Al O’Connor, a longtime professor of music, and the founder of the world-famous NIU Steelband, passed away June 9 in DeKalb at the age of 75. A memorial visitation will be held Friday, August 2, at First Lutheran Church in DeKalb from 4-6 p.m., and a musical celebration of his life will be held Saturday, August 3, at 3 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall in the Music Building on the NIU main campus.
Cheryl Porter, a Chicago native who studied opera in the NIU School of Music from 1990-1995, went to Italy in 1996 to “further [her] studies in music and opera.” She tells Public Radio International’s Carol Hills that she had no idea there was “so much love for gospel and jazz and R&B” in Italy. (more…)
Renowned jazz guitarist Bobby Broom has been appointed assistant professor of music in the Northern Illinois University School of Music. He will teach jazz guitar and improvisation in the school’s Jazz Studies Program. (more…)
Music performance major Tyrique McNeal describes the happiness he feels being able to study music at NIU.
For School of Music professor David Maki, it’s all about NIU students. (more…)
Andrew Glendening, currently the dean of the School of Music and professor of music at University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif., has been selected as the next director of the School of Music at Northern Illinois University. Glendening will begin his new post on July 1. Eric Johnson, professor of music and coordinator of choral activities at NIU has been serving as acting director since the fall, after the previous director, Janet Hathaway accepted the position of acting associate dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at NIU. (more…)
