As a flagship institution, USC’s comprehensive nature provides a diverse and affordable educational experience, and the School of Music offers a variety of courses and majors, allowing students to explore different interests.

— Tina Stallard, Voice Professor and Associate Dean

In other words, the combination of the people, program and place make the school an appealing choice, says voice professor and Associate Dean Tina Stallard. 

“We have amazing students who are incredibly talented, and highly qualified faculty and staff who are student-centered and interested in them not just as musicians but as people,” she says. “As a flagship institution, USC’s comprehensive nature provides a diverse and affordable educational experience, and the School of Music offers a variety of courses and majors, allowing students to explore different interests.”

Both Ella Canney, a sophomore Voice Performance major from Millbury, Massachusetts, and Laura Hutchins, a doctoral candidate in Voice Performance from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, say the welcoming atmosphere in the School of Music made them feel immediately at home. 

“When I walked in for my audition, I was met with so much warmth from both students and faculty. I felt that the USC School of Music would allow me to develop my artistry and musicianship in an environment where I would be uplifted by my peers and mentors,” Canney says.

Christopher Moore from Trenton, South Carolina, has two master’s degrees from USC in Voice Performance and Music Education and is a chorus teacher at Irmo Middle School. He says support from the faculty has extended beyond his graduation and has shaped his career as an educator.

“It’s truly remarkable that I can still reach out to each member of this faculty with questions, and they always take the time to respond,” Moore says. “They’re genuinely the backbone of your success.”

Building on a legacy

The enthusiasm of current students and alumni illustrates the vibrance and growth of the vocal and choral studies programs, Stallard says. In the 20 years she has been at the School of Music, voice faculty members have grown from four professors to six full-time and four part-time faculty.

Stallard and Director of Choral Studies Alicia W. Walker attribute the growth to the leadership of Dean Tayloe Harding in emphasizing the importance of advocating for music and its relevance in daily life.

Walker, who joined the faculty at USC in 2011 and became director of Choral Studies in 2019, emphasizes the legacy of Arpad Darazs, revered founder of the USC Concert Choir, and her immediate predecessor, Larry Wyatt. During his 32 years as director, Wyatt oversaw the development of the master’s and doctoral programs, and the expansion to six choirs. Both Darazs and Wyatt built a global presence for USC’s choirs through international touring.

“To step into that tradition was really exciting, so my immediate goals were to build on the strengths of the program and to increase its visibility,” Walker says.

Starting as director during the COVID-19 pandemic made visibility efforts more challenging but also opened opportunities for social media promotion and streamed performances.

Walker also highlights the strong faculty and graduate program, which has a large footprint in choral music education. Master's students teach in schools, churches and community choirs, and doctoral students teach at the collegiate level in the U.S. and internationally.

Moore is proud of his work with his middle school choral students. He says music has always been his safe space, and he’s trying to build that in his classroom.

“The music we create at such a young age is nothing short of amazing,” Moore says. “I’ve shown my students that music speaks to everyone differently, but to share that connection with an audience, we first need to understand it ourselves.”

Augusto Gil, who is from Blountville, Tennessee, earned his master’s degree in 2018 and taught in choir and musical theatre for public schools for five years. That inspired him to return to USC to pursue a doctorate (2025, choral conducting) and continue to work within the music education system of South Carolina, mentoring and preparing future teachers and students.

“Professors within the choral and vocal areas are not only extremely knowledgeable within their fields, they are also incredible instructors,” Gil says. “Every professor is still implementing what they teach into their own professional career with active performance schedules, which is unique among university settings.”

Learning through experience

In addition to conducting, Gil says the School of Music encouraged him to pursue his wide range of musical interests, such as performing, teaching and accompanying. Developing skills in these areas expanded his professional portfolio, he says, and will likely contribute to his career opportunities.

“Students are very open to possibilities. They’re fearless, and they want to be exposed to new things,” Stallard says. “A school of music the size of ours offers a wide variety of opportunities, degree programs and tracks, and experiences.”

She adds that the school focuses on preparing diversely skilled musicians who can adapt to various career paths.

“We recognize that not everyone who gets a music degree is going to work in the field, but the skills they develop are transferable to most careers: working independently but also learning to collaborate, multi-tasking and communication,” she says.

In addition to their weekly studio classes, voice students have many experiential learning opportunities for performance and growth, including recitals and solo performances, opera roles, choral events and community engagement. A concentration within the bachelor’s program was added in 2021, providing training and performance opportunities for those interested in musical theatre.

Gil adds that music professors are very active in connecting students to performance opportunities and advocating in the community for their students.

The choral program offers six choirs, including auditioned and open ensembles: Concert Choir, University Chorus, Carolina Alive, Gamecock Chorale, Garnet Chorale and the Graduate Vocal Ensemble. The program has had four state or national conference performances in the past five years.

“You will learn in choir just how important other voices are and how to blend your voices to make beautiful music,” Moore says. “You will grow with your section but mostly, you will grow individually.”

