February 25, 2021
Media Contact:
Yamaha: Peter Giles/Giles Communications, pgiles@giles.com
USC Thornton: Evan Calbi, calbi@usc.edu
Yamaha Corporation of America has named The University of Southern California Thornton School of Music of Los Angeles, California as a 2021 honoree in its inaugural Institution of Excellence program, acknowledging the school’s extraordinary commitment to innovation in the study of music.
Only 10 outstanding schools nationwide earned the prestigious designation this year.
Yamaha is committed to working with the University of Southern California in substantive ways for the long-term growth and benefit of its music students and faculty. The Institution of Excellence program is tailored to respond to each honoree’s unique mission and the designation unlocks benefits for the institution, its faculty and its students.
“For more than a century, Yamaha has focused on defining and elevating the quality of musical performance,” said Dan Rodowicz, senior director, Institutional Sales, Yamaha. “We chose the University of Southern California for its outstanding work in creating a unique brand and environment for your students, bravely carving out a singular identity and appeal in a sea of schools of music. From its redesigned classical curricula to its strategic changes in how they market to prospective students, USC’s unwavering commitment to reimagine music education has been backed by significant, seismic shifts in its approach to every aspect of the student and faculty experience at USC. All of this is why we are pleased to invite the University of Southern California to become part of a program that demonstrates our commitment to finding, celebrating and collaborating with institutions who share our vision for music’s crucial role in society.”
“We are pleased and grateful to be selected by Yamaha in the inaugural Institution of Excellence program,” said Robert Cutietta, Dean of USC Thornton. “The Thornton School continues to rethink what it means to prepare musicians for today’s music profession while upholding the rigor of our educational model for which we’ve long been known. A partnership with a corporation as esteemed as Yamaha is thrilling, and I am excited to see what may result from this recognition.”
This year’s 10 schools were selected by Yamaha following a rigorous, nationwide nomination and review process. Honorees are chosen for their dedication to providing unique and challenging experiences to their music students through diversity of thought and curriculum, exposure to a wider variety of voices and opportunities and an emphasis on preparing students for the modern world of music. Each year new Institutions will be selected for recognition and added to the roster.
Located in the heart of Los Angeles, the USC Thornton School of Music is internationally recognized as one of the finest conservatories and music schools in the U.S. For more than 135 years, USC Thornton has prepared students to excel as performers, composers, industry leaders, and educators on stages and in studios around the world. While upholding such a longstanding tradition, the school continues to innovate. In 2019, USC Thornton launched a fundamental rethinking of the school’s education for classical musicians. The new model, called the “ReDesign,” aims to give students the tools they need to think creatively, discover their own opportunities and thrive professionally all while maintaining the highest levels of excellence.
For more information about the Yamaha Institution of Excellence program, please visit www.yamahaisg.com
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About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA) is the largest subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of award-winning musical instruments, sound reinforcement, commercial installation and home entertainment products to the U.S. market. Products include: Yamaha acoustic, digital and hybrid pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio equipment, Steinberg recording products and NEXO commercial audio products, as well as AV receivers, amplifiers, MusicCast wireless multiroom audio systems, Blu-ray/CD players, earphones, headphones, home-theater-in-a-box systems, sound bars and its exclusive line of Digital Sound Projectors. YCA markets innovative, finely crafted technology and entertainment products and musical instruments targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, music, professional audio installation and consumer markets.
About USC Thornton
For more than 135 years, the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music has prepared students to excel as performers, composers, industry leaders and educators on stages and in studios around the world. Founded in 1884 and today the oldest continually operating cultural institution in Los Angeles, USC Thornton is internationally recognized as one of the finest conservatories and music schools in the U.S. By blending the rigors of a traditional conservatory-style education with the benefits of a leading research university, USC Thornton offers a curriculum designed to prepare students for successful careers in the 21st century.