2026-2027 Season

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Friday, October 2, 2026

We Were Fridays

Jeff Zeigler, cello; Reggie Gray, dance

We Were Fridays follows a story that began in the Griot tradition of West Africa, travel to South Carolina by way of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, then north by way of the Great Migration, and beyond. It explores the music of the Gullah people of the Low Country of South Carolina, a community which to this day has preserved more of their West African linguistic and cultural heritage than any other African American community in the United States. Gullah music has influenced spirituals, gospel, ragtime, rhythm and blues, soul, hip hop and jazz. We Were Fridays  extends this reach into the world of instrumental cello music. Told through cello, electronics, and dance, this work explores forbidden love, fractured lines and complex legacies.

Friday, November 13, 2026

Palmetto Saxophone Quartet

Clifford Leaman, Andrew J. Allen, Sheldon Johnson, Matthew Castner

The Palmetto Saxophone Quartet is a dynamic ensemble dedicated to exploring new repertoire and delivering unique and profound performances of classic and forgotten scores. As teaching-artists, they are also passionate about nurturing the next generation of saxophonists and chamber musicians through clinics and masterclasses. 

Friday, February 19, 2027

Anzû Quartet

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.

Friday, April 17, 2027

Eighth Blackbird

Lina Andonovska, flutes; Maiani da Silva, violin; Matthew Duvall, percussion; Zachary Good, clarinets; Lisa Kaplan, piano; Aaron Wolff, cello

The sextet is Eighth Blackbird’s flagship and longest-running initiative. After more than two decades of Moving Music Forward, the sextet continues to define the cutting edge of modern classical music.

All Southern Exposure concerts are FREE.

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About the Series

 Founded in 2001 by USC associate professor of composition and composer John Fitz Rogers and now run by Michael Harley, professor of bassoon and a founding member of Alarm Will Sound the nonprofit series has grown steadily and attracts standing-room-only crowds from throughout South Carolina and neighboring states.

The series has achieved a national reputation for the quality and adventurous spirit of its four yearly concerts, unparalleled in the southeast for their mix of artistic quality, audience education and cutting-edge programming.

Southern Exposure New Music Series is pleased to announce the Duncan Endowment for Student Composers. The fund supports the annual recording of new works written by USC graduate and undergraduate composition students. Each year, four to six students are selected to write pieces expressly for the series. Guest ensembles will record the selected composers’ new pieces while at USC, with the composers in attendance to help produce. 

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Award for Adventurous Programming

Southern Exposure was awarded a 2007 Chamber Music America / ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming in its 2005-2006 season.

Reserve a seat

These free concerts are often standing room only and early arrival is suggested for seating. For a donation of $150 or more, you can reserve one seat for the entire Southern Exposure season.  Donate online.

If you prefer to pay by phone, contact Brad Martin at
803-777-0704. You can also mail a check payable to "Southern Exposure New Music Series" to:
Southern Exposure New Music Series School of Music, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208

Patrons who reserve seats for the season will receive seating priority in concerts with restricted access, and receive relevant information on a concert-by-concert basis when special reservations are required.

Premiere performances

Groups and artists of international repute who have made their Columbia and South Carolina premiere performances in a Southern Exposure concert include:

• So Percussion
• Brooklyn Rider
• Karel Dohnal
• Argento Chamber Ensemble
• Tony Arnold and Jacob Greenberg
• International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)
• Alarm Will Sound
• Imani Winds
• Los Angeles Piano Quartet
• Music from Copland House
• Calder and JACK string quartets
• Matt Haimovitz, internationally renowned cellist
• Kartik Seshadri, sitar virtuoso
• Lisa Moore, esteemed New York-based pianist
• Gamelan Galak Tika

Previous seasons

2025-2026
2024-2025
2023-2024
2022-2023
2021-2022
2020-2021
2019-2020
2018-2019
2017–2018
2016–2017
2015–2016
2014–2015
2013–2014
2012–2013
2001–2012

For more information reach out to Michael Harley, Southern Exposure New Music Series artistic director.