Solange USC
The three-year residency represents a significant milestone for the music school as it seeks to bridge the gap between artistic practice and academic study. Solange will collaborate with her multidisciplinary institution Saint Heron, USC Thornton Dean Jason King, and other faculty members to develop innovative programming that centers music curation as a scholarly discipline.
The residency includes multiple components designed to enrich the educational experience at Thornton, Solange will host student-focused conversations and workshops, including sessions dedicated to "The Making of Eldorado Ballroom," the series she presented at Walt Disney Concert Hall last October, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Set to launch in fall 2027, her music curation course—tentatively titled "Records of Discover: Methodologies for Music and Cultural Curatorial Practices"—will explore the construction of curatorial frameworks alongside the context, craft, and creation of musical landscapes. The course aims to provide students with critical tools for understanding how music is contextualized, presented, and preserved.
Solange will also contribute to USC's forthcoming symposium, where she will participate in discussions about women in classical music, including composer Julia Perry.
Reflecting on her appointment, Solange noted the personal significance of working with emerging artists and scholars.
"For decades now, I've watched the evolution of music and music curation, and I feel like I have something adequate to add to the conversation," she told the Times. "I feel really inspired by the idea of my 15-year-old self being able to have someone sort of walk me through the footsteps of what I was about to embark on."
She added, "Being able to help students navigate what that is for them is like a dream job."
Beyond teaching, Solange will work with faculty to develop long-term frameworks that could shape Thornton's approach to music education for years to come.
Solange joins the Dean's Creative Vanguard Program as its second member, following her frequent collaborator Raphael Saadiq, who became the inaugural participant in December. The program, which officially launched this year under King's direction, creates opportunities for distinguished artists to engage directly with Thornton students through masterclasses, workshops, private instruction, and public discussions.
The initiative reflects a broader institutional commitment to ensuring that students have access to practitioners who are actively shaping contemporary music and culture. By inviting artists like Solange and Saadiq into academic spaces, USC Thornton is working to ensure its curriculum remains responsive to the evolving landscape of the music industry.
