The University of South Carolina’s School of Music is nationally respected for professional musician career preparation and leadership in music teaching, performance, composition, industry, research and related fields, offering more than 20 degree programs including:
• Performance
• Music Teaching
• Composition
• Music Theory
• Music Industry Studies
• Music Leadership
• Musical Theatre
• Jazz Studies
• Music Entrepreneurship
• Audio Recording
• Music Teaching Artist Certificate (MTAC)
Beyond sought-after academics, the school is nationally recognized for its music education models, learning centers and community engagement programs. Students can grow as performers and future professionals in the school’s extensive range of performance venues — including the renowned Koger Center for the Arts — which host more than 300 concerts and recitals each year.
The School of Music is peer-evaluated to be among the most highly regarded music schools and conservatories in the United States and is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Among all of the School’s degree programs, its community engagement initiatives, graduate piano pedagogy, and doctoral programs in choral conducting, wind conducting and orchestral conducting are recognized at the national level.
The School of Music is home to Spark, the nation’s most comprehensive entity for the study of music leadership. The program, which prioritizes health and wellness for all music students, faculty and staff, supplements a traditional music school experience by preparing musicians for vibrant, sustainable futures. The program mixes coursework, project support, guest residencies, advocacy, entrepreneurship, community engagement instruction and other initiatives to foster an unparalleled environment of creative learning, skill development, collaboration and personal exploration.
In addition to the School of Music’s frequent student and faculty ensembles, the ASCAP-award-winning Southern Exposure New Music Series features notable guest artists and university students and faculty. Every semester, the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet Residency offers public concerts and community engagement events as well as master classes where students learn directly from professional performers. Each summer, the Southeastern Piano Festival draws local audiences and gifted young pianists from around the world to compete in the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition.
