USC Thornton Winds

A USC Thornton students in concert attire plays the contrabassoon with the rest of the Thornton Winds in a concert program.
This is a close-up view of a French horn player performing with Composition faculty member Frank Ticheli on the podium for Winds & Percussion.

The USC Thornton Winds, led by Carl St.Clair, artistic leader of the USC Thornton orchestras, and resident conductor Sharon Lavery, consistently presents innovative programs featuring the best of wind compositions and arrangements. The ensemble’s repertoire ranges from the early brass music of Gabrieli through the serenades of Mozart and Haydn to the most recent contemporary music written for wind ensembles. Distinguished past conductors of the USC Thornton Wind Ensemble include celebrated leader H. Robert Reynolds, Lucien Cailliet, William Schaefer and Robert Wojciak.