Frank Ticheli inducted into the University of Michigan’s Hall of Fame
Frank Ticheli, a member of USC Thornton’s Composition faculty, was recently inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Fame, alongside fellow alum and renowned soprano, Jessye Norman. Ticheli, who graduated with a Master’s in trumpet and composition in 1983 and a DMA in composition in 1987, has gained worldwide recognition for his works for… Continue reading Frank Ticheli inducted into the University of Michigan’s Hall of Fame
Alumnus Jules Pegram premieres new opera
USC Thornton alumnus Jules Pegram (BM ’13, Composition) recently composed, produced, and conducted two performances of Higher Ground, a sixty-minute, one act opera with a libretto by North Carolina-based writer Jim Whiteside. Scored for seven principal vocalists, SATB chorus, and chamber orchestra, the opera was fully staged on April 4 & 5, 2018 at the… Continue reading Alumnus Jules Pegram premieres new opera
Eric Pham
Eric Pham is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, recording producer and engineer based in Los Angeles. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Production from Cal Poly Pomona, a Master of Music in Composition from the Bob Cole Conservatory at CSULB, and is currently working toward a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition at USC. Having played… Continue reading Eric Pham
Greg Reitan receives Copland House residency award
Jazz pianist and film composer Greg Reitan (BM ’96, Composition), a USC Thornton alumnus, has been awarded a 2018 residency at the Copland House in New York state. The house, where Aaron Copland spent the last 30 years of his life, hosts selected composers for short-term, all-expenses-paid creative residencies each year. Reitan has worked as… Continue reading Greg Reitan receives Copland House residency award
Alumnus Carlos Rafael Rivera receives two Emmy nominations
Composer and USC Thornton alumnus Carlos Rafael Rivera (MM ’04, DMA ’10) has received two Emmy Award nominations for his work on the Netflix limited series, Godless. Rivera’s music has been nominated in the categories of Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music and Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic… Continue reading Alumnus Carlos Rafael Rivera receives two Emmy nominations
Ted Hearne premieres new work with Michael Tilson Thomas and the National Youth Symphony
On Thursday, July 19th, the National Youth Orchestra of the USA will premiere a new work by composer and USC Thornton faculty member Ted Hearne, under the baton of alumnus Michael Tilson Thomas (BM ’67, MM ’76), a Judge Widney Professor of Music at USC. Hearne’s Brass Tacks was commissioned by Carnegie Hall, where the… Continue reading Ted Hearne premieres new work with Michael Tilson Thomas and the National Youth Symphony
Michael Lee premieres chamber work with New Orleans Chamber Orchestra
In June, composer and USC Thornton alumnus Michael Lee’s (DMA ’17) chamber work for strings and piano, Echoes for Strings and Piano, received its world premiere at the Marigny Opera House by the New Orleans Chamber Orchestra. Lee was the winner of the ensemble’s Spectri Sonori Composition Competition. Lee’s 2015 work for classical guitar, Unmasked,… Continue reading Michael Lee premieres chamber work with New Orleans Chamber Orchestra
Sarah Gibson receives LACO Sound Investment commission
Sarah Gibson (MM ’10, DMA ’15), a USC Thornton alumna and a member of the school’s Composition faculty, has been selected as Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s Sound Investment composer for the 2018-19 season. Previous recipients of Sound Investment commissions include Ted Hearne, Matthew Aucoin, Ellen Reid, and Andrew Norman, now LACO’s creative advisor & composer-in-residence.… Continue reading Sarah Gibson receives LACO Sound Investment commission
Los Angeles premiere of Mark Weiser opera at Art Share L.A.
The Place Where You Started, a chamber opera by USC Thornton Composition faculty member Mark Weiser with a libretto by Amy S. Punt, will be performed in collaboration with the Helix Collective, May 17-19 at Art Share L.A. The multimedia work, Weiser’s fourth opera, explores tensions around race and class. His previous opera, Where Angels… Continue reading Los Angeles premiere of Mark Weiser opera at Art Share L.A.
American Composers Orchestra to perform work by Ryan Lindveit
USC Thornton alumnus Ryan Lindveit (BM ’16) is one of six emerging composers whose works will be performed by the American Composers Orchestra (ACO) during the organization’s Underwood New Music Readings on June 21st and 22nd in New York City. Lindveit, who was USC’s Salutatorian and a Thornton Outstanding Graduate in 2016, will present his… Continue reading American Composers Orchestra to perform work by Ryan Lindveit