University of Southern California

Arnold Steinhardt, first violinist of the Guarneri Quartet, presents a chamber music masterclass.

Donald Crockett leads the Thornton Edge new music ensemble in a program of contemporary works by distinguished British and American composers. The performance will feature Sean Friar's Short Winds, Harrison Birtwistle's Carmen arcadiae mechanicae perpetuum, Breakfast Rhythms I and II by Joan Tower, and Timo Andres' Trade Winds.

Music director Bob Mintzer and the USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra headline this ongoing contemporary jazz series.

Organ Department faculty member Cherry Rhodes performs a recital at Los Angeles' iconic downtown cathedral with guest artists Ladd Thomas and Douglas Masek. The program will feature the world premiere of Fr. Joseph Walter's Chorale, Diferencias and Glosas on Puer Natus in Bethlehem, Olivier Messiaen's Combat of Life and Death, and Rayner Brown's Sonata for Organ Duet, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone and Clarinet featuring USC Thornton faculty organists Cherry Rhodes and Ladd Thomas and saxophonist/clarinetist Douglas Masek.

Sharon Lavery leads the Wind Ensemble in a program of classic repertoire, from Ludwig van Beethoven to Ralph Vaughan Williams. The program opens with Karel Husa's Smetana Fanfare, and Percy Grainger's Irish Tune from County Derry, followed by Vaughan Williams’ English Folk Song Suite, featuring soloist Katherine Beck. Beethoven's Wind Octet in E-flat major, op. 103 brings up the second half, followed by Paul Dooley's Mavericks, and Hindemith's “March" from Symphonic Metamorphosis.

Rotem Gilbert leads the USC Thornton Baroque Sinfonia in a program of virtuosic music from seventeenth-century Italy. This program celebrates the rich tradition of early seventeenth-century Italian music for large concerted ensemble, as well as virtuosic intimate music written by and for women, including Barbara Strozzi, Chiara Margarita Cozzolani and Luzzascho Luzzaschi. We conclude with Antonio Vivaldi’s flashy bassoon concerto and Adam Knight Gilbert’s Jubilate Musica, written for multiple choirs in the style of Venetian grand concerted motets from the time of Giovanni Gabrieli.

The Jazz Honors Combo, a select group of USC Thornton jazz musicians led by Jason Goldman, presents an evening of original compositions for sextet.

In this co-production with Polish Music Center, student artists will spotlight the best of Polish music for the Music@Rush Hour audience.

Award-winning violinist Pamela Frank leads a masterclass with some of the outstanding students of the Strings department. Frank currently holds the Herbert R. and Evelyn Axelrod Chair in Violin Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. This masterclass is presented in collaboration with Frank's husband, physiotherapist Howard Nelson.

Led by professor Andy Abad and Program Chair Patrice Rushen, first-year Popular Music program students explore the foundations of their craft, culminating in exciting and true-to-form performances. Come see Popular Music students perform as part of what Rolling Stone calls “the cutting-edge department that’s become the site of one of Los Angeles’ most productive new music scenes.”

Donald Crockett, chair of the Composition program, leads the USC Thornton Symphony in this annual concert featuring original works by student composers. Over the past 25 years, the New Music for Orchestra (NMO) event has premiered more than 125 compositions, often leading to professional commissions and international recognition.

Headed by faculty member Sean Holt, second-year Popular Music program students focus on stylistic nuance, groove and ensemble technique, taking their performances to the next level of artistry. Come see Popular Music students perform as part of what Rolling Stone calls “the cutting-edge department that’s become the site of one of Los Angeles’ most productive new music scenes.”