UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

From BBC Magazine: Conductor Euan Shields remembers the profound influence of his late teacher, the American cellist Antonio Lysy.

"Antonio had two sides to him. One was that he pushed every student to the highest standards of cello playing – he was a very rigorous teacher – but the other was that he believed in each individual’s quirks, obsessions and inner fire, and that they should follow their own artistic path."

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Alumnus Euan Shields Remembers Antonio Lysy - The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music From BBC Magazine: Conductor Euan Shields remembers the profound influence of his late teacher, the American cellist Antonio Lysy.

REMEMBERING CLIVE DAVIS. The music icon helped to transform the music industry, working with the likes of Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Alecia Keys and many more. Musicologist Robert Fink helps explain his rise, influence and legacy.

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/video/remembering-music-icon-clive-davis/

Each year, UCLA celebrates Undergraduate Research Week – commemorating the innovative work of students across campus who are performing research and creative inquiry in all disciplines. This year, three School of Music students were honored with UCLA Library prizes in undergraduate research: Pavan Radhakrishnan (Musicology, ’26), Eden Ulrigg (Ethnomusicology, ’27) and Will Bollini (Music Industry minor, ’26).

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School of Music Students Win Library Prize for Undergraduate Research - The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Three School of Music students were honored with UCLA Library prizes in undergraduate research: Pavan Radhakrishnan (Musicology, ’26), Eden Ulrigg (Ethnomusicology, ’27) and Will Bollini (Music Industry minor, ’26). Each

Nick DePinna’s “Orpheus Reignited” is a bold new recording inspired by the statue of Orpheus overlooking Fort McHenry. The piece reimagines Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” as an exploration of memory, contradiction, and the American experience itself. Built entirely from the notes of the national anthem—played backwards and inverted—the work transforms one of America’s most recognizable melodies into a haunting and deeply expressive soundscape.

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ORPHEUS REIGNITED — Nick DePinna SOPRANO SAXOPHONE: Hitomi ObaHORNS: Anonymous*, Emily Pesavento, Melia Badalian, Sarah BachTRUMPETS: Dan Rosenboom*, Adam Bhatia, Erick Jovel, Sarah BauzaTROMBONES: Steve Suminski*, Lori Stuntz, Rose Doylemason, Byron SleughEUPHONIUMS: Jeremy Swem, Phil KeenTUBA: P Blake CooperCONDUCTOR: SiHyun Uhm*...

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2026!
We are endlessly proud of your achievements and your commitment to the musical community 🎵 we wish you the best in your future endeavors and 🐻💙

Kay Kyurim Rhie’s compositions are known for their boldness and timbral expressiveness. An associate professor of composition at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, she is also a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow, a strong recognition of the resonance of her distinct voice. We spoke with Rhie about her journey—and where she is headed next.

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Guggenheim Fellow Kay Kyurim Rhie Talks Composition - The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music Kay Kyurim Rhie’s compositions are known for their boldness and timbral expressiveness. Her works have been commissioned by leading ensembles, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Rhie, associate professor of composition

Bold ideas. Boundless creativity. Discover the UCLA artists of the Class of 2026 and the stories behind their remarkable journeys.
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Celebrating the creativity of UCLA’s graduating class with a cross-disciplinary portrait of work A new digital publication honors the artists, architects and scholars of UCLA's class of 2026 and their inspiring creative work. Give it a look!

RACQUEL BERNARD, 2026 COMMENCEMENT GRADUATE SPEAKER

What does resistance sound like? Beyond the venerable tradition of protest songs, it can live in something more subtle: a voice, a rhythm, a timbre, a way of claiming space through music itself.

Racquel Bernard has spent years thinking about those questions in reggae music. In a genre whose history has often centered male voices, women artists have long challenged sexism, shaped the music’s evolution and expanded its expressive power—often without receiving equal recognition in the record books. Bernard’s work explores how resistance is embedded not only in lyrics, but in sound itself.

https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/racquel-bernard-2026-graduate-student-speaker/

MEET ADITI SREENIVAS, THE 2026 COMMENCEMENT UNDERGRADUATE SPEAKER

Aditi Sreenivas’s experiences span continents, from Bangalore to New Jersey to California. When she arrived at UCLA, she loved music but lacked a clear idea of how music might become her career. Through the music industry program, she discovered a world far larger than performance alone—one filled with paths in business, law and technology.

As she launches her own career in the music industry, Sreenivas is thinking critically about the future of the industry, the challenges of AI, and the benefits of belonging to a music community.

https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/aditi-sreenivas-undergrad-speaker/