USC Symphony Orchestra: Rising Stars

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

Featuring winners of the 2025-26 Concerto-Aria Competition.

Join conductor Scott Weiss at 6:45 p.m. in the Koger Center for the Arts Grand Tier for a pre-concert talk. 

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.

SC Philharmonic presents The Dream of America

Admission Cost: $11 - $71

About This Show

Maurice Ravel
Alborada del gracioso

Shaosheng Li
Wind Across a Cloudless Firmament

Maurice Ravel
Bolero 

Peter Boyer
Ellis Island – The Dream of America
A staged symphony with actors directed by Chad Henderson (The Chad Henderson Co.)

ABOUT
This epic evening begins the SCP’s celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary as we present Peter Boyer’s Ellis Island: The Dream of America. Actors and orchestra weave the immigrant experience into living tableau, melding music and drama to celebrate hope, struggle, and new beginnings under the baton of Morihiko Nakahara and the direction of Chad Henderson (The Chad Henderson Co.)

The concert features a double-bill of Ravel as the program begins with his sunlit Alborada del gracioso, and later features the composer’s highly popular orchestral experiment: Boléro .

The centerpiece for the night is the world premiere of Shaosheng Li’s Wind Across a Cloudless Firmament. Join us for The Dream of America—an unforgettable celebration of artistry, premieres, and the timeless pursuit of possibility.

YOUR BRAIN ON ART
Experiencing opera and theatre can improve mental well-being by reducing nervous tension and enhancing emotional resilience, as engaging with live performances has been shown to increase dopamine and oxytocin levels, promoting feelings of joy and social connection (Dunbar, 2012). Additionally, research published in the British Medical Journal found that frequent attendance at cultural events is associated with a lower risk of depression and a longer lifespan (Fancourt & Steptoe, 2019).

For tickets, visit

Family Time with the Phil

Admission Cost: Free Admission

About This Show

Get ready to embrace the magic of live symphonic music in a welcoming atmosphere where families can create lasting memories together. Freedom and fun abound with “Family Time with the Phil” – an inclusive concert-matinee that invites audiences to sing, dance, and enjoy the symphony without the expected barriers of a live performance. Whether you’re tapping your feet to lively tunes, singing along with the orchestra, taking a break to visit the quiet room or simply letting the music move you – this experience promises joy and excitement for the whole family. Did we mention there’s an instrument “petting zoo” and some off-duty service pups that you can meet!

USC Symphony Orchestra and Choirs of Carolina: War and Peace

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

Dr. Alicia W. Walker leads the USC Symphony Orchestra, Concert Choir and University Orchestra in a performance uniting war and peace. Accompanied by soloists Tina Milhorn Stallard, soprano; Serena Hill-LaRoche, soprano; Rachel Calloway, mezzo-soprano; Dominic Armstrong, tenor and baritone; and Jacob Will, bass, the musicians will perform Haydn’s Missa in tempore belli and Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem in a powerful close of the ensembles’ seasons. 

Join USC Symphony conductor and music director Dr. Scott Weiss for a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. in the Koger Center Grand Tier.

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.

USC Wind Ensemble and Alumni Concert Band: Windows and Mirrors

Admission Cost: FREE

Cormac Cannon, conductor
David Warren, guest conductor
Scott Herring, percussion

The Wind Ensemble concludes their season in a shared concert with the USC Alumni Concert Band. The Wind Ensemble portion includes two new works commissioned in part by the USC Wind Ensemble. Professor of Percussion Dr. Scott Herring will be featured on Joseph Schwantner’s thrilling new concerto for percussion and wind ensemble, Fast Track. Also included is Brian Balmage’s epic new symphony for band, Windows and Mirrors. USC Bands Alumni will gather to rehearse, reminisce, and perform the second half of the program.

Program:

Kabalevsky/Hunsberger, Overture to “Colas Breugnon”
Schwantner, Fast Track (Consortium Premiere)
Balmages, Windows and Mirrors: Symphony for Band (Consortium Premiere)
Alumni Concert Band program TBD