Sundays from 7-9 PM starting October 29th, host Suraj Partha takes you to the USC Thornton School of Music for a new concert series called In the Halls of Thornton! Over seven weeks, feel the excitement and hear the music crowding the halls of this dynamic music school – from compositions by star faculty to performances by rising stars.
Walking around USC Thornton for my first day of undergrad was like walking straight into my favorite musical recordings. Whether it’s Professors Pepe Romero (classical guitarist), Ted Hearne (composer, Pulitzer Prize finalist), or my teacher, Peter Erskine (drummer with Weather Report and Stan Kenton), students at Thornton get the chance to study with their heroes. And then you see your friends or classmates—your compatriots in the practice rooms—going on to make some of the best music for today and beyond. That’s Wesley Sumpter (percussionist, LA Phil), Remi Wolf (pop artist), Juan Pablo Contreras (composer)… “In The Halls Of Thornton” is going to feature the best and brightest in classical music: the faculty and students of USC Thornton. I’m thrilled to take you to one of the places I call home and to be your campus tour guide.
Our first episode—this coming Sunday night—is a celebration of Frank Ticheli’s music. He is professor emeritus of composition at the USC Thornton School of Music. He joined the faculty in 1991 and just retired from teaching in the spring of 2023.
We’re going to hear performances of his music by multiple USC Thornton ensembles, including the Thornton Wind Ensemble and Symphony. You’ll also hear directly from Frank Ticheli, who came into the KUSC studios to share insights on his music and compositional process.
In addition, the program features music by Nina Shekhar (Thornton alum), Hunter Long (Thornton alum), and Veronica Krausas (Thornton faculty).
Here’s a preview of some of the music you’re going to hear on Sunday’s show. This blog post will be updated after the airing of the episode with audio clips of Frank Ticheli’s interview.
