Violinist Glenn Dicterow, Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, and Violist Karen Dreyfus Join Faculty of USC Thornton School of Music

LOS ANGELES —  The University of Southern California Thornton School of Music is honored to announce that violinist Glenn Dicterow, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, and his wife Karen Dreyfus, an acclaimed violist who teaches at the Manhattan School of Music, will join the faculty of the USC Thornton School of Music in Fall 2013.

After 32 years as concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Dicterow returns home with this new appointment. A native of Los Angeles, he made his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at age 11, where his father served in the violin section for more than 50 years. As a teenager, Dicterow studied with legendary violinist and USC faculty member Jascha Heifetz. Prior to joining the New York Philharmonic, Dicterow served as associate concertmaster and concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

“We are very excited for Glenn Dicterow and Karen Dreyfus to join us at USC,” said Robert Cutietta, Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music. “The addition of Glenn and Karen to our faculty rounds out an already stellar group of individuals who are both distinguished musicians as well as dedicated and inspiring teachers.”

Dicterow has been nominated to become the first person at the USC Thornton School of Music to hold the Robert Mann Endowed Chair in Violin and Chamber Music, a recently established position honoring the life and work of Robert Mann, founder and first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet. Created by Alfred Mann to celebrate the musical accomplishments of his brother, Dicterow’s formal nomination resulted from a two-year international search to find the perfect person to both complement the faculty at USC and to honor Mann.

“Glenn Dicterow is a superb violinist-musician who will add his exceptional performance and teaching abilities to the school’s already outstanding musical activities,” said Robert Mann, adding, “Bravo!”

Karen Dreyfus is a renowned violist who teaches at the Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, and Mannes School of Music. She is a founding member of the Lyric Piano Quartet, the Amerigo Trio, and the Antonin Quartet. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, she has performed extensively in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and South America.

“These are great appointments,” said Midori Goto, Jascha Heifetz Chair in Violin and Chair of the Strings department. “Both Glenn Dicterow and Karen Dreyfus will undoubtedly make invaluable contributions to the legacy of our department. They have had illustrious careers in such versatile ways, and their expertise will benefit both our students and the entire community.”

In addition to Midori Goto, USC Thornton’s Strings program features cellist Ralph Kirshbaum, Gregor Piatigorsky Chair in Violoncello; violinist Alice Schoenfeld, the Alice and Eleanore Schoenfeld Endowed Chair in String Instruction; violist Donald McInnes; bassist David Allen Moore; and a host of other exceptional artists. The program is unique among the nation’s top music schools, educating its students to become scholars and exemplary global citizens, as well as great musicians.

“Unlike many other top conservatories, our strings students are part of a supportive community where they interact with and are tutored by many of our renowned strings faculty, while also receiving all of the benefits and experiences that come from attending the University of Southern California, one of America’s top universities,” Kirshbaum said.

“The appointment of Glenn Dicterow, one of the icons of American orchestral life, is simply great news for L.A.’s musical community,” said Deborah Borda, president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. “Beyond marking the return of a native son, it is emblematic of the vitality of our artistic culture and the simple fact that this is a thriving and ever evolving center for creativity. We welcome him and his family’s long time connection to the Philharmonic home!”

Dicterow will continue as the NY Philharmonic’s concertmaster through the 2013-2014 season, and he and Dreyfus officially will join the Thornton faculty in Fall 2013. They plan to make several trips to campus during the 2012-13 school year to teach masterclasses.

The appointments of Dicterow and Dreyfus are another example of the impact the USC Thornton School of Music has had in classical music following the recent Piatigorsky International Cello Festival. Organized by the USC Thornton School of Music and the L.A. Phil in partnership with The Colburn School and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the festival featured an international cast of artists and students. The festival’s series of cello recitals led noted music critic James Oestreich to write in The New York Times that the “… the program called further attention to a new vitality in the classical music scene of Los Angeles.”

