusic concert series in Brooklyn. The June 24th recital featured new works by six composers – Lewis Spratlan, Harold Meltzer, James Matheson, Hannah Lash, Amy Beth… Continue reading Pianist Nadia Shpachenko receives raves for Bargemusic concert in NYC