Matthew Mason premieres piano concerto with Glacier Symphony Orchestra
Piano performance alum and composer Matthew Mason (MM ‘02) will premiere a piano concerto, “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” with the Glacier Symphony Orchestra on February 19 and 20. Pianist and fellow Thornton alum Roger Wright will perform as soloist. The 22-minute piano concerto is a unique take on Sergei Rachmaninoff’s composition of the… Continue reading Matthew Mason premieres piano concerto with Glacier Symphony Orchestra
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
Thornton students take home top honors at international piano competitions
Rixiang Huang and Barry Tan, DMA candidates in the Keyboard Studies program, each recently took home top honors at international piano competitions.
USC Thornton faculty, students and alumni featured at California Association of Professional Music Teachers State Conference
Antoinette Perry, a faculty member in the USC Thornton Keyboard Studies Program, was honored as the 2021 recipient of the California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) Lifetime Achievement Award.
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir names Irene Gregorio as collaborative pianist
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir has named USC Thornton alum Irene Gregorio (DMA ’12) as its new collaborative pianist.
Alum Hunter Noack hauls Steinway through Pacific Northwest parks for In A Landscape concert series
Hunter Noack (BM ’11) a Keyboard Studies alum, has created an outdoor concert series as a way to both familiarize nature lovers with classical music and introduce classical music lovers to the great outdoors.
April Chung releases children’s book with corresponding piano compositions
April Chung (MM ’16), an alum from the Keyboard Studies program, published a children’s book, “The Enchanted Bells,” with Balestier Press in May.
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
Michael Tilson Thomas and Los Angeles Philharmonic win at 2021 GRAMMY Awards
The 63rd annual GRAMMY Awards, held virtually on Sunday, March 14, brought wins for faculty and alumni at USC Thornton. Celebrated conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, a Thornton alum and Judge Widney Professor at USC, won for Best Orchestral Performance for the San Francisco Symphony’s “Copland: Symphony No. 3.” And the many alumni and faculty who… Continue reading Michael Tilson Thomas and Los Angeles Philharmonic win at 2021 GRAMMY Awards