Founded in 1884 only four years after the University of Southern California, the Thornton School is the oldest continually operating arts institution in Los Angeles.

The Thornton School is noted for blending the rigors of a traditional conservatory-style education with a forward-looking approach to training the next generation of musicians.

[6] USC Thornton offers Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate degrees in more than 20 disciplines across the school's three divisions – Classical Performance and Composition, Contemporary Music, and Research and Scholarly Studies.

[18][19] In 2007, USC Thornton alumnus and Distinguished Professor of Composition Morten Lauridsen became the eighth classical composer to receive the National Medal of Arts.

[21] Two years later, in 2009, alumnus and Judge Widney Professor of Music at USC Michael Tilson Thomas also received the National Medal of Arts.