Mark Weiser wins ASCAP’s Rudolf Nissim Prize
USC Thornton faculty Mark Weiser was named the recipient of the 35th annual ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Prize. The prize was awarded for his Symphony No. 2 (Sinfonia Magalhães), a 30-minute work of orchestra. The Prize is presented annually to an ASCAP concert composer for a work requiring a conductor that has not been performed… Continue reading Mark Weiser wins ASCAP’s Rudolf Nissim Prize
Jeffrey Kahane
Acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Kahane joined the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies Department faculty part-time in 2015 and became a full-time professor in 2016 following a 20-year run as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), the longest of any music director in the ensemble’s history. Equally at home at the keyboard or on the podium, Kahane… Continue reading Jeffrey Kahane
Classical Guitar alum Cameron O’Connor a finalist in the Tokyo International Guitar Competition
Classical guitar alum Cameron O’Connor, who recently completed his DMA, was a finalist in the Tokyo International Guitar Competition. O’Connor, who studied with Bill Kanengiser, made his Lincoln Center debut in 2009 under the baton of Academy Award-winning composer Tan Dun, performing Concerto for Six, an ensemble piece which mixes Western and Eastern musical idioms.… Continue reading Classical Guitar alum Cameron O’Connor a finalist in the Tokyo International Guitar Competition
Ted Hearne
A composer, performer, singer, and bandleader, Ted Hearne draws on a wide breadth of musical and artistic influences to create intense, personal, and multi-dimensional works. The Los Angeles Times wrote: “No single artist embodies the post-genre Brooklyn scene, but Hearne may be its most zealous auteur.” In the past season, Hearne has written new works… Continue reading Ted Hearne
Tram Sparks
Tram Sparks (she/her) is professor of practice at the USC Thornton School of Music and served as Choral Music Department Chair from 2022-2025. Recent artistic highlights include conducting the USC Thornton Chamber Singers in a performance of Ellen Reid’s Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever at the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s 2024 Noon to Midnight Festival. In February… Continue reading Tram Sparks
Ken Cazan reviewed in Los Angeles Times for revival of Tobias Picker’s “Therese Raquin”
USC Thornton faculty Ken Cazan, chair of the Vocal Arts program and resident stage director of USC Thornton Opera, revived Tobias Picker’s Therese Raquin last weekend at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro with the Long Beach Opera. A Los Angeles Times article praised Cazan’s production for being “naturalistic, focused and unfussy, true to… Continue reading Ken Cazan reviewed in Los Angeles Times for revival of Tobias Picker’s “Therese Raquin”
USC Thornton students Alex Biniaz-Harris and Ambrose Soehn featured in the Los Angeles Times
USC Thornton students Alex Biniaz-Harris and Ambrose Soehn perform today in Kraków, Poland, at the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, playing a piano suite they composed based on melodies sung by Holocaust survivors they found in archives of the USC Shoah Foundation. The piano suite and performance… Continue reading USC Thornton students Alex Biniaz-Harris and Ambrose Soehn featured in the Los Angeles Times
USC Thornton faculty harpist JoAnn Turovsky featured in The Opera League of Los Angeles newsletter
USC Thornton harp faculty JoAnn Turovsky, was featured in a piece for The Opera League of Los Angeles newsletter, BRAVO, detailing her career as a harpist in the Los Angeles Opera. In it, Turovsky – who began playing the harp at seven – describes her work in the LA Chamber Orchestra, the LA Master Chorale,… Continue reading USC Thornton faculty harpist JoAnn Turovsky featured in The Opera League of Los Angeles newsletter
Marilyn Horne presents annual master classes at Carnegie Hall
The New York Times reviewed USC Thornton alumna Marilyn Horne’s The Song Continues at Carnegie Hall, a series of master classes that culminates in a public performance. Three young singers performed for the famed mezzo-soprano. The annual event also features a veteran singer each year. The Times noted: “After offering a few anecdotes, including a… Continue reading Marilyn Horne presents annual master classes at Carnegie Hall
Courtney Wise releases album with group Duo Bohème
USC Thornton alumna Courtney Wise (BM ’10) recently released an album titled Senza Misura with her flute and guitar group, Duo Bohème. Wise founded the group with guitarist Lyle Sheffler, and they specialize in Spanish, Latin, and Bohemian flute and guitar music. Wise, who studied with USC Thornton faculty Gary Woodward, is a proponent of… Continue reading Courtney Wise releases album with group Duo Bohème