Violinist Hagai Shaham Joins USC Thornton
“I have very good feelings about the openness and the new possibilities that the school can offer. I am very much looking forward to contributing and sharing knowledge at Thornton School of Music,” Shaham said.
Midori Goto, holder of the Jascha Heifetz Chair in Violin at USC, said that the appointment will be an asset to the department.
“I am very excited and proud to welcome Hagai Shaham as the newest member of our strings family at Thornton,” she said. “We have always had a history of extraordinary faculty members, enabling us to combine the highest caliber of teaching and discipline with artistic wealth with which to nurture and to inspire our students. Hagai’s appointment continues this unparalleled tradition of integrated education and aesthetic approach to our department.”
Before joining the USC faculty, Shaham taught at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He has been an influential force on the Israeli music scene, serving at Kibbutz Eilon for the annual Keshet Eilon summer workshop, where he teaches classes, including a nightly master class, according to haaretz.com. His presence at the workshop draws many students hoping to learn from him.
Shaham began studying violin with Ilona Feher, who also taught violinists such as Shmuel Ashkenasi, Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Shlomo Mintz, at the age of 12. Shaham went on to win many international competitions, perform with world-renowned orchestras and tour as a recitalist throughout Europe, North America and Central America.
Goto said that Shaham’s history as a musician will enrich USC’s program.
“His track record in performing and teaching attests that his philosophy is very much aligned with ours,” she said.
Among other honors, Shaham has been awarded the American-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship and first prizes at the Ilona Kornhouser competition, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority Young Artist competition and the Tel-Aviv Rubin Academy competition. He has performed as a soloist with, among others, the English chamber Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic, the Belgian National Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Zubin Mehta, who also invited him to perform at Carnegie Hall.
In addition to his live performances, Shaham regularly records with Hyperion and oversees the Ilona Feher Foundation, which he co-founded with his colleague Ittai Shapira.
USC Thornton Dean Robert Cutietta said that Shaham will provide a unique learning experience for students.
“We are honored to have one of Europe’s leading violin soloists and teachers join the already amazing string faculty of the Thornton School. It is rare to find that combination of performer and teacher, but that is exactly what Mr. Shaham brings to our students,” Cutietta said.
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The Wall Street Journal highlighted the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
KPCC-FM reported that this fall USC will offer Persian language courses for the first time. A $250,000 grant from the Farhang Foundation helped to establish the program. Bruce Zuckerman of the USC Dornsife College said he has many students interested in the Persian language, culture and region. “The Iranian region is one that has great impact on our lives today and has had great impact going back into ancient times,” he said. The story noted that USC and the Farhang Foundation hope to raise more money to create an Iranian studies minor. Payvand also featured the new courses.
American Songwriter ran a Q&A with Christopher Sampson of the USC Thornton School about the school’s Popular Music program, which Sampson founded. He noted that the program has been available as a major in Songwriting since 2009, and has incorporated a diverse range of musical genres. “We have now established a consistent track record of students having professional success to know that the program gets results,” Sampson said. He also highlighted the achievements of Songwriting faculty members Lamont Dozier, Andrea Stolpe and David Poe of the Thornton School.
The Economist featured research by Valter Longo of the USC Davis School finding that short periods of fasting could help cancer patients better tolerate chemotherapy, and may even make treatment more effective. The Globe and Mail (Canada) reported that cancerous tumors are essentially energy hogs. “They need to burn lots of energy just to stay alive,” Longo said. The study was also covered by Irish Independent (Ireland), Magyar Tavirati Iroda (Hungary), Anadolu Ajansi (Turkey), Son Haber (Netherlands), Vietnam+ (Vietnam), Turkish Radio and Television (Turkey) and Romania Libera (Romania).
L.A. Weekly featured research by USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, which has developed video games based around physical movement for people recovering from strokes or other injuries. The games develop strength in specific body parts. Traditional video games weren’t right for these patients, said the institute’s Belinda Lange. “Often, the fun parts of the game would only be unlocked after a series of other levels, which our patients often couldn’t achieve,” she said. The games are now being tested with physical therapists in three major clinics.
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