Lenny Hayes receives top prize at Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association’s 2021 Scholarship Competition
Classical pianist and keyboard studies doctoral student Lenny Hayes received first prize in the 2021 Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association (LAKMA) Scholarship Competition. The scholarship is awarded annually to college students who are majoring in music. As one of the winners, Hayes will be performing the first movement of the Price concerto with the LAKMA… Continue reading Lenny Hayes receives top prize at Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association’s 2021 Scholarship Competition
Rixiang Huang awarded first prize in Chopin International Piano Competition
Pianist Rixiang Huang was awarded first prize in the Piano Masters category of the Chopin International Piano Competition. Held annually in Hartford, Connecticut, the competition was held virtually this year. Huang performed Chopin’s Barcarolle, Rondo in E-flat major, Scherzo No. 3 as well as Bartok’s Piano Sonata and Rachmaninoff’s Études-Tableaux, Op. 39 in the final… Continue reading Rixiang Huang awarded first prize in Chopin International Piano Competition
New Opera West releases animated opera short
New Opera West, a nonprofit opera company co-founded by Vocal Arts doctoral student Emily Thebaut and Composition faculty member Mark Weiser, recently released “Pepito.” The animated dog opera written by Nicolas Lell Benavides, a doctoral student in the Composition program, is currently streaming on Vimeo. The work was animated by Esperanza Guevara, Connor Jacobs, and… Continue reading New Opera West releases animated opera short
Alumna Elvia Puccinelli launches first international society for keyboard collaborative arts
USC Thornton alumna Elvia Puccinelli (MM ’91, DMA ’00) led the launch of the first international society for keyboard collaborative arts, the International Keyboard Collaborative Arts Society, as part of the fifth annual CollabFest conference on Oct. 15-17. Puccinelli, associate professor of music and coordinator of collaborative piano at the University of North Texas College of… Continue reading Alumna Elvia Puccinelli launches first international society for keyboard collaborative arts
Thornton artists awarded San Francisco Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards
Multiple USC Thornton artists and alumni-founded ensembles were awarded San Francisco Classical Voice’s Audience Choice Awards for the 2019-2020 season. This year was the first-ever Audience Choice Awards with a category dedicated to celebrating the vibrant classical music scene in Los Angeles. HOCKET, the piano duo of alumni Sarah Gibson (MM ‘10, DMA ‘15) and… Continue reading Thornton artists awarded San Francisco Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards
Andrew Harrison to launch new online concert series
USC Thornton alum and saxophonist Andrew Harrison (DMA ’15) will launch a new online concert series, Concert Cast, on Tues., Sept. 1. An advocate for contemporary saxophone music, Harrison will perform with pianist Jason Lo (MM ’12, DMA ’16) in a program that features works by Bozza, Eiunaudi, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, and more. The event will… Continue reading Andrew Harrison to launch new online concert series
Twelve Thornton students and alumni among winners of 2020-2021 Beverly Hills National Auditions
Winners of the 2020-2021 Beverly Hills National Auditions (BHNA) were recently announced, and among them are a long list of 12 students and alumni of USC Thornton. Each year, the BHNA selects winners to be presented the following season in a series of monthly concerts across Southern California. In consideration of restrictions on in-person events,… Continue reading Twelve Thornton students and alumni among winners of 2020-2021 Beverly Hills National Auditions
USC Thornton’s Concerto Chamber Orchestra presents The Carnival of the Animals
USC Thornton’s Concerto Chamber Orchestra, a student-run ensemble, is presenting a 14-day summer festival featuring a virtual performance of “The Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns. Between July 18-31, the ensemble will release a movement each day, culminating in a livestream of the full piece on July 31 at 6:00 pm (PST). The project… Continue reading USC Thornton’s Concerto Chamber Orchestra presents The Carnival of the Animals
Jeffrey Kahane to appear in Oregon Bach Festival radio broadcast
Performances by renowned pianist and Keyboard Studies faculty member Jeffrey Kahane will be broadcast July 6 and 8 as part of the first-ever radio broadcast edition of the award-winning Oregon Bach Festival. The festival airs from June 26 through July 10, and features recordings by critically-acclaimed musicians. Kahane made is Oregon Bach Festival debut in… Continue reading Jeffrey Kahane to appear in Oregon Bach Festival radio broadcast
HOCKET launches new commission series #What2020SoundsLike
USC Thornton alumni Sarah Gibson (MM ’10, DMA ’15) and Thomas Kotcheff (MM ’12, DMA ‘19), who together form piano duo HOCKET, have launched a new commission series called #What2020SoundsLike. They have commissioned 50 composers to create new, short works between 15 and 45 seconds in length, which the duo will record and release on… Continue reading HOCKET launches new commission series #What2020SoundsLike