USC Thornton at the Grammys

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Michael Dowlan dowlan@thornton.usc.edu (213) 740-3233 Images available upon request

USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC FACULTY STEPHEN HARTKE AND ALUMNUS MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS WIN AT THE GRAMMYS

2013 GRAMMY nominees included a diverse array of faculty, alumni, and students of the

University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. Distinguished Professor Stephen Hartke and noted alumnus Michael Tilson Thomas took awards.

LOS ANGELES (February 11, 2013) – The 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards brought new acclaim and recognition to this year’s work by USC Thornton faculty, alumni, and students. Winners included USC Distinguished Professor Stephen Hartke and alumnus Michael Tilson Thomas.

Faculty composer Stephen Hartke's “Meanwhile: Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays” won for “Best Contemporary Classical Composition, ” and classical music ensemble eighth blackbird won “Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance” for their recording of Hartke’s composition on their album Meanwhile. San Francisco Symphony music director and Thornton alum Michael Tilson Thomas won for “Best Orchestral Performance” for the Symphony’s album Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride in A Fast Machine. Furthermore, Tim Page, faculty at USC Thornton and the USC Annenberg School for Communication, accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award for Glenn Gould at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Reception.

The array of Thornton nominees showed the breadth and vision of the work at the School, and its vital place in the wider music world:

Bob Mintzer, chair of the Jazz Studies department, was nominated for “Best Instrumental Arrangement” for Irrequieto, and “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album” for the Bob Mintzer Big Band’s For The Moment. Faculty Eric Guinivan’s Los Angeles Percussion Quartet was nominated in three categories for

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their album Rupa-Khanda: “Producer of the Year, Classical,” “Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance,” and “Best Surround Sound Album.” Recorded at Skywalker Ranch by Sono Luminous, the recording consists of new music from Guinivan, percussion faculty Joseph Pereira, alumnus Jeffrey Holmes, and Sean Heim. The ensemble includes Guinivan and alumnus Nick Terry. Jazz Studies faculty Vince Mendoza received a “Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)” nomination for his work on Al Jarreau and The Metropole Orkest’s Spain (I Can Recall). Alumnus Austin Wintory was nominated for “Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media” for Journey. Lastly, Gregg Field, chair of Thornton’s Board of Councilors, won three Latin Grammys for his work with Arturo Sandoval’s Dear Diz (Everyday I Think of You) and Tango Como Yo Te Siento, including: “Best Engineered Album” (with Don Murray and Paul Blakemore), “Best Latin Jazz Album,” and “Best Tango Album.” Suemy Gonzales, a senior in the Popular Music program was nominated for a Latin Grammy with her group Trio Ellas, an all-female mariachi ensemble, for best ranchero album, Con Ustedes … Trio Ellas. The album features USC Thornton faculty member Andy Abad, who produced the album, and artwork by fellow Popular Music student Matias Mora. This group of winners and nominees emphasizes Thornton’s multidisciplinary mission, with the best of today’s jazz, classical, and contemporary music all represented. For instance, Wintory’s nomination—for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for the game Journey—points to the pioneering work of Thornton musicians, as this category was first launched in 2011.

The oldest continuously operating cultural institution in Los Angeles, USC Thornton ushers students into all the facets of the city’s music world. From strong technical training in classical repertoire, to jazz studies, composition, Popular Music, Music Industry, and more, the working faculty, students, and alumni continue making their mark in the ever-changing landscape.

### About the USC Thornton School of Music The University of Southern California Thornton School of Music brings together a stellar faculty chosen from a broad spectrum of the music profession and gifted students from around the globe. Founded in 1884 and today the oldest continually operating cultural institution in Los Angeles, the Thornton School consistently ranks among the nation’s top music schools and conservatories. By blending the rigors of a traditional conservatory-style education with the benefits of a leading research university, USC Thornton offers an impressive range of performance opportunities and a curriculum designed to prepare students for successful careers in the 21st century. The Thornton School presents more than 500 concerts each year and is the only music school with a weekly radio broadcast in a major media market featuring student performances.

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Located in the heart of Los Angeles, USC Thornton offers students every advantage of studying, performing, and networking in the world’s most vibrant music industry hub. Every week, our students engage with leading professionals in all aspects of the music, recording, and entertainment industries, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Grammy Foundation, and The Recording Academy. Thornton students also are a constant presence in local classrooms, reaching out to the next generation of musicians. More at usc.edu/music, or call (213) 740-3233.