Katelyn Ackland, a senior majoring in music education and clarinet performance in the NIU School of Music is the...
Music News Archives
Huskie Spotlight: Jayla Herring, Recording Arts and Media Technologies
Jayla Herring, a fall 2025 graduate of the School of Music with a degree in recording arts and media technologies is...
Music’s Bobby Broom selected by Herbie Hancock for International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert
Bobby Broom, associate professor of jazz guitar and jazz studies in the NIU School of Music, whose most recent...
Huskie Spotlight Lilliana Benitez, Music Education, Euphonium
Lilliana Benitez, a music education major with an instrumental emphasis in euphonium from McHenry, Illinois is the subject of an NIU Huskie Spotlight. A proud member of the Huskie Marching Band, she appreciates the mentorship of Dr. Tom Bough both on the field and in...
An encore at NIU: Doug Bratt, BA, MM
Doug Bratt, ’01, M.M. ’02, found that NIU was more than his second act; it was the encore that brought his passion center stage. His path to becoming a talented percussionist and a tenured professor at Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC), where he has led...
Northern Public Radio profile on School of Music’s Maria Kurochkina
Maria Kurochkina, assistant professor of music and director of orchestras was recently profiled by Northern Public Radio, WNIU/WNIJ. Kurochkina joined the NIU School of Music faculty in August after earning her D.M.A. in orchestral conducting from Boston University. A...
Commencement profile – Khadija Nagi
Khadija Nagi, a DeKalb native, and now a proud graduate of the NIU School of Music is the subject of the fall 2025 commencement video profile. Khadija says she chose to stay in town to study music in part because of the accomplished alumni who are so supportive of...
In Passing: Ron Modell and more
by Antonio Garcia Jazz education lost a giant in the field with the passing on June 10 of my friend and colleague Ron Modell. Ron joined Northern Illinois University’s faculty in 1969 after a performance career that had already included touring as a teenager with...
An open window led Zachary Good to the clarinet and to NIU
A familiarity with the school and a desire to teach music at a state university made NIU the perfect place for new School of Music faculty member Zachary Good. Good had previously worked with NIU's recording arts team on some projects in the Recital Hall and Boutell...
New director of orchestras was drawn to NIU by its student-centered nature
For Maria Kurochkina, the new director of orchestras at NIU, all it took was a few minutes into her visit to Northern Illinois University to feel like it was the place for her. "When I came to campus for my second interview, I felt an immediate connection to the...
13th New Music Festival kicks off Nov. 5
The New Music Festival at NIU, a staple of the fall performance season since 2008 will be held Wednesday, November 5 through Friday, November 7 in the NIU Music Building. Each fall, the multi-concert festival featuring prominent guest composers, performers, and...
Music’s Geof Bradfield awarded Chamber Music America grant for “Colossal Abundance”
Geof Bradfield, professor of jazz studies and jazz performance in the NIU School of Music was awarded a Chamber Music America New Jazz Works grant for his latest recording, "Colossal Abundance." The CMA New Jazz Works grant is the fourth that Bradfield has receieved....