Janet Johnson, associate professor of music history and literature, specializes in 19th century French and Italian opera. She received her graduate education at UCLA, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes in Paris and the University of Chicago, where she earned her Ph.D. with the support of grants from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Whiting Foundation. She is a former Mellon Fellow of the Society of Fellows in the Humanities at Columbia University, a recent recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant and a volume editor of the new critical edition of the works of Rossini. J - L
J. Tommy Johnson, tubist, has received the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Most Valuable Tuba Player Award for six consecutive years as well as the academy's Most Valuable Player Emeritus Award. He performed as soloist on Rampal Plays Scott Joplin for CBS Records. He is a member of the Glendale and New American Orchestras and is the first-call tubist with the major motion picture and television studios. In addition to performing, Mr. Johnson has authored texts on tuba performance techniques. He is a graduate of the USC School of Music where he studied with Robert Marsteller.
Kevin Kadel, lecturer in recording arts, graduated cum laude with a bachelor of music from the University of Miami in 1983. He is a freelance producer and recording engineer in Los Angeles; his most recent releases are Atlantic Recording artist Gerald Albright's Smooth CD and LogiColor Records recording artist Taylor and Browne's Best Kept Secrets EP. Other current clients and artists include Lee Ritenour, Stanley Clarke, Chuckii Booker and Paul Jackson, Jr. Mr. Kadel has provided technical consultation and design for several recording studios in New York and Los Angeles, including NBC (where his audio and mix credits include Late Night with David Letterman, Nightly News, News 4 New York and Sports), Regent Sound, Galaxy, Encore, Aire, Elumba, Sound Chamber, The Chapel and Todd-AO. Mr. Kadel also serves on the faculty at Loyola Marymount University's School of Communication and Fine Arts.
Originally from Chicago Ed Kalnins was very active in musical theatre both as a conductor and as a keyboardist. He also toured and performed extensively with various Broadway productions including Starlight Express, Les Miserables and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Upon graduating from the SMPT program in 1990, Mr. Kalnins immediately became active in film music production. Presently his main assignments have been as "synthestrator" for many television movies and programs. He works with many of the industry's top film composers to develop scores synthetically, utilizing state-of-the-art electronic music techniques available at his project studio - Beachwood Music. He has also recently completed scoring his first feature film, Within the Lines, to be released in 1996.
William Kanengiser, classical guitarist, received a first prize award in the 1987 Concert Artist Guild International Competition and the Guitar '81 International Competition. He has performed extensively as a soloist and as a member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He has been the recipient of two solo recitalist fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and was chosen as one of Musical America's Outstanding Young Artists. His 1991 solo recording release won an "Indie" Award in the classical category from the National Association of Independent Record Distributors.
Victoria Kirsch pursues an active career as an accompanist and vocal coach in the Los Angeles area. As a member of the music staff of the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, she served most recently as principal pianist for Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, starring Placido Domingo. Later in the 1996-97 season, she will play productions of Rossini's Barber of Seville and Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. In addition, she has played for Long Beach Opera, Opera Pacific in Costa Mesa and Mississippi Opera. A Los Angeles native, Ms. Kirsch has appeared on several Southern California concert series, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's Sundays at Four (broadcast live from the Bing Theater), California Pizza's Celebrations! in downtown Los Angeles and at the Ventura Chamber Music Festival. She is a member of the vocal faculty at USC and she also serves on the summer faculty of Opera Works. Ms. Kirsch was associated with the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara from 1984 to 1992, studying vocal accompanying with Gwendolyn Koldofsky, serving as staff accompanist for vocal department chairman, Martial Singher, and eventually as faculty coach-accompanist and vocal department coordinator. She recently joined with other Music Academy alumni to form the chamber music ensemble Belle Epoque. She received a bachelor's degree in music with honors (piano) from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a master's degree in accompanying from the University of California, Santa Barbara, as well as pursuing additional graduate work at USC.
Miran Kojian received the "Georges Enesco Prize" (first place) from the Paris National Conservatory at the age of 13. He then studied under Ivan Galamian for five years at the Curtis Institute of Music, graduating with a bachelor's degree. He continued his scholarship studies under Jascha Heifetz at USC. He received his master's degree from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kojian played in the first violin section of the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell for two years and was appointed concertmaster of the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., playing seven years under Antal Dorati and eight years under Mstislav Rostropovich. After serving 15 years in that position along with a professorship at the Catholic University of America, Georgetown University and George Washington University, Mr. Kojian was invited to be concertmaster of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and professor of violin and chamber music at the Royal Conservatory and the Music Academy for the Performing Arts. In that capacity, he gave master classes throughout mainland China and other parts of Asia. At present Mr. Kojian is the associate concertmaster of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Santa Barbara Symphony and concertmaster of numerous orchestras in and around Los Angeles, and a very busy player for Hollywood film scores. He is also in his fourth year of teaching concertmaster repertoire at USC and he also serves on the faculty of Santa Monica College.