Touring can be life-changing for students. They see the great venues and world sites they've heard or read about that have significance in music history. And they get to sing in those venues. We’ve sung at St. Peter's Basilica and at Canterbury Cathedral. To see the students’ reactions when they walk into those spaces is amazing.

— Alicia W. Walker, Director of Choral Studies

Performing on tour

Performances at conferences, on tour and locally, are also important as recruitment tools, Walker says.

This month, the Concert Choir, USC’s flagship choral ensemble, begins its spring tour, presenting While I Breathe, I Hope: The Journey Home. The featured commissioned work to honor the school’s celebration of 100 Years of Music at Carolina is inspired by the state motto. Performances are in North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

Both Hutchins and Canney performed in Opera at USC’s recent production of Puccini Plus featuring Gianni Schicchi. Hutchins, who played the role of Lauretta, appreciates the many opportunities for performance on campus and in the community. The production will tour four regional campuses of Palmetto College later this month and early April.

“As students we can sing in multiple ensembles, collaborate with our fellow students on projects, and are connected to job and gig opportunities in the area,” she says. “You are able to learn by doing here.”

For Canney, playing La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi was her first opera role, and she says having these experiences is crucial to students: “Performances give us a chance to share our love for music with an audience, and it allows us to engage with our community.”

Students also have the opportunity for experiential learning through international tours, such as a trip to Italy last spring and a planned tour in 2026 to Germany, Austria and Prague.

Walker says these experiences can be life-changing for students.

“They see the great venues and world sites they've heard or read about that have significance in music history. And they get to sing in those venues,” Walker says. “We’ve sung at St. Peter's Basilica and at Canterbury Cathedral. To see the students’ reactions when they walk into those spaces is amazing.”

For Moore, international tours to Germany, Amsterdam and France with the Concert Choir were his first trips outside of the U.S. He says these experiences illustrate for students that music is everywhere and that people all over the world love what you do.

Both Walker and Wyatt add that students benefit from the tours through building relationships and musical growth.

“The students bond with each other and feel a real loyalty for their colleagues because they've worked so hard to achieve something meaningful,” Wyatt says. “Performing a program improves their confidence and performance quality.”

As a student, Hutchins agrees: “Tour performances benefit students by giving them more opportunities to perform the repertoire, practice professionalism, deepen friendships with their colleagues and learn about international cultures.”

Closer to home

With the East Coast tour and university performances, the spring semester is a busy one for voice and choral studies students and faculty.

Upcoming events include a shared concert by the University Chorus and Concert Choir on March 4, and a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony as part of the School of Music’s Centennial Celebration. Featuring the USC Symphony Orchestra, the USC Concert Choir, the University Chorus, and solos by the voice faculty, performances will be at the Koger Center on April 22 at St. John’s Methodist Church in Newberry, South Carolina, on April 25.

This groundbreaking symphony was Beethoven’s final complete symphony and the first symphony by any composer to incorporate vocal soloists and chorus.

“The Ninth is considered one of Beethoven's crowning achievements and is well-known for its iconic ‘Ode to Joy” chorus,” says Stallard, who will perform a solo. “It’s special that we are performing a work with themes of hope, unity and fellowship as we conclude the academic year and celebrate our 100th anniversary.”

Included in the School of Music’s mission is community engagement to unite people through music. Special performances such as Beethoven’s Ninth offer opportunities for making that connection.

“I started singing because of the joy it brought me, and because of the way a simple song can move, touch and inspire others,” Hutchins says. “When the world feels cruel or unstable, and you worry about your job and place being essential, it might be tempting to see music as an extra or unimportant activity. But there is so much power in people gathering together to share and celebrate things that are beautiful.”

Ultimately, Stallard says, the school prepares students to not only be music makers but also artist citizens who give back to their communities in meaningful ways.

Moore is starting those conversations early with his middle school students. His Honors Chorus will be competing at the Music in the Parks competition at Carowinds on April 25. They also have a spring concert on May 21 and are planning a tour to senior-living communities.

“The most rewarding part of my job is the relationships I create with my students and changing the way they look at music,” he says. “The arts are what keeps us together, and having a community that supports each other is where it starts. Whether in a classroom, on a stage, in your closet or in your dreams, your music has the power to touch someone.”

100 Years of Music at Carolina: Beethoven’s Ninth

• To commemorate its centennial year, the School of Music is showcasing its programs, alumni, students and faculty in a special series of stories and performances throughout the year. To read more about the yearlong celebration, click here. The theme for the historic milestone, “Sing Thy High Praise: 100 Years of Music at Carolina,” is pulled from the first line of USC’s alma mater. 
• Click here for details on centennial events, including Beethoven’s Ninth.
• Many School of Music events are free. If you’re unable to attend in person, many are also livestreamed on the School of Music’s YouTube channel. The Choirs of Carolina YouTube channel features curated choral performances from recent years.