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Wind Ensemble: Americans 250
Cormac Cannon, conductor, Ryan Gonzales, guest conductor, Serena Hill-Laroche, soprano,
As part of the United States Semi quincentennial, the USC Wind Ensemble opens its season with a celebration of American stories. From Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra’s rousing Alegria, to Copland’s enduring classic Emblems, each work on this program highlights a unique American perspective. USC School of Music faculty member Serena Hill-Laroche is featured on Elena Specht’s evocative work Into Her Care, which tells the stories of American women. The concert closes with Benjamin Horne’s powerful Spiritual Symphony, based on numerous well-known African American spirituals.
Sierra/Scatterday, Alegria, Specht, Into Her Care, Copland, Emblems, Horne, Spiritual Symphony.
Admission Cost: FREE.
Sunday, September 20, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
Koger Center Auditorium, See Description for Event Location.
Jazz Combos Performance
Admission Cost: FREE.
Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM.
School of Music 206 Recital Hall.
Graduate Vocal Ensemble Performance
Admission Cost: FREE.
Thursday, September 24, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
School of Music 206 Recital Hall.
USC Symphony Orchestra: Symphonie Fantastique
Celebrate the remarkable tenure of Scott Weiss during his 10th and final season as Music Director and Conductor of the USC Symphony Orchestra as he concludes his distinguished career with the University of South Carolina.
To open the season, the USC Symphony Orchestra will be joined by Spanish-Dutch pianist Albert Cano Smit in Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand. The program also features Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique.
Tickets are available in-person at Koger Center Box Office (803-251-2222, Monday–Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or online at KogerCenterForTheArts.com.
Admission Cost: General public - $30
Seniors/military / USC faculty and staff - $25
Children under 18 and non-USC students with ID - $8
USC Students - free with student ID.
Thursday, September 24, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Koger Center for the Arts, See Description for Event Location.
Choirs of Carolina “Side by Side” Concert
Choirs of Carolina presents its signature Side by Side fall concert, featuring the USC Concert Choir, conducted by Alicia W. Walker, and the University Chorus, led by Dr. Evan Powers, in an evening celebrating the artistry of two outstanding choral ensembles.
Shandon Presbyterian Church, 607 Woodrow Street, Columbia, SC.
Admission Cost: FREE.
Thursday, October 1, 2026, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
See Description for Event Location.
Symphonic Winds: Getting There
Jay Jacobs, conductor, Grant King, guest conductor,
Throughout our lives we are constantly encountering opportunities to enjoy the journey of getting somewhere or simply just finding a way of getting through a long day. A sip of espresso from Dennis Llinás’s Un Cafecito can get us through the day. A hike to a mountaintop can be a momentous journey filled with memorable moments in Adam Gorb’s Pikes Peak. Both the third movement of Gustav Holst’s Second Suite in F and Michael Markowski’s The Coppersmiths take us on a journey of getting us to the creation of something new. The USC Symphonic Winds invite you to join us on our musical journey.
Program: Llinás, Un Cafecito, Holst, Second Suite in F, Markowski, The Coppersmiths, Gorb, Pikes Peak, Sousa, Saber and Spurs March.
Admission Cost: FREE.
Sunday, October 4, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
Koger Center Auditorium, See Description for Event Location.
Wind Ensemble: Red, White and Black
Cormac Cannon, conductor, Ryan Gonzales, guest conductor,
Three colors weave their way through a diverse program of classic and brand-new music for wind ensemble. The USC Wind Ensemble performs the world premiere of the wind ensemble version of Noir by USC School of Music faculty composer Fang Man. Black and white emerge through the piano keys of Charles Ives’ classic The Alcotts, the imagery of historical newsreels in William Schuman’s first work for band, and two marches by John Philip Sousa. The finale, contemporary American composer Michael Daugherty’s Red Cape Tango, is a musical depiction of a “dance of death,” following Superman’s fight to the death with the villain Doomsday.
Fang Man, Noir - World Premiere of Wind Ensemble Version, Ives/Elkus, The Alcotts, Sousa, The Black Horse Troop, Sousa, The White Rose, Schuman, Newsreel in Five Shots, Daugherty/Spede, Red Cape Tango.
Admission Cost: FREE.
Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Koger Center Auditorium, See Description for Event Location.
Jazz Combos Performance
Admission Cost: FREE.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM.
School of Music 206 Recital Hall.
Left Bank Big Band Performance
Admission Cost: FREE.
Monday, October 26, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM.
School of Music 206 Recital Hall.
USC Symphony Orchestra: Lincoln Portrait
Celebrate the remarkable tenure of Scott Weiss during his 10th and final season as Music Director and Conductor of the USC Symphony Orchestra as he concludes his distinguished career with the University of South Carolina.
The October concert features Allen Guelzo, one of the nation’s foremost scholars of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era, serving as narrator for Copland’s Lincoln Portrait. The program also showcases USC Professor of Saxophone Cliff Leaman as soloist in Eric Ewazen’s Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra.
Ives - The Unanswered Question, William Grant Still - Festive Overture, Gould - Amber Waves from “American Ballads” Eric Ewazen - Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra, Copland - Lincoln Portrait,
Tickets are available in-person at Koger Center Box Office (803-251-2222, Monday–Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or online at KogerCenterForTheArts.com.
Admission Cost: General public - $30
Seniors/military / USC faculty and staff - $25
Children under 18 and non-USC students with ID - $8
USC Students - free with student ID.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
Koger Center for the Arts, See Description for Event Location.
Swing Shift Big Band Performance
Admission Cost: FREE.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
School of Music 206 Recital Hall.
United States Marine Band Tour 2026
Location: Koger.
Admission Cost: FREE.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
See Description for Event Location.
Freeman Parker Chamber Music Series: Terra String Quartet
Join us for the opening concert of our inaugural Freeman Parker Chamber Music Series as we welcome the acclaimed Terra String Quartet. A vibrant young ensemble based in New York City, the ensemble is composed of graduates of The Juilliard School, The New England Conservatory, Harvard University, and The Curtis Institute of Music. Praised for their “remarkable maturity and musicality” and “superb ensemble playing” (Hyde Park Herald, Chicago), these four musicians are known for their sincere storytelling, commitment to artistic excellence, and versatile approach to repertoire, and they strive to foster conversation and genuine human connection through their performances and pedagogy. Their name is a nod to their multicultural origins — together, this foursome represents four continents and speaks six languages.
Admission Cost: $25 general admission
Free for USC School of Music students/faculty/staff.
Thursday, October 29, 2026, 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM.
School of Music 206 Recital Hall.