Gwendolyn Koldofsky, pianist and emerita professor, is the founder of the USC accompanying program. For more than 40 years, she appeared as accompanist throughout the world for Rose Bampton, Suzanne Danco, Herta Glaz, Mack Harrell, Marilyn Horne, Adolph Koldofsky (her husband), Lotte Lehman, Hermann Prey, Peter Schreier and Martial Singher. Her achievements have brought her international acclaim and the highest honors the university and the city of Los Angeles can bestow. She conducts master classes regularly throughout the United States and Canada, has been a faculty member at the Music Academy of the West since 1951 and is a former faculty member of the Banff Centre of Fine Arts. For many years, she has given summer master classes at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
Morten Lauridsen, professor and chair of the composition department, is also composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. He is most noted for his many art songs and choral works, including the vocal cycles Les Chansons des Roses, A Winter Come, Madrigali, Cuatro Canciones (Lorca) and Mid-Winter Songs, which are regularly performed by distinguished artists and ensembles throughout the world in venues including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. His grants, prizes and commissions include those from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, ASCAP and Chorus America and at USC he has been the recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi Creative Writing Prize, the Ramo Award and the Alpha Lambda Delta Citation for Teaching Excellence. Dr. Lauridsen attended Whitman College and USC, where he studied advanced composition with Ingolf Dahl and Halsey Stevens. His compositions are published by Peer-Southern (New York) and Alphonse Leduc (Paris) and are recorded on the Albany, Klavier, Freshwater Classical, Protone, Opus and Orion labels.
Ronald Leonard, Piatigorsky Professor of Violoncello, is principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has appeared as soloist with leading orchestras throughout the United States under the direction of such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Michael Tilson Thomas, Sir Charles Groves, Carlo Maria Giulini, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Herbert Blomstedt, Giuseppi Sinopoli and AndrŽ Previn. A critically acclaimed chamber music performer, Mr. Leonard has been a Marlboro Festival participant including tours and recordings, and he is a former member of the Hartwell, Vermeer and Eastman Quartets. Mr. Leonard has performed at the Spoleto (Italy) Festival of Two Worlds, the Festival Casals in Puerto Rico, and has performed and taught at the Aspen Music Festival and School each year since 1975. He was professor of cello at the Eastman School of Music for 17 years and in 1974 was named Kilbourn Professor, the school's highest honor. In May 1996, Mr. Leonard was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements in the field of music.
Frederick Lessemann, professor of composition, is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and USC. He studied with Joseph Wood, Richard Hoffmann and Ingolf Dahl. Dr. Lesemann has received grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund, ASCAP and the USC Faculty Research and Innovation Fund. He was recently resident composer at the Centrum Center for the Arts in Port Townsend, Washington. He has been commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, the Composers Duo, the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra, USC and numerous individuals. His music is performed nationally and is recorded on the Townhall and Crystal labels. He received the 1994 USC Ramo Music Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Robert Lipsett, violinist, has been a dedicated violin pedagogue for over two decades. Mr. Lipsett's students have won numerous national and international competitions including the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition, Jules Stulberg National Competition, Seventeen Magazine/General Motors National Competition, and the Young Musicians Foundation National Competition. His students have also performed with major orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Oakland Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra as well as appearing on national television, including The Today Show. A graduate of California State University, Northridge, Mr. Lipsett is a former student of Ruth Lasley, Zelman Brunoff, Melvin Ritter, Andre Granat and Ivan Gilamian.
