When USC music professor Michael Harley and his friends formed Alarm Will Sound at the Eastman School of Music in New York, their motivations were simple.
“All of us were playing contemporary music there at the time and wanted to keep playing together as we graduated,” Harley said. “We’ve now been together for 25 years.”
Founded in 2001, Alarm Will Sound is 16-member contemporary music chamber orchestra that performs at various venues around the U.S. as well as European festivals. On Feb. 1 in Los Angeles, it was honored with the 2026 Grammy award for Best Chamber Music / Small Ensemble Performance.
Harley, who plays bassoon, keyboards and performs vocals for the ensemble, praised the piece it played and won the award with, "Land of Winter." Written by composer Donnacha Dennehy, Harley said it's a striking and meaningful piece of music.
Harley said it aims to sonically capture the feeling of passing seasons in Dennehy’s native Ireland, which is what makes it special.
“Donnacha is very careful to plan out his large-scale harmonic structures beautifully,” Harley said. “The chords very slowly change over time in a way that’s really appealing, and it’s just a wonderful piece.”
Though band members have spread around the country, Harley estimated two-thirds of the current lineup to be founders. He said genuine and strong connection has kept the group together.
“I think that could be the most important thing about the ensemble,” Harley said. “We enjoy spending time with each other, and that has really kept us together through the harder times.”
Harley works at USC alongside his wife Jennifer Parker-Harley, who teaches the flute and has served as a guest member of Alarm Will Sound, having performed in orchestras full-time for a decade prior to her teaching career.
Parker-Harley said the win was an exciting moment and that the ensemble’s ambitious and innovative goals made it more than deserving.
“They’ve worked hard for so long, and they have done a lot to push the ideas of contemporary classical music forward, make it more accessible, bring in different kinds of musicians,” Parker-Harley said. “They generally play music by living composers, and living composers have all kinds of influences, not just from classical music, but from world music, from jazz, from pop and rock, and so they are able to bring these different elements together in a way that’s really exciting.”
Fellow founding member Michael Clayville, who plays trombone and serves as director of marketing for Alarm Will Sound, in addition to teaching at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, said the group’s exciting style sets it apart from the typical ensemble.
“(We fill) a very particular niche that not a lot of other ensembles do, where we play this cutting-edge new music,” Clayville said. “My job is easy in that sense, that we’re doing something that’s already different from what everybody else is doing.”
Harley said that growing up, he never even considered the possibility of winning a Grammy, and while it became an aspiration as Alarm Will Sound gained a reputation and recognition, he always remained driven by a desire to create quality art, regardless of awards.
“In some level, I hope that kind of recognition is immaterial,” Harley said. “I think it only comes when you just try to do good work, when you believe in an artistic product and you work as hard as you can, and that’s the only thing you can control as an artist.”
Clayville said one of the most meaningful parts of the ceremony was seeing the emotions of his long-time friends.
“These are people I’ve known for 25 years,” Clayville said. “Being able to see people celebrate with their families and be able to celebrate what it means to have spent that much time with people and really get to know them has been worthwhile and valuable to me.”
In addition to Harley, the School of Music also has a four-time nominee, guitar professor Mak Grgić, on staff, who also received a 2026 nod. Harley said he hopes the honors will lead to further recognition of the school’s excellence.
“It’s truly one of the best music schools in the country,” Harley said. “I’m surrounded by faculty that are doing equally cool stuff and are fantastic players and teachers and human beings.”
Clayville said he was excited for the year ahead, with Alarm Will Sound set to release at least three different albums amidst a host of live performances. Now Grammy-winners, Harley said he hopes that status will provide the group with even more opportunities.
“We love what we do,” Harley said. “We love working with composers and helping them bring to life amazing new pieces, and so hopefully this notoriety allows us to just do even more of that in the future.”