Admission Cost: FREE

Championed by outlets like NPR and Rolling Stone, Morrow’s first four albums turned him into one of the West Coast’s biggest Americana exports. The appeal wasn’t just the swaggering, swampy music itself; it was also the sharp storytelling and unfiltered insights of a songwriter who wasn’t afraid to shine a light on the skeletons in his closet. Balancing honesty with self-deprecating humor, Morrow became a working-class hero for those struggling to follow the straight and narrow. On the Ride Here, his latest album, finds him in the same position. Five albums into an acclaimed career, Sam Morrow has carved out a sound that exists somewhere outside of genre and geography. It’s his own version of modern-day American roots music: a mix of roadhouse rock & roll, bluesy R&B, and country-fried funky-tonk, driven forward by groove, grease, and guitars.

This concert features an opening act by She Might Get Loud.

This concert is free and open to the public!

Admission Cost: FREE

In this unique Southern Aesthetic Workshop concert titled Artworks in Translation, keynote artist Nicholas Susi explores how composers translate other media into musical composition. Drawing from literature, theology and visual art, the workshop considers the creative possibilities that emerge when ideas move from one artistic form to another. The event includes a 20-minute performance by Susi, followed by a 40-minute discussion and audience Q&A.

Repertoire includes:
From Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major
II. Adagio
J.S. Bach (1685-1750)
Trans. Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924)

From Préludes, Book 1
11. "...La danse de Puck"
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

From Via crucis
IV. Jésus rencontre sa très sainte mère
VIII. Les femmes de Jérusalem
X. Jésus est dépouillé de ses vêtements
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

L'isle joyeuse
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

This concert is a special event of The American Society for Aesthetics’ Southern Aesthetics Workshop, held at the University of South Carolina Oct. 9-10, 2026. The concert is free and open to the public. Conference registration is required to attend the workshop.

Admission Cost: FREE

This concert is free and open to the public!

With a 36-year trajectory in the world of chamber music, Spanish Brass is one of the most dynamic and admired groups on the international musical stage.

In 1996 the ensemble won First Prize in the 6th International Ville de Narbonne (France) Brass Quintet Competition, considered the most prestigious in the world for this formation. In 2017 Spanish Brass received First Prize in the Bankia Awards for Musical Talent of the Comunitat de Valencia, and in 2019 they received the Espai Ter de Música Award. Their recordings have also been honored with Carles Santos Awards in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

In 2020, Spanish Brass was awarded the National Music Prize of Spain’s Ministry of Culture, the country’s highest musical honor.

In addition to participating in some of the most important music festivals around the world, Spanish Brass performed at the Prince of Asturias Awards Gala in 1995, recorded the music for the theatrical work “La Fundación” by Buero Vallejo for the National Dramatic Center, and composed the soundtrack for the film “Descongélate” by Felix Sabroso for the production company El Deseo.

Renowned and sought-after as pedagogues, Spanish Brass has given masterclasses at many prestigious conservatories and music departments worldwide, including the Juilliard School, the Colburn Conservatory of Music (Los Angeles), the Berklee School of Music (Boston), University of Texas at Austin, San Francisco Conservatory, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris et Lyon (France), the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), Hochschule für Musik Detmold (Germany), Lieksa Brass Week (Finland), Trakai Brass Week (Lithuania), Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid (Spain), Musikene (Higher School of Music of the Basque Country, Spain), Yale School of Music, and many others.

For more information please call 803-777-7500 or email kogercenter@sc.edu.

 

Admission Cost: FREE

Making Movies will take you on a psychedelic musical journey with an original sound Rolling Stone describes as “an eclectic blend of rumbero percussions, delicate organs and grungy fuzz rock.”

Founded by Enrique Chi—a Panamanian songwriter, musician, filmmaker, and cultural producer—the Latin Grammy-nominated band serves as the primary platform for Chi’s creative mission. Armed with electric guitars and a Mejorana, a folcloric guitar native to Panamá, the band interweaves styles as divergent as cumbia and blues, salsa, soul, and rock’n’roll––all boiled down into their own original sound.

