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
The Golden Bridge premieres works from USC Thornton faculty and alumni
During a concert on Feb. 19, The Golden Bridge — a 20-member choral group led by USC Thornton Choral & Sacred Music Department faculty member Suzi Digby — will premiere works by fellow choral faculty member Nick Strimple and Thornton alumnus Saunder Choi (MM ‘16). The program includes the world premieres of “The Silver Swan”… Continue reading The Golden Bridge premieres works from USC Thornton faculty and alumni
Quenton Blache performs with the Peninsula Symphony with guest conductor Andrew Shulman
USC Thornton composition and cello performance student Quenton Blache performs with the Peninsula Symphony on Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. The concert will feature guest conductor Andrew Shulman, a USC Thornton Strings Department faculty member, who will be giving a pre-concert lecture at 6:15 p.m. Blache is an accomplished cellist and composer. In 2021, he… Continue reading Quenton Blache performs with the Peninsula Symphony with guest conductor Andrew Shulman
Austin Wintory nominated for 2022 Society of Composers & Lyricists Award
USC Thornton Composition program alum Austin Wintory (‘07) is nominated for a 2022 Society of Composers & Lyricists Award for his work on the multiplayer third-person shooter game Aliens: Fireteam Elite. Wintory is best known for his score for the game Journey, which was the first GRAMMY-nominated computer game score. He has also scored nearly… Continue reading Austin Wintory nominated for 2022 Society of Composers & Lyricists Award
Thornton alumni win Copland House Residencies
Thornton composition alumni Sarah Gibson (MM ‘10, DMA ‘15), Lansing McLoskey (MM ‘92) and Ali Can Puskulcu (MM ‘18) were selected from a pool of 221 composers as winners of the 2021 Copland House Residency Awards. Every year, the Copland House invites eight to ten American composers to reside at Rock Hill, Aaron Copland’s restored,… Continue reading Thornton alumni win Copland House Residencies