KCET'S ORIGINAL SERIES OPEN CALL PREMIERES NEW EPISODE FEATURING USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC ON AUGUST 9 AT 9:30 P.M.

Burbank, CA - August 2, 2012 - KCET, the nation's largest independent public television station, invites viewers to tune-in to a brand new episode of its original arts and culture program, Open Call. The episode premieres on August 9 at 9:30 p.m. featuring the USC Thornton School of Music with internationally acclaimed guest conductor James Conlon. 

Founded in 1884 and today the oldest continually operating cultural institution in Los Angeles, USC's Thornton School consistently ranks among the top one percent of the nation's music schools and conservatories. Students from around the globe are taught by faculty chosen from a broad spectrum of the music profession.

Open Call host Suzanna Guzmán and USC Thornton School of Music Dean Robert Cutietta introduce the performance pieces, which include: Antonin Dvorak's "Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104" featuring cellist Han Bin Yoon; Maurice Ravel's "Rapsodie Espagnole," and "Suite No. 2 from Daphnis Et Chloe."

ABOUT USC THORNTON SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Led by Dean Dr. Robert A. Cutietta, the USC Thornton School of Music brings together a stellar faculty chosen from a broad spectrum of the music profession and musically gifted students from around the globe. Founded in 1884 and today the oldest continually operating cultural institution in Los Angeles, the Thornton School consistently ranks among the top one percent of the nation's music schools and conservatories. Graduates of the school attain positions with major orchestras, ensembles, recording studios and music industry firms and perform on stages and in studios around the world.

Blending the rigors of a traditional conservatory-style education with the benefits of studying at a leading research university, the Thornton School offers students a thorough music education in a real-world context. Located at the center of Los Angeles, the school is the collegiate partner of choice for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy, to name a few.

In addition to their work with these ensembles, Thornton students are a constant presence in local classrooms, reaching out to the next generation of musicians through music education and appreciation courses. With its faculty, its students, its events and its work, the Thornton School is one of the most important cultural resources in Los Angeles.

ABOUT KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. KCET currently produces the Emmy®, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected, a hard-hitting prime-time weekly television news program that examines the issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 48-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.

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