Over the course of their career, the quartet has turned heads as a Tiny Desk newcomer (with “A La Deriva”), a voice for immigrant rights (with “I Am Another You” which reached #3 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Album chart), and as a co-writer alongside salsa icon Rubén Blades with “No Te Calles,” the first single from Blades Latin Grammy nominated album.

This concert features an opening performance from Opus & the Frequencies. Known for their energetic live shows, Opus & The Frequencies have earned a reputation as a must-see Columbia act. This reputation has seen them playing small clubs and bars in support of local or touring regional acts, as well as gracing bigger stages like the St. Pats Festival in Five Points, Columbia Food and Wine Festival’s Concert On The Runway, Solfest Rollfest, and USC legacy events (Tiger Burn, First Night Carolina) in support of bands like Hippo Campus, Illiterate Light, The Blue Dogs, Flipturn, lighthearted and Brook and The Bluff to name a few.

The Frequencies harness an eclectic blend of influences—funk, indie rock, Latin grooves, and pop sensibilities—converging into a distinctive sound. This sonic alchemy flourishes whether they take the stage as a four-piece or an expansive ten-piece ensemble.

This concert is free and open to the public!

Admission Cost: Tickets: $27 - $32

The Koger Center and ColaJazz Foundation are excited to present to you the new 2026 Live in the Lobby Jazz season! Featuring 6 stunning performances, you can get your season tickets today to get every show for one low price.

Created as a partnership between the Koger Center for the Arts and the ColaJazz Foundation, Live in the Lobby 2024 will consist of six concerts held throughout the Koger Center facility. Join us to experience this one-of-a-kind series designed for audiences seeking premier jazz and specialty experiences in an exceptional setting.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Born in Italy and now based in New York City, the 30-year- old guitarist Pasquale Grasso has developed an astounding technique and concept informed not by jazz guitarists so much as by bebop pioneers like Powell, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and the classical-guitar tradition. His new digital-only EP series, available beginning in June from Sony Masterworks, showcases Grasso in the solo-guitar format, where his intensive studies of both midcentury jazz and classical meld into a signature mastery that is, remarkably, at once unprecedented and evocative.

These days, Grasso teaches and maintains a packed gig schedule around New York, including frequent solo performances at the popular Greenwich Village haunt Mezzrow, where a regular Monday-night gig allowed him to develop his solo-arranging skillset. Not that Grasso thinks his work is done. “All [of the musicians I love are] inspiration for me to get new ideas and form my style, because it’s still growing,” Pasquale says. “And it’s gonna be growing until the day I die.”

For more information please call 803-777-7500 or email kogercenter@sc.edu.

Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office, by phone at 803-251-2222 or online.

Buy Tickets

Admission Cost: Tickets: $23 - $74

Verdi: Overture to La Forza del Destino

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2

Brahms: Symphony No. 3

Description:

An evening of sweeping emotion and irresistible melody, this program draws you into the heart of Romantic music. Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 — one of the most beloved works ever written — unfolds with passion, intensity, and unforgettable beauty. Paired with Verdi’s dramatic overture and Brahms’ richly layered symphony, this is music that must be felt live.

For more information please call 803-777-7500 or email kogercenter@sc.edu.

Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office, by phone at 803-251-2222 or online.

Buy Tickets

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

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: Tickets: $54 - $66

SYMPHONIC SINATRA is the ultimate Frank Sinatra experience live in concert. With breathtaking stage charisma, sparkling blue eyes, and a velvet baritone voice, Brian Duprey captures the look, sound, and mannerisms of Ol’ Blue Eyes while his 13-piece orchestra recreates the lush strings and swingin’ brass of Frank Sinatra’s original recordings. In fact, one might swear they were hearing Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. At least that’s what happened to Frank’s own daughter, Nancy Sinatra, when she first heard Brian’s voice on the Howard Stern Show.

As the lead actor in the hit musical, “The Rat Pack is Back,” Brian spent 10 years perfecting his craft in Las Vegas and in over 200 performing arts centers and casinos across the country. His lead role and creative development of the show built a 48 state tour and secured the title of “Best Tribute Show of Las Vegas” in 2014.

