Steve Miller Band coming to USC to benefit Thornton School of Music

The legendary Steve Miller Band, whose greatest hits album is one of the best-selling records of all time, brings its genre-defining classic rock to Los Angeles for two special concerts on Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23, 2009, 8 P.M., at USC's intimate 1,235-seat Bovard Auditorium to benefit the USC Thornton School of Music in celebration of its 125th Anniversary. Considered one of the world's leading music schools, USC Thornton, founded in 1884 and noted for its broad curriculum, internationally renowned faculty and immeasurable contributions to the music industry, is the oldest continuously operating cultural institution in Los Angeles.

Tickets to the concerts, which are open to the public, go on sale on Monday, August 10 and are available through the USC ticket office.

USC Thornton's Chris Sampson, Associate Dean for Popular Music and Industry Studies, who helped arrange the benefit concerts, says, “We are deeply grateful to Steve and his band for their incredible generosity and support of Thornton. These special concerts in honor of the school's hallmark anniversary provide a rare opportunity to hear the group in a very intimate setting. It is truly an honor for USC Thornton to present one of rock's all-time greats.”

The Steve Miller Band's sleek blues-rock sound infuses its vast discography, which includes such multi-platinum songs as “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Rock 'n Me,” “The Joker,” “Jet Airliner,” and “Livin' In the U.S.A.” - all of which continue to air daily on classic rock stations across the country. At the peak of his performing powers, Steve Miller, whose “Greatest Hits” album sold more than 18 million copies, continues to be one of the top concert attractions on the road every summer.

The University of Southern California's Flora L. Thornton School of Music, named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top music schools in the country, offers a unique combination of innovative programs such as popular music performance, jazz studies, research, recording science, and scoring for motion pictures and television, and also has a long and storied tradition of classical music performance studies in all major instruments. Blending the rigors of a traditional conservatory-style education with the benefits of studying at a leading research university, USC Thornton offers students an unparallel music education in a real-world context. Its illustrious alumni and faculty have been awarded countless Grammy and Academy Awards and serve as leaders in all facets of the music industry.

Celebrated alumni include pop great Herb Albert; film score composers James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith and James Newton Howard; video game composer Bear McCreary; composer and Presidential Medal of the Arts recipient Morten Lauridsen; acclaimed conductors Michael Tilson Thomas and Grant Gershon; opera stars Marilyn Horne, Rod Gilfry, Jessica Rivera and Erica Miller; and esteemed classical guitarist Christopher Parkening.

In 1999, philanthropist Flora L. Thornton became the school's benefactor with a naming gift of $25 million, at the time the largest such contribution to an American school of music.

In addition to marking Thornton's 125th Anniversary with an unprecedented 125-day celebration of concerts and special events, USC Thornton administration has used this milestone as an opportunity to carefully position the school so it continues its leadership role in the coming century by rolling out several new undergraduate majors and graduate programs - including a popular music performance program, the first at any university in the country - each of which reflect the school's unique time in history and location in Los Angeles. In addition, a major renovation and building program will increase Thornton's facilities by almost 50%, and the school has also added significantly to its endowment.

Tickets and InformationTickets prices for the Steve Miller Band's benefit concert for the USC Thornton School of Music range from $75 to $250. Bovard Auditorium is located on the USC Campus at 3551 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089. For tickets and information, please call (213) 740-4672 or visit www.uscticketoffice.com