USC Thornton presents acclaimed chamber music ensemble, the PUBLIQuartet, in a public performance and pre-concert discussion of their latest album, What is American.

Founded in 2010, the New York City-based group has received countless awards and accolades for its innovative programs, which range from 20th century masterworks to newly commissioned pieces. PUBLIQuartet's re-imagined classical works feature open-form improvisations that expand the techniques and aesthetic of the traditional string quartet.

What is American features creative and biting chamber improvisations on Oliver Wendell Holmes and Alice Coltrane, Vijay Iyer and Roscoe Mitchell, Tina Turner and Fats Waller, among others. As described by the quartet, it “explores the resonance between contemporary, blues, jazz, free and rock-inflected music — all of which trace their roots back to the Black and Indigenous music that inspired Dvorak’s ‘American’ String Quartet. Interrogating these traditions of our nation’s complex history, PUBLIQuartet attempts to connect the dots, illuminating the past, present and future of American concert music.”

A pre-concert discussion with the artists and USC Vice Provost for the Arts Josh Kun begins at 7:00 pm. The concert follows at 8:00 pm. This event is presented by USC Visions & Voices: the Arts & Humanities Initiative.

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