Showered with awards and recognition for his live and recorded performances, Brian Duprey had his big break on FOX TV’s “Performing As,” where he won top prize by portraying his idol, Frank Sinatra. Brian has been featured on CSI Las Vegas, The History Channel, NBA All-Star Jam, and the hit movie Get Him to the Greek. He also opened for the likes of Paul Anka and the cast of HBO’s The Sopranos, and wowed special guests like Steve Wynn at The Smith Center in Las Vegas.

“He’s got it down!”—Nancy Sinatra

“Duprey’s version of ‘My Way’ is worth the ticket price alone.”— ChicagoTribune

“Brian stands alone as the number one Frank Sinatra performer in the world.”—Examiner.com

“There were oohs and ahs in the crowd as he took the stage, fedora cocked with all his moves down pat. Hailed as one of the top Sinatra impressionists worldwide, Duprey’s baritone is a dead ringer for Ol’ Blue Eyes, particularly strong when he spins a phrase in his tunes such as It Was a Very Good Year or Fly Me to the Moon.”— Winnipeg Free Press

For more information please call 803-777-7500 or email kogercenter@sc.edu.

Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office, by phone at 803-251-2222 or online.

Buy Tickets

Admission Cost: $25 general admission Free for USC School of Music students/faculty/staff

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: Tickets: $27 - $32

Created as a partnership between the Koger Center for the Arts and the ColaJazz Foundation, Live in the Lobby 2026 includes this bonus concert back by popular demand! Join us to experience this one-of-a-kind series designed for audiences seeking premier jazz and specialty experiences in an exceptional setting.

Prepare for a fang-tastic night as the ColaJazz Foundation unleashes a sonic haunting straight from the crypts of New Orleans! These frighteningly talented musicians bring the “NOLA to COLA” vibe with a blend of traditional and contemporary brass band music that’s so bewitching, it raises the dead. Their high-energy performances fuse jazz, funk, and gospel sounds into a cauldron of communal celebration, stirring up a crowd frenzy that feels less like a concert and more like a midnight monster mash.

This spooktacular ensemble is commanded by the bandleader and trumpet ghoul, Mark Rapp. A nationally recognized jazz phantom and “Jazz Hero” (JJA 2025), Mark haunts stages worldwide, from the haunted halls of the Blue Note NYC to the foggy fields of the Newport Jazz Festival. Rapp, a student of the legendary Ellis Marsalis at the University of New Orleans, also serves as the ghoul-daddy (Founder and Executive Director) of the ColaJazz Foundation, dedicated to ensuring that quality jazz continues to trick and treat the Southeast.

For more information please call 803-777-7500 or email kogercenter@sc.edu.

Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office, by phone at 803-251-2222 or online.

Buy Tickets

Admission Cost: Free

As part of its fall residency at USC, the Terra String Quartet presents a free, family-friendly concert in the Darla Moore School of Business’s Hootie Johnson Performance Hall. Celebrated for its compelling storytelling, artistic excellence, and versatile approach to repertoire, the quartet creates performances that inspire conversation and foster meaningful human connection. Through both its concerts and educational work, Terra String Quartet seeks to engage audiences with music that is vibrant, thoughtful, and deeply communicative. 

Admission Cost: FREE

LOCATION: Koger Center for the Arts Large Rehearsal Room

Admission Cost: FREE

Jay Jacobs, conductor
Grant King, guest conductor

Celebrating the United States Semi quincentennial, the USC Symphonic Winds presents a concert of American visions. Marie Douglas celebrates the vision of African American women band directors and conductor through Ascension. Experience the view of America through the lens of Ansel Adams in the music and accompanying film from composer Steve Danyew. The shaped-note tradition of 19th century hymns in America inspires Donald Grantham’s Star Spangled Heavens, and classic works by Aaron Copland and John Wiliams round out our concert and inspirational salute to 250 years.

Program:
Douglas, Ascension
Copland, An Outdoor Overture
Danyew, This World Alive
Grantham, Star Spangled Heavens
Williams, The Cowboys

Admission Cost: FREE

The USC University Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Evan Powers, presents their full length fall concert.

