What are They Saying? : Graduates Sing Praises of USC Thornton School of Music
Soprano Marilyn Horne and baritone Thomas Hampson are two USC Thornton School of Music graduates who have garnered international acclaim. Many other successful singers have come out of the school and look back fondly on their experiences there. Among them are baritones Rodney Gilfry and Earl Patriarco, both of whom sing at the Metropolitan Opera and elsewhere, and soprano Jessica Rivera, who is currently a resident artist at Los Angeles Opera and recently made her New York City debut in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall Recital Series. Gilfry, Patriarco and Rivera spoke to Classical Singer. The following are their comments on various aspects of the Vocal Arts program and its subsequent impact on their professional lives: