Thornton students sweep video performance competition

Students from USC Thornton’s Classical Division have swept the first James Ramos International Video Competition, a joint venture of the California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) and Social Media Works. Recognizing that Youtube and Facebook have become important video platforms for musicians to audition and to share their artistry with the world, the competition offers cash prizes to young artists in 8 categories, with Thornton students winning 16 awards, of which 4 were 1st Prizes.

Below is a Youtube playlist featuring the 1st Prize-winning submissions. For the full list of prize-winners, click here.

1. Esther Lee (DMA piano student of Bernadene Blaha) • Enrique Granados – Allegro de Concierto, Op.46
2. Alin Melik-Adamyan (DMA piano student of Bernadene Blaha) • Mendelssohn – Fantasy in F-sharp minor, Op. 28, – II. Allegro con moto & III. Presto
3. Joshua Tan (DMA piano student of Bernadene Blaha) • Karol Szymanowski – Preludes, Op. 1, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 8
4. Wynton Grant (GCRT violin student of Lina Bahn) • Original arrangement of American folk tunes
5. Yunji Yi (MM piano student of Antoinette Perry) • Henri Dutilleux – Sonata, Op. 1, III. Choral et. Variations
6. Cameron Williams (Sophomore piano student of Bernadene Blaha) • Wagner/Liszt – Isolde’s Liebestod