School of Music

The School of Music transforms lives through excellence in music teaching, performance, creative activities, research and service.

The Power and Promise of Music

We prepare musicians for professional careers and leadership in music teaching, performance, composition, research and related fields, by offering more than 20 degree programs.

The School of Music enriches the musical life of the university and the Midlands by offering more than 300 concerts and recitals a year. Orchestras, choirs, opera, chamber ensembles and guest artist concerts — most are free to attend — take place in beautiful venues like the Koger Center for the Arts, the School of Music’s Recital Hall and Johnson Performance Hall in the Darla Moore School of Business.

The School also boasts one of America's most robust and inspiring community engagement programs, MUSIC FOR YOUR LIFE, where folks of all ages and from all neighborhoods can study and experience the beauty of music and music-making through accessible and affordable opportunities for music enrichment made available by School faculty, students, staff, alumni and friends including workshops, classes, camps, lessons, and clinics.

music for the public good We believe music is an essential component of the human experience. Our mission is to prepare our students to be skilled music leaders to ensure that they advance the quality of life in their communities by helping to make others happier, healthier, more hopeful and more fulfilled through the power of music. We do this not only by advancing musical instruction at the highest level for students' professional preparation, but also by leveraging the actual daily work done by students and faculty in the teaching and learning of music to unlock music’s unlimited potential to improve lives throughout the Midlands and beyond.

School of Music News

Brittons Bands Together

Two Columbia staples, Brittons of Columbia and The Carolina Band, will be joining forces to fundraise for The Mighty Sound of the Southeast leading up to the Spring Game.

A Chat with Christina Clark, Friend of the USC School of Music

To both lovers and practitioners of the creative arts, disciplines often overlap. For Christina Clark, music and visual art meet in a harmonious intersection. In celebration of the Parker Quartet's complete Beethoven Quartet cycle concert series, the School of Music commissioned Christina Clark, member of the Friends of the School of Music Board of Directors, to create a featured piece for the Cycle's commemorative poster.

Forever a member of The Carolina Band

The Mighty Sound of the Southeast stays a part of its members' lives for many years after they graduate. The brotherhood and sisterhood of being a part of something bigger than themselves never leaves a member's heart. Julie Moody Mise exemplified this familial and eternal connection.

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Upcoming Events

Parker Quartet Chamber Music Masterclass

Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023

Location: School of Music 206 Recital Hall

Cost: FREE

Griffin Hall Senior Violin Recital

Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023

Location: School of Music 206 Recital Hall

Cost: FREE

Savannah Elgin Senior Violin Recital

Saturday, Mar. 25, 2023

Location: School of Music 206 Recital Hall

Cost: FREE

View the Calendar

Carmina Burana

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.