Established by Charles C. Hirt in 1946, the USC Thornton Department of Choral & Sacred Music has long been an innovator and leader in the development of degree programs specifically designed for the choral conductor and sacred music practitioner. Alumni of the Department conduct choral ensembles of national prominence, hold faculty positions at colleges, universities, and high schools, and lead worship music programs throughout the nation and the world. The current faculty are leaders in the profession and are globally connected performers, scholars, and pedagogues.