Ryan McWilliams
Ashlin Hunter
Forbes interviews Bear McCreary about “God of War” music
Bear McCreary (’02), a USC Thornton Composition program alumnus, was interviewed by Forbes about his music for the video game God of War. Journalist Joshua Lamb traced the game’s musical history from its conception in 2005 to the 2022 sequel, God of War Ragnarök, which McCreary composed. In the article, McCreary discussed his initial draw towards… Continue reading Forbes interviews Bear McCreary about “God of War” music
Quenton Blache featured on Sphinx Virtuosi album, “American Mirror”
USC Thornton Composition, Cello Performance and Screen Scoring alum Quenton Blache (BM ’23, MM ’24) is one of the featured composers on Sphinx Virtuosi’s album, American Mirror, released on August 29 via Deutsche Grammophon. The album opens with Blache’s piece “Habari Gani,” an ode to the ideals of unity and fellowship. American Mirror includes new… Continue reading Quenton Blache featured on Sphinx Virtuosi album, “American Mirror”
Composer Dale Trumbore awarded Barlow Endowment General Commission
Dale Trumbore (MM ’11), a USC Thornton Composition program alumna, was awarded a General Commission from the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University. Trumbore was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to craft a new work for Joel Balzun. *** Photo courtesy of Dale Trumbore.
Katya Richardson scored “Match in a Haystack” documentary
USC Thornton Composition program alumna Katya Richardson (’19) composed the original score for the documentary Match in a Haystack, which premiered on July 24. Directed by Joe Hill and produced by Misty Copeland, the film follows a group of Ukrainian dancers preparing to perform for the first time since the Russian invasion. Screenings of Match… Continue reading Katya Richardson scored “Match in a Haystack” documentary
Kai Kubota-Enright announced as grand prize winner of Graham Sommer Competition
Kai Kubota-Enright, a master’s student in the USC Thornton Composition program, is the grand prize winner of the third edition of the Graham Sommer Competition for Young Composers. She was awarded $18,000 for her new work for chamber ensemble, ”spatial communication of dripstone.” The Concert and Prize Gala was held on May 18, 2025, at McGill University… Continue reading Kai Kubota-Enright announced as grand prize winner of Graham Sommer Competition
LA Phil to perform Daniel Slatkin’s “Voyager 130” at the Hollywood Bowl
On July 24, the Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform USC Thornton alumnus Daniel Slatkin’s (’16) “Voyager 130” at the Hollywood Bowl. The piece was inspired by the Golden Record on NASA’s Voyager spacecraft that carries Earth’s music to the edge of interstellar space. Conducted by Leonard Slatkin, the concert features violinist and USC Thornton Strings… Continue reading LA Phil to perform Daniel Slatkin’s “Voyager 130” at the Hollywood Bowl
Saunder Choi premiered “To Imagine Creation” at The Kennedy Center
USC Thornton Composition program alum Saunder Choi (MM ’16) presented the world premiere of his piece, “To Imagine Creation,” at The Kennedy Center on June 15. The piece was commissioned by the Choral Arts Society of Washington for their 60th anniversary concert. It features text written by poet Brian Sonia-Wallace. Choi is a Los Angeles-based… Continue reading Saunder Choi premiered “To Imagine Creation” at The Kennedy Center
Nina Shekhar premiered “In Bloom” with Commonwealth Youth Choir
Composer, multimedia artist and USC Thornton alumna Nina Shekhar (MM ’20) presented the world premiere of her piece, “In Bloom,” with the Commonwealth Youth Choir. The piece is inspired by Shekhar’s experience leading workshops with the young singers and watching them grow. “Between these workshops, the singers shared over 200 pages of responses with me,… Continue reading Nina Shekhar premiered “In Bloom” with Commonwealth Youth Choir