Southern Exposure New Music Series

10/01/2026

Columbia journalist Jeffrey Day has written a nice preview of this Friday’s concert on his Carolina Culture substack!

Join us for the performance on Friday, October 2nd at 7:30 pm!

New multi-disciplinary work explores musician’s discovery of his South Carolina roots

09/25/2026

The Southern Exposure New Music Series kicks off with a bang on Friday, October 2!

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.

09/15/2026

Southern Exposure and University of South Carolina get a shout out in this NYTimes feature on cellist Jeffrey Zeigler!

We can't wait to host a performance of "We Were Fridays" on Friday, October 2 and hope to see you there!

In a new multidisciplinary work, the cellist Jeffrey Zeigler explores his family’s Gullah Geechee roots in South Carolina with a host of collaborators.

07/17/2026

We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Luna Composition Lab, in celebration of their 10th anniversary, @10! During our 2026-27 season, Southern Exposure New Music is commissioning and premiering a new work by Luna Lab alum Carolina Bragg. Join us on Saturday, April 17, 2027, for this premiere by Eighth Blackbird.

@10

03/24/2026

Holy Visions! Thanks to Eliza Bagg, Elizabeth Bates, Sarah Brailey, Rachel Calloway Streisfeld, and Kirsten Sollek for the extraordinary performance this past Friday to close our 24th season! And for Eliza (aka Lisel) for her thrilling set at Saturday's Gala. Enjoy the attached photos, and stay tuned for our 2026-27 season announcement. See you next year!

03/21/2026

TONIGHT! Our 2026 Gala Fundraiser featuring Lisel and Deux Saisons. Join us for an intimate gala evening in support of Southern Exposure. Guests will enjoy food, drinks, sound painting, and a silent auction in a speakeasy-style atmosphere.

Tickets: https://connect.sc.edu/AG/sfp/mus/southern-exposure-gala-2026

University of South Carolina School of Music

03/20/2026

TONIGHT!!! 7:30PM! Recital Hall!

Southern Exposure presents HOLY VISIONS, a virtuosic all-female vocal new music super group, including USC's own Rachel Calloway, comes together in Columbia for a special night centered around John Zorn's The Holy Visions.

All Southern Exposure concerts are FREE.

University of South Carolina School of Music

03/19/2026

Southern Exposure Gala ’26 is coming up! The Gala takes place on Saturday, March 21, 2026, 8-11 p.m. at a super secret warehouse location!! The event features a special, intimate, one-woman performance for voice and electronic processing by the extraordinary vocalist and composer Eliza Bagg, aka Lisel. Highlights of the evening include: Snacks, desserts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, Live music featuring Deux Saisons, Sound painting led by USC composer Austin Engelhardt, A silent auction, Live painting by Michael Krajewski!

We hope to see you there. Get your tickets on the Southern Exposure web page here:
https://connect.sc.edu/AG/sfp/mus/southern-exposure-gala-2026

University of South Carolina School of Music

03/18/2026

SPOTLIGHT on USC faculty RACHEL CALLOWAY, featuring performer on Friday night’s concert.

Praised by the New York Times for her “penetrating clarity” and “considerable depth of expression,” mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway is a leading interpreter of new music, having premiered hundreds of works and collaborated with ensembles such as JACK Quartet, Third Coast Percussion, and Ensemble Signal. She has performed with major orchestras and festivals including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Series, BAM Next Wave Festival, and the Ojai Festival. At USC, she serves as Assistant Professor of Voice and Director of Spark: Music Leadership at Carolina.

On Friday, March 20, 2026, Holy Visions, a virtuosic all-female vocal new music super group, comes together in Columbia for a special night centered around John Zorn's The Holy Visions.

All Southern Exposure concerts are FREE.

University of South Carolina School of Music

03/17/2026

SPOTLIGHT on LAURA GARNER, our Featured Artist on Friday night's concert in the Recital Hall featuring Eliza Bagg, Elizabeth Bates, Sarah Brailey, Rachel Calloway, and Kirsten Sollek performing music by Zorn, Dufay, Kirsten, Lang, Lyons, Maiben and Smiley.

Columbia-based painter and art conservator Laura Garner brings a deep love of art history, materials, and process to her work. Trained in South Carolina, the Netherlands, and Florence, she now works at the Columbia Museum of Art while continuing to paint and create in her studio. Her work blends tradition, curiosity, and playful experimentation—often inspired by time spent creating alongside her young daughter.

www.artbylaura.net

University of South Carolina School of Music .michaelharley