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
Meet the new faculty: Seth Parker Woods
As part of a new series this spring, USC Thornton is introducing a number of exceptional new faculty members at the school. Acclaimed cellist Dr. Seth Parker Woods joins the faculty as an assistant professor of practice, string chamber music and cello. A recipient of the 2022 Chamber Music America Michael Jaffee Visionary Award and hailed by The Guardian as “a cellist of power and grace” who possesses “mature artistry and… Continue reading Meet the new faculty: Seth Parker Woods
Ted Hearne commissioned by UCLA to reimagine Stephen Sondheim composition
UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance commissioned USC Thornton Composition faculty member Ted Hearne to write a re-imagined version of a Stephen Sondheim piece. The song will be played by celebrated pianist Anthony de Mare in his performance of Liaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano on April 10 at 7 p.m.
Michael Abels interviewed on TODAY show
Award-winning composer and USC Thornton Composition program alum Michael Abels (’84) was featured in a Today Show segment about how he’s breaking down barriers in Hollywood. The segment detailed Abels’ career from when he started working with director Jordan Peele on the horror hit Get Out to his involvement with the Composers Diversity Collective and… Continue reading Michael Abels interviewed on TODAY show
Marina Hovhannisyan releases EP of Armenian music
Early music vocal performance master’s student Marina Hovhannisyan released an EP, A Living Story, on Feb. 7. The project features a collection of five Armenian folk songs from different regions, composers and time periods including “Your Prominent Eyes” by Komitas and “Foreign Nightingale” by Sayat Nova.
Laura Karpman to compose The Marvels
Emmy Award-winning composer and USC Thornton Screen Scoring program faculty member Laura Karpman is set to compose the music for The Marvels, the sequel to Captain Marvel. Karpman previously worked with Marvel Studios on the score for the Disney+ animated series What If…? and she will score the show’s second season.
Camae Ayewa hosts virtual USC Visions & Voices event
USC Visions & Voices hosts a virtual event on Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. with Black Quantum Futurism, a multidisciplinary collaboration between USC Thornton Composition faculty member Camae Ayewa and Rasheedah Phillips that explores the intersections of futurism, creative media, DIY-aesthetics and activism in marginalized communities through an alternative temporal lens. The duo will host… Continue reading Camae Ayewa hosts virtual USC Visions & Voices event