The Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Awards

The Lillian and Robert Utsey Music Series has presented free classical music concerts to the Clemson community for more than 20 years. Since its modest beginnings in 1986, the series has presented 100 concerts and welcomed approximately 50,000 audience members at Clemson University's Brooks Center for the Performing Arts.

The series actively works to cultivate the next generation of classical music listeners as well. The Eskridge Tri-ART Series, the Brooks Center's education outreach program, presents special morning programs designed to introduce the beauty of classical music to K-12 students. Since the opening of the Brooks Center in 1994, the Utsey Chamber Music Series has presented 26 educational performances for more than 12,000 children.

Donations from more than 700 individuals, families and business have led to a substantial growth of the series' endowment. This funding allows the university to present three to six performances each year featuring internationally renowned artists and ensembles such as piano prodigy Lang Lang and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble. The series has been nationally recognized and has performances regularly aired on National Public Radio's Performance Today, which is heard across the nation on more than 200 public radio stations.