Admission Cost: FREE

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

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: FREE

Admission Cost: FREE

Admission Cost: FREE

Location: Koger

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

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

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

 

 

Admission Cost: TBD

Each February hundreds of talented high school band students from throughout the nation converge on the University of South Carolina campus to participate in a weekend of music-making and learning. Founded in 1976 by James K. Copenhaver, the USC Band Clinic is among the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious honor band events.

This year’s clinic is Feb. 15-18. For information, click here.

Admission Cost: TBD

Each February hundreds of talented high school band students from throughout the nation converge on the University of South Carolina campus to participate in a weekend of music-making and learning. Founded in 1976 by James K. Copenhaver, the USC Band Clinic is among the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious honor band events.

This year’s clinic is Feb. 15-18. For information, click here.

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: TBD

Each February hundreds of talented high school band students from throughout the nation converge on the University of South Carolina campus to participate in a weekend of music-making and learning. Founded in 1976 by James K. Copenhaver, the USC Band Clinic is among the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious honor band events.

This year’s clinic is Feb. 15-18. For information, click here.

Admission Cost: TBD

Each February hundreds of talented high school band students from throughout the nation converge on the University of South Carolina campus to participate in a weekend of music-making and learning. Founded in 1976 by James K. Copenhaver, the USC Band Clinic is among the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious honor band events.

This year’s clinic is Feb. 15-18. For information, click here.

Admission Cost: FREE

Benjamin Pouncey, conductor
Featuring works by Erickson, Nishimura, Hall, Bryant, Powell, Van der Roost, Baugher, Day, Boysen and Williams

Take flight with the University of South Carolina University Bands as we present “Winged,” an afternoon of music inspired by the wonder of the skies. “Winged” explores humanity's enduring fascination with the world above us, from soaring birds and graceful butterflies to powerful dragons, boundless horizons, and the thrill of flight. Through sweeping melodies, exhilarating rhythms and cinematic soundscapes, this program invites audiences on a musical journey filled with adventure, imagination, and discovery. Whether inspired by nature, the spirit of exploration, or the unforgettable heroes and legends that have taken to the skies on the silver screen, each work celebrates the freedom, beauty and excitement of taking wing.

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: FREE