Milestones Archive — Fall 2008
2000s
ALMANOVA DUO (Jessica Pierce MM ’04 & Almer Omanovic MM ’06)
Flutist Jessica Pierce and guitarist Almer Imanovic, also known as the Alma Nova Duo, received the 2008 CRITIC'S CHOICE award from American Record Guide for their latest release Classic Guiliani.
PAUL DATEH, JAZZ STUDIES
Violinist Paul Dateh was recently featured in Strings Magazine. A classical violinist who swiched to the Jazz Studies department when a student at USC, Dateh has acquired a fan following on YouTube for his hip-hop jazz compositions. Dateh will soon launch his first European tour and is set to begin work on his first CD.
Malesha was invited to attend an Artist Residency in Budapest, Hungary this November to work on the premiere of a one-woman opera. The work was composed by Jenni Brandon, who also attended USC.
CRISPIN KITTO ’02, CLASSICAL GUITAR
Alumnus Crispin Kitto recently published a new novel titled The Man, The Myth & The Motorcar.
VERONIKA KRAUSAS, DMA ’01, COMPOSITION
Composer Veronika Krausas received a Special Commendation at the 2008 Nancy Van de Vate International Composition Prize for Opera for her work The Mortal Thoughts of Lady Macbeth.
TISH ONEY, DMA ’07, JAZZ STUDIES
Tish recently released a new CD celebrating the songwriting talents of jazz icon Peggy Lee entitled "Dear Peg" on the Rhombus Records label. She was granted permission by the family of Peggy Lee to compose a song of her own to a poem written by Peggy (which appears for the first time on this album), enabling her to join the company of Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, Cy Coleman, Marian McPartland, Mel Torme and Dave Grusin as one of Peggy Lee's collaborative composers.
MATT ROBERTS, BM ’05, STUDIO GUITAR
Matt has been performing with pop and R&B singer Solange (younger sister of Beyoncé Knowles). Recent televised appearances have included the Late Show with David Letterman, the Today Show, and MTV TRL. For the MTV TRL performance, Matthew played a low-key acoustic duet with Solange.
RAYMOND SANTOS, BM ’06, WINDS & PERCUSSION
In April of 2008, clarinetist Raymond Santos won the Principal Clarinet position with the Kansas City Symphony. He will begin the position in August of 2008.
KELLY SULICK, MM ’06, WINDS & PERCUSSION
Flutist Kelly Sulick has won the position of principal flute with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra in Indiana. In addition, Ms. Sulick will be teaching as an Adjunct Instructor of Flute at the University of Evansville.
JEFFREY THOMSON, BM ’04, WINDS & PERCUSSION
Jeff Thomson currently resides in New York City where he was accepted into the 2007 Dramatist Guild Fellowship and was awarded the prestigious 2008 Jonathan Larson award for musical theatre writing.
JAMES ZIMMERMANN, BM ’04, WINDS & PERCUSSION
Clarinetist James Zimmerman was recently appointed Principal Clarinet of the Nashville Symphony. He will start in Fall 2008.
1990s
ROBERT THIES, BM ’93, PIANO
Robert Thies recently played with the Peninsula Symphony with guest conductor Andrew Schulman. He was featured as a piano soloist in Ravel's Piano Concerto and other works including Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, Opus 64.
1980s
BILL ALVES, MM ’86, DMA ’90, COMPOSITION
Bill Alves's new CD of works for gamelan and other instruments, Imbal-Imbalan, is now available. Also this fall, Cengage/Schirmer will be releasing the second edition of Bill's textbook, Music of the Peoples of the World. Bill is currently the associate professor of music at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont.
