USC Thornton School of Music

USC Thornton’s 2024/2025 season will features diverse public programs showcasing the school’s commitment to excellence.

Quincy Jones: Beyond Category is a year-long event series organized by the USC Thornton School of Music in collaboration with USC Visions & Voices and the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective. The series celebrates Quincy Jones’s life and legacy, honoring his groundbreaking achievements across classical, jazz, pop, R&B, gospel, and film scoring. Jones, who passed away on November 3, 2024, at the age of 91, spent seven decades shaping the entertainment industry as a pioneering cultural figure and advocate for African American artists. This series, produced with the support of Jones’s family, explores his work as a musician, composer, producer, and philanthropist. All events are free and open to the public.

USC Thornton’s Signature Series, curated by Dean Jason King, showcases the best of the season by highlighting the unparalleled excellence of the School of Music. Hand-picked by Thornton faculty and leadership, these events offer a glimpse into the diverse categories and genres represented at USC Thornton. Students routinely produce work that celebrates scholarship and collaboration across genres, demonstrating their talents as peers, performers, and rising professionals in the heart of Los Angeles. Throughout the year, Signature Series events encompass all areas of the school, inviting the public to support and enjoy the wealth of talent within USC Thornton’s many ensembles.