Kijuana Duplessis is a music education major and member of the NIU Steelband from Antigua and Barbuda, who says, "I...
Music News Archives
Composer Alex Shapiro to work with NIU music students during season-long residency
Alex Shapiro, an accomplished composer of acoustic and electroacoustic works, has formed a unique partnership this...
Thai Consul office makes donation to NIU
The Royal Thai Consulate-General has made a donation of $15,000 to help fund NIU's Thai Music Ensemble and related...
For two decades Cheryl Porter has been teaching kids in Italy to sing in English
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...
Renowned jazz guitarist Bobby Broom joins School of Music faculty
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. Born on New York City's Upper West Side, Broom...
NIU Percussion Camp Returns This Summer
Registration is open for NIU Percussion Camp, as part of our annual Summer in the Arts at Northern series. The College of Visual and Performing Arts invites middle and high school students to explore the amazing world of percussion this summer. Hands-on camp...
Unleash a Huskie – Tyrique McNeal, music performance major
Music performance major Tyrique McNeal describes the happiness he feels being able to study music at NIU.
Thank you for supporting the Day of Giving
Thank you for your support of NIU's first-ever Day of Giving. NIU raised more than $750,000 in 1895 minutes (to honor the founding of the university nearly 125 years ago), and the College of Visual and Performing Arts totaled the second most gifts of any college in...
Join in the fun of NIU’s Day of Giving and support students of the arts!
NIU's first-ever Day of Giving is underway. A university-wide online fundraising event, the Day of Giving provides a great opportunity to support students, scholarships and programs at NIU.In the College of Visual and Performing Arts, you have multiple...
Artistry unleashed: School of Music’s David Maki shares his appreciation for the NIU experience
For School of Music professor David Maki, it’s all about NIU students. David Maki “My favorite memories at NIU continue to be centered on watching students succeed on multiple levels,” shares Maki. “Everything from watching a struggling student finally master a...
Andrew Glendening selected as new director of the School of Music
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...
CVPA students among NIU’s Outstanding Graduate Student Award honorees
Eight graduate students from the NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts have been honored as part of the university's 2019 Outstanding Graduate Student awards. Sarah Sabo of the School of Art and Design was named both an Outstanding Graduate Student and one of...
NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts to present Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín and related art exhibition and theater performance
The NIU School of Music presents, Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín in concert Sunday, April 28 at 3 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall in NIU’s Music Building. The signature concert of The Defiant Requiem Foundation, Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín,...
The saga of Jean Sibelius/Gregory Barrett’s “En Saga”
Gregory Barrett, Professor of Clarinet in the School of Music was chosen to judge at the National Music Competition of Slovenia in March. Barrett was also in Europe to attend two performances of his arrangement, "Jean Sibelius/Gregory Barrett En Saga Septet." The...
School of Music’s Mathias Tacke spent his spring break in Germany
Mathias Tacke, Professor of Violin and former second violinist in the world renowned Vermeer Quartet, made the most of NIU's recent spring break. He returned to his native Germany where he taught chamber music master classes for a week at the Convocational College...
Maestro Murry Sidlin, the man behind The Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín
On Sunday, April 28, the NIU School of Music will mount a production of The Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín, featuring the NIU Concert Choir, the NIU Philharmonic, Cor Cantiamo, Voices in Harmony, and the McHenry County College Chamber Choir. The performance will be...
NIU Opera Presents: The Pirates of Penzance, March 29 and 31
Northern Illinois University Opera presents Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance, Friday, March 29, at 8 p.m, and Sunday, March 31 at 3 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall in the Music Building on the main campus. Tickets are available online or at the...
School of Music to present Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín, April 28
The Northern Illinois University School of Music will present Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín in concert, Sunday, April 28 at 3 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, in the Music Building on the main campus. Tickets are on sale online now at $10 for adults and $5...
NIU Jazz students and faculty present Chick Corea’s Three Quartets
Chick Corea's Three Quartets will be performed as a NIU Jazz Faculty/Student Engagement, Tuesday, March 26 at 8 p.m. in the Music Building Recital Hall on the main campus. Performers include students Franchesca Romero on piano and Eli Wynn on tenor saxophone, with...
Projeto Arcomusical announces three concerts to back release of new album
Projeto Arcomusical, a percussion sextet playing Afro-Brazilian berimbau musical bows, is celebrating the release of their second album "Spinning in the Wheel" with three concerts in March. Arcomusical will perform the new album in its entirety March 7 at the...
Two music education majors among five Forward, Together, Forward Scholars for 2019
School of Music students Emily Schaumberg of Streator, Ill. and Keelan Wright of Glenwood, Ill,, are among five recipients this year of NIU's prestigious Forward, Together, Forward Scholarships for 2019. The other recipients are Ainsley Galvez of Hoffman Estates,...
NIU Philharmonic features Concerto Competition winners in concert
The NIU Philharmonic will feature winners of the most recent Concerto Competition in concert, Wednesday, February 20 at 8 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall in the Music Building on NIU's main campus. The following concerto winners will be playing with the...
