Posts Tagged ‘Composition’


Split-screen photo of Ted Hearne and Nina C. Young

USC Thornton Composition faculty members awarded MacDowell Fellowships

November 8, 2021

USC Thornton Composition faculty members Ted Hearne and Nina C. Young have been awarded fellowships from MacDowell, the nation’s first artist residency program. This fellowship program recognizes artistic excellence across a range of seven disciplines and provides creative individuals with the necessary resources to create “enduring works of the imagination.” Young and Hearne were selected… Continue reading USC Thornton Composition faculty members awarded MacDowell Fellowships


Photo of the Puerto Rico Symphony

Angel Velez opens Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra’s 2021-2022 season

November 5, 2021

Thornton alum and conductor Angel Velez (MA ‘14) opened the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra’s 2021-2022 season on August 7 with a special “Hollywood Magic” concert that celebrated the magic of cinema. This musical presentation was a culmination of the summer session of the Los Angeles Film Directing Intensive Event (LAFCI), a workshop designed for students… Continue reading Angel Velez opens Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra’s 2021-2022 season


Photo of Jaco Wong

Jaco Wong releases choral work and premieres new commission

October 27, 2021

San Francisco-based composer Jaco Wong (MM ’16,) an alum of the Composition and Choral Music programs, recently released a sixteen-part choral work, “Psithaura,” with See-A-Dot Music Publishing.


Photo of Nick Bentz

Composer Nick Bentz commissioned by Wigmore Hall

October 18, 2021

Composition alum Nick Bentz (MM ’20) was commissioned by London chamber music venue Wigmore Hall to write new music for the Lockdown Commissions Scheme, the largest in the hall’s history.


Composition faculty member Frank Ticheli premieres new work with Pacific Symphony and collaborates with New York Choral Society

October 12, 2021

Frank Ticheli premieres new work with Pacific Symphony and collaborates with New York Choral Society.


Las Vegas Philharmonic to premiere new piece by Juan Pablo Contreras

October 6, 2021

The Las Vegas Philharmonic will perform the world premiere of a new piece by USC Thornton Composition alum Juan Pablo Contreras.


Portrait of Leaha Maria Villareal against white backdrop

DMA student and composer Leaha Maria Villarreal premieres art song with Prima Voce Emerging Artists Fall Concert Series

September 29, 2021

DMA student and composer Leaha Maria Villarreal premieres art song with Prima Voce Emerging Artists Fall Concert Series.


Photo of Camae Ayewa

Thornton composition faculty member Camae Ayewa profiled in the New York Times

September 27, 2021

Composition faculty member Camae Ayewa was recently profiled by The New York Times. The article discusses the various artistic endeavors Ayewa has explored throughout her career, her most recent album and her journey into the world of hip-hop.


Photo of Nicolas Lell Benavides

West Edge Opera commissions Nicolas Lell Benavides to write “Dolores,” an opera about labor organizer and activist Dolores Huerta

September 20, 2021

Post-doctoral candidate Nicolas Lell Benavides has been commissioned by Berkeley’s West Edge Opera to write “Dolores,” an opera about United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta.


Photo of Raashi Kulkarni conducting in a screen scoring session at a recording studio

Raashi Kulkarni selected for the Universal Composers Initiative with NBCUniversal

September 7, 2021

Alum Raashi Kulkarni (GCRT ’16, MM ’18) is one of eight composers selected for the Universal Composers Initiative, a development program for composers from underrepresented backgrounds created by NBCUniversal and the Global Talent Development and Inclusion Group.