USC Thornton faculty and alumni enter GRAMMY Award consideration

A number of Thornton faculty and alumni have entered consideration for GRAMMY award nominations.

Jazz Studies faculty member Sara Gazarek’s album Thirsty Ghost is up for consideration in multiple categories including Best Jazz Vocal Album. Alumnus Gernot Wolfgang’s (GCRT ’94) chamber music album, Vienna and the West, was entered in the Best Classical Compendium category. Peter Erskine, Director of Drumset Studies, will be considered for nominations in the Jazz Instrumental and Improvised Solo categories. Nadia Shpachenko (MM ’99, DMA ’14) has also put her new album Poetry of Places up for consideration in the Best Classical Compendium category, as well as the Best Contemporary Classical Composition category for the song “Kolokol,” written by faculty member Nina Young and recorded for Shpachenko’s album.