Shandon Presbyterian Church
607 Woodrow Street
Columbia, SC 29205

Admission Cost: FREE

The Palmetto Saxophone Quartet will present a compelling program showcasing the remarkable breadth and vitality of contemporary music for saxophone quartet. Reflecting the ensemble’s commitment to championing new repertoire and innovative artistic voices, the concert features works by eight living composers, including the world premiere of a new composition by David Garner. Audiences will experience a rich variety of compositional styles, from introspective lyricism and expressive textures to exhilarating rhythmic energy and virtuosic interplay. Through this diverse program, the Palmetto Saxophone Quartet highlights the saxophone quartet’s extraordinary versatility and expressive potential as a dynamic medium for contemporary artistic expression.

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All Southern Exposure concerts are FREE, but patrons may reserve seats and support the Southeast’s most adventurous music series! A gift of $175 secures a seat for the entire 2026-27 season. To donate online, click here or contact Audra Vaz at 803-777-9732 or audra.vaz@sc.edu.

Admission Cost: $25 adults. Free for USC School of Music students, faculty and staff.

The USC School of Music’s renowned music faculty performs fresh and vibrant chamber music programs that pair canonic masterpieces alongside brand new works.

Admission Cost: FREE

Benjamin Pouncey, conductor
Featuring works by Brittin Chambers, Dello Joio, Thomas, Biedenbender, Sousa and Bernstein

Join the University of South Carolina University Band for an evening of music in the Koger Center for the Arts. “We” is a celebration of the voices, traditions and musical styles that represent the story of America. Through works that reflect the richness and diversity of the American experience, this concert highlights the power of music to unite, inspire and remind us of the connections we share. From bold and energetic to reflective and heartfelt, the program showcases a vibrant tapestry of American composers and musical influences, offering something for every listener. All are invited to experience an evening that celebrates community, creativity and the enduring spirit of the music that brings us together.

Admission Cost: Free

Garnet Chorale and Gamecock Chorale come together to present a concert of music for treble and tenor/bass voices, respectively.  These ensembles feature both students and community members - a joyous celebration of music making in the Columbia community!

Free and open to the public

Shandon Presbyterian Church
607 Woodrow Street
Columbia, SC 29205

Admission Cost: Free

Admission Cost: FREE

 

 

Admission Cost: FREE

Admission Cost: FREE

Admission Cost: FREE

Admission Cost: $25 adults. Free for USC School of Music students, faculty and staff.

The USC School of Music’s renowned music faculty performs fresh and vibrant chamber music programs that pair canonic masterpieces alongside brand new works.

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

The USC Symphony Orchestra celebrates the enduring legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven and the 200th anniversary of his death with a performance of his monumental Triple Concerto, featuring The Congaree Trio: violinist Ari Streisfeld, cellist Claire Bryant, and pianist Phillip Bush. One of Beethoven’s most innovative works, the concerto showcases a remarkable dialogue between three soloists and orchestra, combining virtuosity, lyricism and symphonic grandeur.
The program concludes with Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4, “The Inextinguishable,” a powerful and life-affirming masterpiece that portrays the indomitable force of the human spirit through some of the most thrilling music of the twentieth century.
Program

Beethoven – Triple Concerto
Nielsen – Symphony No. 4, “The Inextinguishable”

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: Free.

Jay Jacobs, conductor
Ryan Gonzales, guest conductor
Clifford Leaman, Tenor Saxophone

The annual concert for the USC Band Clinic features USC School of Music saxophone professor Clifford Leaman on the consortium premiere of Catherine Likhuta’s newest concerto for tenor saxophone. In addition to Likhuta’s concerto, the Symphonic Winds bookend this concert with works by Andrew David Perkins and Andrew Boysen.

Program:
Perkins, Hold Fast
Likhuta, (Title Forthcoming)
Boysen, Joyride

Admission Cost: Free

Cormac Cannon, conductor
Andrew Boysen, Jr., guest conductor
David Warren, guest conductor

The annual concert for the USC Band Clinic features guest composer and conductor Andrew Boysen, Jr., Director of Bands at the University of New Hampshire. In addition to Boysen’s work, the Wind Ensemble performs works by Joan Tower as well as John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The concert closes with the soundtrack from the classic Star Wars trilogy (and perhaps a special encore!)

