USC Thornton students and alumni win Morton Gould Young Composer Awards
USC Thornton Composition students and alumni comprised five of the 21 recipients of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Foundation 2019 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. The annual award encourages talented young creators of concert music ranging in age from 10 to 30. The winners included undergraduate Adam Karelin, graduate students Nina… Continue reading USC Thornton students and alumni win Morton Gould Young Composer Awards
Frank Ticheli’s “American Elegy” continues to have impact
Soon after the Columbine shooting, USC Thornton Composition faculty member Frank Ticheli was asked to compose a piece for the Columbine High School Band to honor the grieving community and remember lives lost. A year after the tragedy, he premiered “American Elegy” with the Columbine High School Wind Ensemble at the Macky Auditorium on the… Continue reading Frank Ticheli’s “American Elegy” continues to have impact
Andrew Norman named finalist for Pulitzer Prize for Music
USC Thornton Composition faculty member Andrew Norman (’02, MM ’04) was one of three finalists for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his orchestral work Sustain. Sustain is a large-scale work for orchestra that was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic to launch its 100th anniversary season. The LA Phil premiered the piece on… Continue reading Andrew Norman named finalist for Pulitzer Prize for Music
Bill Biersach’s Beatles class profiled in Daily Trojan
USC Thornton faculty member Bill Biersach and his class The Beatles: Their Music and Their Times was profiled in the Daily Trojan. The article discusses how Biersach has evolved the course since he created it over 20 years ago. The class is immensely popular with students, and Biersach refers to it as his “one really… Continue reading Bill Biersach’s Beatles class profiled in Daily Trojan
Billy Childs to headline festival in New Zealand
Billy Childs ’79, a GRAMMY Award-winning artist and USC Thornton alumnus, will headline the 24th annual New Zealand International Jazz and Blues Festival on June 1. He will perform with his quartet alongside Dayna Stephens on saxophone, bassist Alex Boneham and drummer Christian Euman. The five-day, 26-show festival is one of New Zealand’s longest-running music… Continue reading Billy Childs to headline festival in New Zealand
Ted Hearne featured on WFMT
USC Thornton Composition faculty member and Chicago native Ted Hearne was interviewed on Chicago’s WFMT. He discussed how his incorporation of politics and social justice issues into his music stem from his many years of singing with the Chicago Children’s Choir. Hearne describes the choir as an “activist organization,” made up of diverse students from… Continue reading Ted Hearne featured on WFMT
José Gonzalez Granero premieres composition
USC Thornton alumnus José Gonzalez Granero (GRCT ’09) premiered his composition “Gion Overture” with the Emporia Symphony Orchestra last week. Granero, who is the Principal Clarinetist for the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, wrote the piece based on the historical neighborhood of Gion in Kyoto, Japan.
Michael Abels lauded for score of Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’
Composer and USC Thornton alumnus Michael Abels ’84 was recently profiled on NPR for his score of Jordan Peele’s new horror movie, Us. NPR praises Abel for balancing terror with empathy, and Peele claims it is Abels’ heart that makes him a great horror scorer. Abels and Peele first collaborated on the Oscar-winning 2017 film Get… Continue reading Michael Abels lauded for score of Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’
Sarah Gibson wins Left Coast Composition Contest
USC Thornton Composition faculty member Sarah Gibson has just been announced as the winner of the 2019 Left Coast Competition Contest for her composition I prefer living in color. As part of the grand prize, the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble will perform the piece during their 2019-20 season. Gibson wrote I prefer living in color… Continue reading Sarah Gibson wins Left Coast Composition Contest
Saad Haddad chosen as New Young Concert Artist Composer-in-Residence
Last month, Young Concert Artists (YCA) announced USC Thornton Composition alumnus Saad Haddad ’14 as the 2019-2021 Young Concert Artist Composer-in-Residence. As the 12th composer to receive this honor, Haddad will receive management services, publicity and two Young Concert Artist commissions that will premiere at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall and the Kennedy Center in… Continue reading Saad Haddad chosen as New Young Concert Artist Composer-in-Residence