Peter Shin announced as 2020-2021 Sound Investment composer
Peter Shin (MM ’17), an alum of USC Thornton’s Composition program, was announced this summer as the newest Sound Investment Composer in the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s Sound Investment program, a commissioning club enabling supporters to sponsor the work of each season’s featured composer and follow the composer’s creative process from start to finish. Shin’s… Continue reading Peter Shin announced as 2020-2021 Sound Investment composer
Leaha Maria Villarreal’s “The Warmth of Other Suns” to air on Bang on a Can Marathon concert
USC Thornton doctoral student Leaha Maria Villarreal’s “The Warmth of Other Suns,” performed by violinist Andie Tanning, will be featured in the Bang on a Can Marathon concert on Sunday, Oct. 18. The 6-hour virtual concert begins at 12:00 p.m. PDT, with Villarreal’s piece airing during a set of performances beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT.… Continue reading Leaha Maria Villarreal’s “The Warmth of Other Suns” to air on Bang on a Can Marathon concert
HOCKET interviewed by San Francisco Classical Voice
USC Thornton alumni Sarah Gibson (MM ‘10, DMA ‘15) and Thomas Kotcheff (MM ‘12, DMA ‘19), of piano duo HOCKET, were recently interviewed by San Francisco Classical Voice. The duo discusses the importance of art during this time, their upcoming work, and their celebrated commission series #What2020SoundsLike. “We wanted to bring us all together through… Continue reading HOCKET interviewed by San Francisco Classical Voice
Roger Neill discusses remote screen scoring with Variety
Roger Neill (BM ‘86), an alum of USC Thornton’s Composition program, was recently interviewed for Variety’s Songs for Screens column about his approach to scoring film and television projects remotely. In the interview, Neill discusses how he drew from his network of session musicians to create a virtual orchestra for the score of the HBO… Continue reading Roger Neill discusses remote screen scoring with Variety
Michael Abels and Laura Karpman quoted in Variety
Composition alum Michael Abels (BM ’84) and Screen Scoring faculty member Laura Karpman were recently quoted in a Variety article about the increase in the diversity of the Emmy Awards’ music categories. Abels and Karpman are both award-winning composers and founders of organizations that work to support underrepresented composers in film and television. Abels, who… Continue reading Michael Abels and Laura Karpman quoted in Variety
Grant Gershon shares advice for virtual choirs
In a recent KCET article, USC Thornton alum Grant Gershon (BM ‘85), artistic director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC), shares advice and lessons learned while conducting choirs virtually during the pandemic. Choir directors like Gershon have transitioned to edited ensemble performances, with choir members recording their parts individually from home. The solution requires… Continue reading Grant Gershon shares advice for virtual choirs
Billy Childs discusses upcoming album in JazzTimes interview
USC Thornton alum and GRAMMY Award-nominated artist Billy Childs (BM ’79) is set to release a new album on Aug. 28, and reflects on its influences in a recent JazzTimes interview. Childs reminisces on the artists and projects that have inspired his music, such as his time playing at World Stage, a historic art and… Continue reading Billy Childs discusses upcoming album in JazzTimes interview
Juan Pablo Contreras appears on Trilloquy podcast with Garrett McQueen
Juan Pablo Contreras, Latin GRAMMY-nominated composer and a doctoral student in the Composition program, is a guest on the latest episode of Trilloquy, a podcast hosted by USC Thornton alum Garrett McQueen (MM ’12). On Trilloquy, McQueen hosts conversations about challenging the status quo and addressing inequities in classical music. In his interview with McQueen,… Continue reading Juan Pablo Contreras appears on Trilloquy podcast with Garrett McQueen
Thornton alumni to appear in Comic-Con@Home online game show
Sunday, July 26, three USC Thornton alumni will appear on a panel event for this year’s online-only Comic-Con, Comic-Con@Home. The live online event is a game show-style panel called Composer Squares Game Show, in the style of Hollywood Squares, and will feature alumni composers Jongnic Bontemps (GCRT ’12), Christopher Lennertz (BM ’95), and Giona Ostinelli… Continue reading Thornton alumni to appear in Comic-Con@Home online game show
Students to perform work by Juhi Bansal in LA Opera educational program
Los Angeles area students will learn and perform an opera by Composition alum Juhi Bansal (BM ’06, MM ’08, DMA ’12) in the upcoming season of LA Opera’s Secondary In-School Opera program. The remote workshops are an opportunity for students to sharpen their theatrical skills with a contemporary work. Bansal’s opera, “Enchantress of Numbers,” explores… Continue reading Students to perform work by Juhi Bansal in LA Opera educational program