Strong USC Thornton showing in LA Phil’s 2017-18 season

The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) recently announced its 2017-18 concert season, which includes featured performances by numerous USC Thornton faculty and alumni.

In December, the Calder Quartet, which includes Thornton alumni Benjamin Jacobson (BM’01, MM’07, violin), Andrew Bulbrook (BM ’02, violin), Jonathan Moerschel (BM ’01, MM ’03, viola) and Eric Byers (BM ’03, cello), will present a program of Schubert, Schoenberg, and Cerrone as past of the Colburn Celebrity series at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Alumnus and LA Phil Principal Cellist Robert deMaine will be featured as soloist in the U.S. premiere of Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s Concerto for cello and orchestra, led by conductor Susanna Mälkki in January.

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel will lead the orchestra in the world premiere of the Concerto for timpani and two percussion by Joseph Pereira, director of Thornton’s percussion studio and principal timpani for the LA Phil.

Later in the spring, composer and Thornton faculty member Andrew Norman’s (’02, piano, MM ’04, composition) new work, A Trip to the Moon, will receive its U.S. premiere in two LA Phil performances with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus.

Jazz pianist Gerald Clayton (BM’07) and faculty bassist Darek Oles will be featured in Erroll Garner’s Concert by the Sea, celebrating the 100th birthday of legendary pianist Thelonious Monk.

Martin Chalifour, LA Phil Principal Concertmaster and Thornton Strings faculty member, will perform Bruch’s Violin Concerto in March under Lionel Bringuier, along with works by Brahms and Dvořák.

Thornton alumnus Michael Tilson Thomas (’67, piano, MM ’76, conducting) will bring violinist Gil Shaham and the San Francisco Symphony to Walt Disney Concert Hall for a program inspired by early 20th century Vienna.

And Place, a new work by Composition faculty member Ted Hearne will receive its world premiere under Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil New Music Group in April.

For the full LA Phil 2017-18 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, click here.