Larry J. Livingston, dean of the USC School of Music and professor of conducting, is a graduate of the University of Michigan. He has also completed Ph.D. course work in theory and composition at the University of California, San Diego. Mr. Livingston has held faculty appointments at Luther College, Palomar College, University of California, San Diego, Northern Illinois University, the New England Conservatory of Music, where he served as vice president and music director, and at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where he held a dual appointment as dean and Elma Schneider Professor. Mr. Livingston has guest conducted professional and collegiate orchestras throughout the United States. He participated as a performer and clinician in a 1981 International Jazz Festival in Rome, conducted in the 1982 Festival de Musique in Evian, France, and appeared as guest conductor with the Stockholm Wind Orchestra in 1982. He has also conducted in Berlin (1981), in Australia and New Zealand with the Pan Pacific Music Festival (1980, 1990 and 1992), in Tokyo with marimbist Keiko Abe, and in Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella Series and the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra. In 1984 he made his debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Livingston has served as a conductor in the University of Michigan All-State Program at Interlochen since 1983, conductor of the Festival Orchestra at Idyllwild since 1989, and guest conductor of the USC Chamber Orchestra. In 1992, he conducted the Chopin Academy Orchestra in Warsaw, and in 1995 returned to Poland for a series of concerts with leading conservatory and professional orchestras. In 1996 he appeared with the Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra and in a return engagement with the Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland. He also conducted the Oregon All State Band, the Arizona All State Orchestra, the American Youth Symphony Orchestra and the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen. In 1988, Mr. Livingston was awarded Distinguished Alumnus of the Year from the School of Music at the University of Michigan.
Ken Lopez, associate director of the Music Industry Program, has been a professional guitarist since 1964 and has owned a music and professional audio retail store, as well as a tour sound and installation company. He has worked with artists such as Miles Davis, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughn, Dr. John, Larry Carlton, Boz Skaggs, Santana, Tower of Power, and many others. He has recorded live performances aired on the National Public Radio production "Blues Stage," many of which are archived at the Library of Congress. For 15 years Mr. Lopez served as vice president of JBL, a world renowned manufacturer of professional audio equipment. He has an extensive background in professional audio and musical equipment product development, distribution and marketing. Experience in the design and application of audio equipment has included systems for music, recording, film, touring, theatre and broadcast. Professor Lopez is a member of the Audio Engineering Society and is an active participant in business consulting and live sound engineering and recording.
Douglas Lowry, conductor and composer, studied trombone with Robert Marsteller and Lewis Van Haney and conducting with Daniel Lewis at USC. In addition to having conducted orchestras at Mount St. Mary's College and Pomona College, he was founding music director of the Peninsula Chamber Orchestra in Palos Verdes. As a composer, recent premieres include As My Cello Gently Rocks for cello and percussion ensemble, AB/TMB@25.USC for wind ensemble, Self Reliance, an unaccompanied work for English horn and a score for the new IMLEARN long-distance learning multimedia project for the USC School of Cinema-Television. Since 1989, Mr. Lowry has served as conductor of the USC Symphonic Winds and also serves as associate dean of the School of Music.
Tony Lujan, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, began playing trumpet at age 10. He studied privately with Kenny Anderson in junior high school and later with Fenton Katz and Ed Wolfe in high school. He was inspired to become a jazz musician after hearing the legendary master trumpet player, Clark Terry, perform at a music clinic. Terry recognized the young student's musical gift and took him under his tutelage and guided his career toward success. Mr. Lujan performed live with the big bands of Gerald Wilson, Bill Holman, Clark Terry, Ray Charles, Peter Herbolzheimer, Bobby Burgess, and with artists Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Robert Goulet, Wayne Newton, Debbie Reynolds, Bob Hope and Luis Miguel. He has also appeared with other notable artists and entertainers including Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Steve Turre Shell Choir, Francisco Aguabella, Poncho Sanchez, Walter Norris, The Garcia Bros., Luis Bonilla, William Cepeda and Henry Franklyn.
Mitchell Lurie, clarinetist, was principal clarinetist with the Chicago and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras. Mr. Lurie has been a soloist with the Budapest Quartet, Aaron Copland at the Hollywood Bowl and at the Ojai Festival under Pierre Boulez. He was the organizer of the first International Clarinet Seminar, Sydney, Australia. His recent master classes include those at the Jerusalem Music Academy and the Royal Academy of Music, Toronto, Canada.
Thomas J. Lymenstull, associate professor of keyboard pedagogy, received his bachelor and master of music degrees and the Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, and his doctorate from USC. As a Fulbright scholar, he also studied piano and conducting at the Hochschule fŸr Musik in Vienna. Mr. Lymenstull has won numerous awards as a pianist and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Europe and China. Before coming to USC, Mr. Lymenstull taught at the Interlochen Arts Academy. His students have performed with major orchestras and have gone on to study at Eastman, Peabody and other major music schools.
