University of Southern California

Carl St.Clair leads the USC Thornton Symphony in Mahler's vivid tone poem, Totenfeier, and Prokofiev's joyous Fifth Symphony. Two profound works, born amidst conflict, highlight the endurance and nobility of the human spirit. PROGRAM: Gustav Mahler: Totenfeier (Funeral Rites) Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5, Op. 100 in B-flat major USC Thornton will pay tribute to the memory of Daniel Lewis, Emeritus Professor and longtime leader of the USC Thornton Symphony who passed away in July, with a few words of remembrance before the concert from Robert Cutietta, Dean of the USC Thornton School of Music.

The USC Thornton Symphony presents Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe: Suite No.2 and Stravinsky's legendary The Rite of Spring. Revolutionary scores for two icons of modern dance remain as fresh today as at their premiere. PROGRAM: Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chloe: Suite No.2 Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Music director Jason Goldman leads the Concert Jazz Orchestra in an evening of big band standards and original compositions.

German guitarist Tilman Hoppstock, noted for his interpretations of Bach, presents a masterclass in classical guitar performance.

Strings students perform virtuosic solo works, including Paganini caprices, Ernst caprices, Popper etudes, Piatti caprices, and other showpieces. Students showcase their talents in a friendly and social environment, followed by a reception.

Students from Thornton's jazz programs showcase contemporary jazz works at Ground Zero Performance Café.

U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, California Poet Laureate and Arts Leadership faculty member Dana Gioia, and Los Angeles Poet Laureate Robin Coste Lewis come together on the Bovard stage for a reading and discussion about poetry and the role of place—in particular, the many places of California—in their creative work. The son of farmworkers, Herrera spent his early years living from crop to crop in California’s San Joaquin and Salinas valleys, went to high school in San Diego, attended college at UCLA during the Chicano movement, and now lives in Fresno, California. Dana Gioia grew up in Hawthorne, California, and spent his college years at Stanford. And National Book Award winner Robin Coste Lewis is from Compton. In a rare joint event, these three highly decorated and deeply rooted California poets will reflect upon how poetry and the written word contribute to our shared yet varied sense of place and community. Presented by USC Visions and Voices: The Arts and Humanities Initiative.

Karen Dreyfus, director of chamber music at Thornton, leads faculty and students of the Division of Classical Performance and Composition in a program of French chamber music, featuring the Poulenc Trio, Saint-Saens Septet, and Franck Piano Quintet. Faculty performers include Bernadene Blaha, Glenn Dicterow, Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Ben Hong, Thomas Hooten, Bing Wang, and Michele Zukovsky. They will be joined by Thornton students Lieza Hansen, Coleman Itkoff, Mann-Wen Lo, Sam Shukan, Justin Woo, and more.

Students of Thornton's Strings program present an evening of solo and chamber performances.

Donald Crockett leads Thornton Edge, Thornton’s new music group, in a program featuring recent music for voice and ensemble, including works by David Lang and Thornton student composer and vocalist, Tamzin Elliott.

The USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra, led by music director Bob Mintzer, presents an evening of standards and original compositions as part of an ongoing series of contemporary jazz.

H. Robert Reynolds and Sharon Lavery lead the USC Thornton Wind Ensemble in a performance featuring A Glimpse of the River by Kenny Regan, co-winner of the Wind Ensemble Composition Contest. The evening also includes Dzubay’s Fanfare, Verne Reynolds’ Scenes, Strauss’ Serenade, Op.7, and Percy Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy.