Under the direction of Cristian Grases, the USC THORNTON CONCERT CHOIR is one of the auditioned choral ensembles at USC. Founded by John Smallman in 1934, Concert Choir has had a legacy of important conductors amongst which we can highlight Charles Hirt and James Vail; and important professionals such as Nick Strimple and Morten Lauridsen have been a part of it as students. Concert Choir prepares three to four programs a year and performs both on campus and in other venues around the Los Angeles area. Occasionally Concert Choir joins forces with the USC Thornton Chamber Singers to perform major choral-symphonic works. After a very successful performance of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor under the direction of Maestro Helmuth Rilling in 2009, Concert Choir and Chamber Singers will perform Stravinski’s Symphony of Psalms in April 2013 together with the USC Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Carl St. Clair. Concert Choir will also perform at the First United Methodist Church in San Diego and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.