ADMISSION: 
Admission is free and open to everyone. Reservations required. RSVP beginning Monday, March 1, at 10 a.m. 

DESCRIPTION: 
Travel across centuries of musical innovation in an evening that pairs beloved Baroque masterpieces with a landmark contemporary work. The USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra, led by Dr. Lucinda Carver, opens with J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 and G.F. Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks, two celebrated Baroque works that are known for their vitality and grandeur. Then, Dr. Cristian Grases will conduct the USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra and USC Thornton Chamber Singers in Alberto Grau’s award-winning La Doncella, which blends drama, energy, and texture in a striking counterpart to Bach and Handel. 

This Is One Part of a Series! 
This concert is the first event in the series, Construir Cantando: A Model of Social Transformation through the Arts, bringing internationally acclaimed choral leaders Alberto Grau and María Guinand from Venezuela to USC for performances and conversations that reveal how music can foster connection and social change. Grau and Guinand created Construir Cantando, an initiative that parallels Venezuela’s El Sistema by using choral training to empower youth from underserved communities. 

Related Events: 
The Choral Music of Alberto Grau 
Friday, April 23, at 8 p.m. 
Newman Recital Hall 
More info and RSVP 

Construir Cantando: A Model of Social Transformation through the Arts 
Saturday, April 24, at 5:30 p.m. 
Bovard Auditorium 
More info and RSVP 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Cristian Grases (Choral Music). Co-sponsored by the USC Thornton School of Music, USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, and Promotora de las Bellas Artes.  

Photo: Ryan Miller