Tower/Stamp, Celebration Fanfare
Boysen, Phoenix
Lennon/McCartney, arr. Berg, Black Bird
Williams/Hunsberger, Star Wars Trilogy

Admission Cost: FREE

Featuring Olivia De Prato, violin; Ashley Bathgate, cello; Ken Thomson, clarinet; Karl Larson, piano

Formed in 2020, the Anzû Quartet is an ensemble dedicated to the music of our time and the recent canon. A collaboration between internationally renowned performers of contemporary music, this new quartet pays homage to Olivier Messiaen’s 'Quatuor pour la fin du temps' by actively commissioning and performing new works for this iconic instrumentation.

The members of Anzû are veterans of New York City's vital contemporary music community and have frequently collaborated with one another across a wide range of musical endeavors and acclaimed international performances. Olivia De Prato (violin), Ashley Bathgate (cello), Ken Thomson (clarinet) and Karl Larson (piano) have been lauded by critics and musicians worldwide, and have been instrumental in helping form and cement the work of important NY-based chamber groups such as the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Mivos Quartet, Ensemble Signal and Bearthoven. They have premiered works by some of the most important composers of our time at some of the most prestigious venues in the world.

* * *

All Southern Exposure concerts are FREE, but patrons may reserve seats and support the Southeast’s most adventurous music series! A gift of $175 secures a seat for the entire 2026-27 season. To donate online, click here or contact Audra Vaz at 803-777-9732 or audra.vaz@sc.edu.

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

Join the USC Symphony Orchestra for an evening celebrating the next generation of exceptional musical talent. Rising Stars showcases the winners of the 2026–27 Concerto-Aria Competition, highlighting outstanding student soloists from the University of South Carolina School of Music.
Selected through a highly competitive audition process, these emerging artists will perform a diverse array of concerto and operatic repertoire, demonstrating the artistry, virtuosity and musical excellence that define the School of Music. This annual audience favorite offers a unique opportunity to experience tomorrow’s leading performers alongside the USC Symphony Orchestra.

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: FREE

The University Chorus shares the stage with invited ensembles from our community.

Free and open to the public

 Shandon Presbyterian Church
607 Woodrow St.
Columbia, SC 29205 

Admission Cost: FREE

Under the direction of Dr. Alicia Walker, USC’s flagship choral ensemble presents “Through the Valley” featuring Herbert Howells’s “Requiem” for a cappella choir.

Free and open to the public

Shandon Presbyterian Church
607 Woodrow Street
Columbia, SC 29205

Admission Cost: FREE

Cormac Cannon, conductor
Jay Jacobs, guest conductor
David Warren, guest conductor

The USC Wind Ensemble reflects on the first days of spring with a program of deep and meditative works. Ottorino Respighi wrote Huntingtower for band in 1932, while Breathe by Katahj Copley will receive its world premiere in the version for wind ensemble. The Octet for Wind Instruments came to Stravinsky in a dream and displays the virtuosity of our most gifted students. Associate Director of Bands Dr. Jay Jacobs leads the ensemble in a brand-new work by Haley Woodrow dedicated to renowned band director Doug Stotter. The concert concludes with Flourishes and Meditations on a Renaissance Theme, a musical tour de force by Michael Gandolfi.

Program:

Respighi, Huntingtower 
Copley/Cannon, Breathe; World Premiere of Wind Ensemble Version
Stravinsky, Octet for Wind Instruments
Woodrow, Dark River; Consortium Premiere
Gandolfi, Flourishes and Meditations on a Renaissance Theme

Admission Cost: $25 general admission. Free for USC School of Music students, faculty and staff.

Experience an unforgettable evening as the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet, USC’s Quartet-in-Residence, returns for a special spring concert celebrating the beauty and power of chamber music.

Tickets are available online and in person through the Koger Center for the Arts Box Office, as well as at the door prior to the performance.

Program:
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26
Gabriella Smith: Carrot Revolution
Robert Schumann: String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 41