Jensen McRae releases debut album “Are You Happy Now?”
USC Thornton Popular Music program alumna and singer-songwriter Jensen McRae (’19) released her debut album, Are You Happy Now?, on March 22 with Human Re Sources Records. The project features her widely acclaimed hit “Immune” and four other tracks from her EP Who Hurt You? McRae is currently on tour with Amos Lee, and she… Continue reading Jensen McRae releases debut album “Are You Happy Now?”
Giovanni Santos (MM ’07) has new work premiered by Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble
This month, the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble will premiere Thornton alum Giovanni Santos’ (MM ‘07) new saxophone concerto, “I Dream Awake,” with soloist and fellow alumnus Andrew Harrison. Santos currently serves as the director of wind and percussion studies at La Sierra University, where he directs the University Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds and Big… Continue reading Giovanni Santos (MM ’07) has new work premiered by Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble
Juan Pablo Contreras premieres “MeChicano” with the Las Vegas Philharmonic
Alumnus Juan Pablo Contreras (DMA ’21) premieres MeChicano, a piece honoring Mexican-American communities, with the Las Vegas Philharmonic on May 7. Contreras is one of the seven composers selected by New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices, a program supporting composers of underrepresented backgrounds. His work was co-commisisioned by the Las Vegas Philharmonic, the California Symphony, the… Continue reading Juan Pablo Contreras premieres “MeChicano” with the Las Vegas Philharmonic
Lindsay Wolfington wins at 2022 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards
USC Thornton Music Industry program faculty member Lindsay Wolfington and fellow music supervisor Laura Webb won the award for Best Music Supervision – Television Movie at the 2022 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for their work on To All the Boys: Always and Forever. This is the second year in a row that the duo… Continue reading Lindsay Wolfington wins at 2022 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards
Austin Wintory celebrates ten years of video game Journey
Composer and USC Thornton Composition program alum Austin Wintory (’07) was interviewed by Screen Rant and NME about the ten-year anniversary of the popular video game Journey. Wintory composed the score for the game, which came out in 2012. The Journey score debuted higher on the Billboard charts than any original score in gaming history,… Continue reading Austin Wintory celebrates ten years of video game Journey
USC Thornton faculty Beatriz Ilari and Veronika Krausas receive Advancing Scholarship awards
USC Thornton faculty members Veronika Krausas and Beatriz Illari were awarded by Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences (ASHSS). The ASHSS research and creative project grants program, an initiative of the USC Office of the Provost, promotes the development of innovative and influential scholarly and creative output in the arts, humanities and humanistic… Continue reading USC Thornton faculty Beatriz Ilari and Veronika Krausas receive Advancing Scholarship awards
Veronika Krausas composition featured in LA Phil’s Voices of a Generation concert
A work by USC Thornton Composition faculty member Veronika Krausas, Caryatids, will be performed by the LA Phil on April 22 during its Voices of a Generation concert. Krausas also works as a pre-concert lecturer and interviewer at the LA Phil and serves on the advisory boards of Jacaranda Music and People Inside Electronics.
Liam Kevany co-writes, co-produces and plays on Jackson Wang’s “Blow”
USC Thornton Studio Guitar program alumnus Liam Kevany (’15) co-wrote, co-produced and played bass on 88rising artist Jackson Wang’s newest single, “Blow.” In the first week since its premiere, the music video for the song garnered over 9 million views. Kevany, who studied studio and jazz guitar at USC Thornton, currently serves as Noah Cyrus’… Continue reading Liam Kevany co-writes, co-produces and plays on Jackson Wang’s “Blow”
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet releases Opalescent
The GRAMMY Award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, which features USC Thornton faculty members William Kanengiser and Scott Tennant, USC Thornton alumnus Matthew Greif (MM ’92) and John Dearman, has released its fourteenth album, Opalescent. This release marks the group’s 40th anniversary as a touring ensemble. All of the songs on the album were recorded at… Continue reading Los Angeles Guitar Quartet releases Opalescent
Ronald C. McCurdy and Anita Dashiell-Sparks present Nobody Knows: Voices Unmuted at the GRAMMY Museum
Ronald C. McCurdy, the assistant dean of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Initiatives for the USC Thornton School of Music, along with Anita Dashiell-Sparks, the associate dean of JEDI for the USC School of Dramatic Arts, has curated a collaborative interdisciplinary project entitled Nobody Knows: Voices Unmuted. This student-driven project features empowered voices from… Continue reading Ronald C. McCurdy and Anita Dashiell-Sparks present Nobody Knows: Voices Unmuted at the GRAMMY Museum