USC alums among the 4000+ invited to join 2026 Recording Academy New Member Class

Last week, over 4,000 members of the professional music community were invited to become voting members of the The Recording Academy. Among them, Thornton alums were represented alongside industry heavy-hitters including Lola Young, EJAE, and sombr, among others.

Representing a sample of the Thornton alumni invited into this esteemed group, we wanted to highlight these three outstanding graduates:

Gina Luciani (MM ‘13) is a professional flutist with an impressive resume of performance credits, including the Emmy-nominated “Wicked: One Wonderful Night” with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, as well as recording on films such as “Toy Story 5”. Courtney Fortune (BS ‘10, MS ‘23) is a singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author of “The Songwriter’s Notebook”, a vital resource for young writers looking to grow their craft. Nicoletta Nomicou (MM ‘21) is a composer for film & TV, with credits on popular shows like YOU, Black Rabbit, All American, Masters of the Air, and more.

Know another alum who was invited this year? Give ‘em a shoutout in the comments below!

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Featured photos are courtesy of the artists.