Angela Meade receives glowing reviews for “Roberto Devereux” performance
Vocal Arts & Opera alum and highly renowned soprano Angela Meade (MM ’04) received glowing reviews for her role as Queen Elizabeth I in LA Opera’s production of “Roberto Devereux.” OperaWire praised her vocal performance and stage presence, writing: “Soprano Angela Meade offered a riveting performance as the Queen displaying the widest range of emotions… Continue reading Angela Meade receives glowing reviews for “Roberto Devereux” performance
Angela Meade stars in LA Opera production of Roberto Devereux
Vocal Arts & Opera alum Angela Meade (MM ’04) will star as Queen Elizabeth I in LA Opera’s production of Roberto Devereux. The company premiere will run from Feb. 22 to March 14. This will be her third appearance with LA Opera, after her debut in 2012 in Don Giovanni, and her 2015 performance in… Continue reading Angela Meade stars in LA Opera production of Roberto Devereux
Lynn Helding releases new book bridging brain science and music performance
Vocal Arts and Opera faculty member Lynn Helding has recently released her new book, “The Musician’s Mind: Teaching, Learning, and Performance in the Age of Brain Science.” The book explores how musicians can optimize their mental wellbeing and cognitive abilities to maximize learning and performance. In her writing, Helding bridges the gap between various fields… Continue reading Lynn Helding releases new book bridging brain science and music performance
Rod Gilfry receives warm reviews for “Eurydice”
USC Thornton Vocal Arts faculty member Rod Gilfry has been met with warm reviews for his performance as Eurydice’s father in LA Opera’s “Eurydice,” a new opera composed by Matthew Aucoin with playwright Sarah Ruhl. The Los Angeles Times calls Gilfry’s performance an “exceptional accomplishment” and describes his character as “the voice from the beyond… Continue reading Rod Gilfry receives warm reviews for “Eurydice”
Lynn Helding receives Lifetime Achievement Award for research in vocal pedagogy
USC Thornton Vocal Arts and Opera faculty member Lynn Helding has been recognized as a legendary figure in the field of voice pedagogy by the Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) Vocal Pedagogy Institute at Shenandoah University, and has received the 2020 CCM Institute Lifetime Achievement Award. As this year’s recipient, she will be in residence at… Continue reading Lynn Helding receives Lifetime Achievement Award for research in vocal pedagogy
Ted Hearne to premiere new opera in partnership with Beth Morrison Projects
Beth Morrison Projects, Trinity Church Wall Street, and PROTOTYPE Festival have announced a multi-year partnership that will produce the premieres of five new operas over the next three seasons, including the 2022 premiere of “Slaying of Innocence,” a new opera composed by Ted Hearne, acclaimed composer, performer and USC Thornton Composition faculty member. The work… Continue reading Ted Hearne to premiere new opera in partnership with Beth Morrison Projects
2019-2020 Scenes
The singer-actors of the Thornton Vocal Arts department present an exciting night of opera and musical theatre scenes. Britten, Mozart, Monteverdi, Bellini, Verdi, Bizet, Strauss, and Jones & Schmidt will be performed and accompanied by piano in Newman Recital Hall.
La Calisto – CANCELED
UPDATE March 13, 2020: As part of the University’s ongoing efforts to respond to the Covid-19 virus threat all USC Thornton School of Music ensemble performances for the remainder of Spring ’20 semester have been canceled, including our planned production of La Calisto. For more information please visit Thornton’s Covid-19 updates page. For the University’s… Continue reading La Calisto – CANCELED
Veronika Krausas’ “Ghost Opera” named among decade’s best operas
Ghost Opera, a full-length dramatic opera by Composition faculty member Veronika Krausas, was recently named among the best operas of the decade by Opera Canada. Writer Stephan Bonfield praises the production as “aesthetically the most beautiful opera I saw this past decade.” The 2019 co-production between Calgary Opera and Old Trout Puppet Workshop featured artfully… Continue reading Veronika Krausas’ “Ghost Opera” named among decade’s best operas
Faculty and alumni come together at fourth annual CollabFest
USC Thornton will have a strong presence at the upcoming CollabFest conference, with many alumni and faculty attending. Alan Smith, director of Keyboard Collaborative Arts, Andrew Harley (DMA ’97), Russell Miller (BM), James Douglass (DMA ’04), ChoEun Lee (DMA, ’13) and Lisa Sylvester, Chair of Vocal Arts & Opera at Thornton, will all be participating.… Continue reading Faculty and alumni come together at fourth annual CollabFest