USC Thornton Symphony Shines in the Walt Disney Concert Hall Spotlight
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The symphony on stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The January 22nd program kicked off with Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos, featuring Bernadene Blaha and Kevin Fitz-Gerald.
Bernadene Blaha and Kevin Fitz-Gerald perform Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos.
Pianist Kevin Fitz-Gerald greets a friend backstage.
A viola takes his place.
Preparing backstage.
The Strings prepare.
The USC Thornton Symphony at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Carl St.Clair leads the ensemble in ”An Alpine Symphony” by Richard Strauss.
A harpist prepares for Strauss's “An Alpine Symphony.”
Maestro Carl St.Clair.
The horns prepare.
The symphony performs Strauss.
The Winds on stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The offstage horns await their cue during Strauss's “An Alpine Symphony.”
Bass section.
The view from the projection booth.
Carl St.Clair greets the performers.
After the concert, Carl St.Clair congratulates the performers backstage.
Above, scroll through an album of photos from the performance, both on stage and off. (Photos by Dario Griffin/USC)
Last weekend, Carl St.Clair led the USC Thornton Symphony in a spectacular performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Sounds About Town concert series. Guest pianists Bernadene Blaha and Kevin Fitz-Gerald of the Keyboard Studies department performed Mozart’s artful Concerto for Two Pianos no. 10, K. 365, in the first half of the program, while the orchestra took on Strauss’s vivid Alpine Symphony, Op. 64, in the latter half.
For many Strings and Winds & Percussion students, the opportunity to perform in the world-class concert venue is undoubtedly a highlight of their student careers. But with Thornton alumni making up 18 positions in the LA Phil’s regular orchestral roster, it’s more than likely that some of those students will find themselves back on the stage of Walt Disney Concert Hall before too long.
The USC Thornton Symphony will next present its annual Concerto Night on Friday, February 24th, under guest conductor David Lockington, back home at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.
