University of Southern California

Carl St.Clair leads the USC Thornton Symphony in a work that forever shifted the musical landscape—Gustav Mahler's iconic First Symphony.

Resident conductor Sharon Lavery leads the USC Thornton Symphony in a rousing program featuring Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, as well as selections from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, Suites 1 & 2. PROGRAM: Bernstein - Slava! (A Political Overture) Bernstein – Symphonic Dances from West Side Story Prokofiev – Romeo and Juliet: Selections from Suites 1 & 2

Renowned violinist Pamela Frank and physical therapist Howard Nelson present a program exploring the relationship between physical and mechanical awareness and pain-free performance. The long-time collaborators begin a one-year appointment to the USC Thornton Strings faculty in the fall of 2018. This event will take place on the lower level of The Music Complex (TMC) in Room G156.

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

Esteemed Taiwanese-American violinist Cho-Liang Lin, in a welcome return visit to USC, presents a masterclass for students of the USC Thornton Strings program.

Donald Crockett leads the USC Thornton Edge new music group in a program of colorful and evocative music from Europe, including Derives 1 by Pierre Boulez, Lied in Fall by Hans Abrahamsen, and The Bagpiper's String Trio by Judith Weir.

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.

Rotem Gilbert and the USC Thornton Baroque Sinfonia explore the musical flowers of 17th century Italy, featuring vocal works by Chiara Margherita Cozzolani, Barbara Strozzi, and Giovanni Legrenzi, along with virtuosic instrumental fireworks. This event is co-produced with the USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute.

Renowned violinist Pamela Frank, who joins the USC Thornton Strings faculty for a one-year appointment beginning in the fall of 2018, presents a masterclass in chamber music performance, offering guidance to advanced ensembles in the Strings program.

Guest conductor Andrés Cárdenes, Artistic Director of the Carnegie Mellon University Philharmonic, leads the USC Thornton Symphony in the annual Concerto Night, showcasing three outstanding student and graduate soloists. Elissa Brown will perform Christophe Rouse's Flute Concerto, while violinist Strauss Shi performs Franz Waxman's Carmen Fantasie, and Yuhan Yeh performs Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3. PROGRAM: Franz Waxman – Carmen Fantasie featuring violinist Strauss Shi Christopher Rouse – Flute Concerto featuring Elissa Brown Serge Prokofiev – Piano Concerto No.3, op.26, C Major featuring Yuhan Yeh

Students of USC Thornton's myriad Strings studios showcase their talents in performance.

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO)-Thornton Strings Mentorship Program presents the Mock Orchestral Audition, providing students with the hands-on experience of a professional orchestra audition. True to the professional process, selected USC Thornton Strings students will play orchestral excerpts behind a screen for a panel of adjudicators. At the conclusion of the audition, a special award may be given to an exceptional student at the discretion of the judges, giving them an opportunity to be mentored by a LACO principal musician and to perform as a substitute player during one week of the orchestra's 2018-19 concert season.