Solange Will Teach Music Curation At USC In Fall 2027 As A Scholar-In-Residence

Solange will be teaching a class at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music in fall 2027, the institution announced on Monday. She will be leading classes and discussions for three years in collaboration with her team at Saint Heron, the multidisciplinary institution she launched in 2013.

The news was announced during a sold-out event

USC announced the news of Solange’s upcoming role during a sold-out event hosted at Newman Recital Hall on Monday. Solange and Thornton Dean Jason King held a conversation as part of the school’s “Beyond Category” speaker series.

“I am so deeply honored to expand my curatorial and research practices alongside Saint Heron within the academic space of USC’s Thornton School of Music,” Solange said during the event, according to USC Annenberg Media. “Over the last six years, 70 percent of my time has been spent in research. So to have the opportunity to broaden my tools and amplify a lot of the research we’ve done in Saint Heron and the academia space is exciting.”

“I am really excited to help students find their when and why,” she added.

The class, which will launch in fall 2027, is titled  “Records of Discovery: Methodologies for Music and Cultural Curatorial Practices” and will explore music curation.

“For decades now, I’ve watched the evolution of music and music curation, and I feel like I have something adequate to add to the conversation,” Solange said, according to Los Angeles Times.

King highlighted Solange’s ability to create worlds through music and therefore believes she is best positioned for the role.

“I think the work that she does as a music curator is very singular and very unique, so I’m hoping that she’s going to bring that uniqueness into the classroom and [her] programming,” he said, per the LA Times. “I think she herself will be a model for how to do this kind of work and to do it differently.”

Students have also expressed their excitement at the announcement: “When it comes to multifaceted creatives, Solange is a big, big person in that realm,” music industry student Leah Seldon told USC Annenberg Media. “And she’s a big inspiration to me in how I embark on creative journeys, and endeavors, but also when I think of people that are free, I think of her.”

Solange will also join the Dean’s Creative Vanguard Program at USC

In addition to her residency, Solange will become the second member of the Dean’s Creative Vanguard Program. She will be following Raphael Saadiq, one of her frequent collaborators who joined in December 2024. Solange’s presence as a member will bring a “wide-ranging group of distinguished music artists and creative leaders to USC,” the school wrote on Instagram.

King highlighted the importance of bringing diverse perspectives to the school. 

“I’m fascinated by her approach and commitment to world-building. She’s done that amazingly in all of these elite institutions and spaces where marginalization has unfortunately been part of those histories,” King said. “She’s brought people to the forefront in powerful ways. So I think she’s going to do something similar here at USC.”

As part of her role, Solange will also curate student-focused conversations and workshops with her Saint Heron team such as an upcoming February discussion about “The Making of Eldorado Ballroom.” The event will offer a look behind the scenes of her multi-city series hosted at venues like the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Additionally, Solange will participate in USC’s forthcoming symposium, during which she is set to discuss the work of women in classical work and composer Julia Perry.

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