ABOUT GLENN DICTEROW
New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow has established himself worldwide as one of the most prominent American concert artists of his generation. His extraordinary musical gifts became apparent when, at age 11, he made his solo debut in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (where his father, Harold Dicterow, served as principal of the second violin section for 52 years). In the following years, Dicterow became one of the most sought-after young artists, appearing as soloist from coast to coast.

Dicterow, who has won numerous awards and competitions, is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he was a student of Ivan Galamian. In 1967, at the age of 18, he performed as soloist with the New York Philharmonic under Andre Kostelanetz in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. In 1980, he joined the orchestra as concertmaster, and has since performed as soloist every year, both on tour and in New York. Prior to joining the New York Philharmonic, he served as associate concertmaster and concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Among his appearances on tour with the New York Philharmonic was his performance of the Barber Violin Concerto during the Orchestra’s 1998 Asian Tour, in Manila, Korea, and in Beijing, China, where he performed in The Great Hall of the People to an audience of more than 10,000 people.

Dicterow, who frequently appears as a guest soloist, has made numerous recordings. His most recent CD is a solo recital for Cala Records entitled New York Legends, featuring John Corigliano’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Korngold’s Much Ado About Nothing, the premiere recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, and Martinů’s Three Madrigals for violin and viola, in collaboration with Dreyfus and pianist Gerald Robbins. Dicterow can also be heard in the violin solos of the film scores for The Turning Point, The Untouchables, Altered States, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and Interview with the Vampire, among others.

Dicterow also enjoys an active teaching career. He is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music.  Along with his wife, he is a founding member of The Lyric Piano Quartet, which is in residence at Queens College CUNY.

ABOUT KAREN DREYFUS
Karen Dreyfus has distinguished herself as the recipient of many prizes both in this country and abroad, including the Naumburg Viola Competition (1982), the Lionel Tertis Competition (1980), the Washington International Competition (1979), and the Hudson Valley Competition (1978). She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalists Award.

She has concertized extensively in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and South America during her career, performing as well as touring with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Musicians From Marlboro, and the New York Philharmonic.

Karen Dreyfus has recorded many CDs of both solo and chamber music. Her premiere recording with Bridge Records, entitled Romanze, was received with much critical acclaim. American Record Guide praised Dreyfus as “a terrific player with impeccable technique and intonation, beautiful tone, and real musicianship.” More recently she recorded the William Walton Viola Concerto, Mozart’s “Sinfonia Concertante” for Navona Records, and solo works by American composers under the MMC label. She has also recorded the Martinu Madrigals on a Cala Records CD entitled New York Legends with Dicterow. Her recording with the ensemble the Lyric Piano Quartet of Strauss and Turina was nominated “Editor’s Choice” by Gramophone magazine. Bridge Records has released an all-Dvořák recording with members of the Lyric Piano Quartet, as well as a Dohnányi recording, on which Karen Dreyfus participated.

Dreyfus is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. A member of the Manhattan School of Music faculty since 1991, she teaches viola, chamber music, and orchestral studies. She is also on the faculty of The Juilliard School and Mannes School of Music. She is a founding member of the Lyric Piano Quartet, the Amerigo Trio, and the Antonin Quartet.

ABOUT THE STRINGS PROGRAM AT THE USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC
The USC Thornton Strings department is among the nation’s finest. Its eminent artist/teachers are particularly noted for both individual instruction and coaching in chamber music. High standards of professionalism in performance and teaching have been upheld for more than a century by a faculty that has included Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, and William Primrose. The highly regarded USC Thornton Symphony, USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra, and many prize-winning chamber ensembles offer varied, professional-level experiences for their student participants.

ABOUT THE USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC
The USC 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 USC Thornton School of Music 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, the USC Thornton School of Music offers an impressive range of performance opportunities and a curriculum designed to prepare students for successful careers in the 21st century. The USC Thornton School of Music 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.

Located in the heart of Los Angeles, the USC Thornton School of Music 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. USC Thornton School of Music students also are a constant presence in local classrooms, reaching out to the next generation of musicians.

Contact: Evan Calbi at (213) 740-3229 or calbi@thornton.usc.edu