In the news: School of Music Professor Robert Sims performs with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Milwaukee Symphony
Robert Sims, Professor of Music at NIU recently performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Milwaukee Symphony. On January 20, Sims returned to perform with The Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square for its weekly Music and the Spoken Word broadcast. Sims...
NIU Student Composer Association seeks student performers for silent movie concert
The Student Composer Association of NIU (SCA) is in search of performers for a very special - and entirely student run - concert experience at NIU’s School of Music Recital Hall. The concert involves a presentation of public-domain silent films with a live studio...
Third annual CVPA Convocation set for February 18
Once again this winter, the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University is hosting an NIU Arts Convocation to celebrate the great work of students in the schools, Monday, February 18. The evening showcases performances by students in the...
Clarinet Cornucopia returns February 16
The NIU Clarinet Cornucopia is a festival for all clarinet players. Founded in 2002, the NIU Clarinet Cornucopia focuses on a different theme each year. This year's event will be held Saturday, February 16. The NIU Clarinet Cornucopia is free to attend, but please...
Cliff Alexis, co-founder of NIU’s Steelband program passes at 82
Cliff Alexis, co-founder of NIU's world-renowned steelpan studies program has passed away at 82. He was an invaluable part of the School of Music for more than 30 years even after his retirement from NIU in 2017. A Memorial Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to...
School of Music’s Bough presenting at state music education association events around the nation
Dr. Thomas Bough, Professor of Music, Director of Bands, and Wind Symphony Conductor at Northern Illinois University is presenting six different sessions at state music education association events around the country early this year. Bough presented "Adulting 201:...
Season’s Greetings from the College of Visual and Performing Arts
Season's greetings from everyone in the NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts, including the School of Art and Design, School of Music, School of Theatre and Dance, Community School of the Arts and the NIU Art Museum. https://youtu.be/a3-POyLS1PM You can make a...
School of Music’s Tom Bough to present at the world’s largest band and orchestra clinic
NIU School of Music faculty member Tom Bough has been chosen to present at the 72nd annual Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago. It is the largest band and orchestra clinic in the world. Bough is the director of athletic bands...
New album featuring the Avalon String Quartet released December 7
A new album featuring NIU's artists in residence, the Avalon String Quartet, was released December 7. "Matthew Quayle, String Quartets Nos. 1-3" is available on Naxos Records. “I am delighted to share the Avalon Quartet’s powerful rendition of my three string...
From NIU to Hollywood: Music alumnus and film composer Jermaine Stegall
How do you compose a theme for a Star Wars project and make it "sound like Star Wars" without using any of John Williams' iconic score? That's a challenge NIU School of Music alumnus Jermaine Stegall took head on when charged with creating music for Lucasfilm's...
Order your tickets for Sunday’s 21st Annual Choral Holiday Concert
Avoid the line at the ticket table and order your tickets for Sunday's always-popular 21st Annual Choral Holiday Concert. The concert begins at 3 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students and can be purchased at...
School of Music hosts Orchestra Conducting Workshop, Dec. 3-5
Join NIU School of Music Director of Orchestra and Opera Danko Drusko and ten conductors from around the United States and other countries as they work with the members of the NIU Philharmonic in a two day Orchestra Conducting Workshop, December 3-5. There are two...
Wind Ensemble concert, Nov. 27 cancelled
The Wind Ensemble Concert, scheduled for Tuesday, November 27 at 8 p.m. in the NIU Music Building has been cancelled.
NIU School of Music Faculty present a ‘musical evening with commentary’
The School of Music is presenting a unique night of music and history with the faculty recital "Doves, Love, Sorrow and Destiny: A musical evening with commentary." This is a program of works originally for voice or clarinet with orchestra that will be performed on...
NIU Opera Theatre presents An Evening of Opera Scenes
Opera Theatre at Northern Illinois University will be presenting an evening of scenes from famous operas on both Tuesday, November 13 and Thursday, November 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall in the Music Building. Performances include: Wolfgang Mozart The Marriage...
NIU Philharmonic presents works of Bernstein, Haydn, Berlioz and more, Nov. 14
Join the NIU Philharmonic in concert, Wednesday, November 14 at 8 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students and are available online or at the door. The Philharmonic will present: Joseph Haydn, Armida Overture Hector Berlioz,...
Winter Horn Fest 2019 coming up on February 8
High school horn players are invited to Winter Horn Fest 2019, Friday, February 8 at the NIU School of Music. This day-long event offers programming focused on high school horn players and will address challenges, issues, and concerns that are specific to intermediate...
Steelband fall concert features Faye Seeman on harp, tributes to Ellie Mannette and Ken ‘Professor’ Philmore
The NIU Steelband presents its fall 2018 concert Sunday, November 11 at 3 p.m. at the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall in the Music Building. The event will be dedicated to the memories of steelband legends, Dr. Ellie Mannette and Ken “Professor” Philmore, both of whom...
Opera Theatre open auditions December 4 and 6
The NIU School of Music has announced an open call for auditions, casting all roles in NIU Opera Theatre's spring 2019 production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance." Auditions will be held December 4 and 6 from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. in Music Building Room...
NIU Percussion Ensemble to perform at PASIC in Indianapolis
The NIU Percussion Ensemble has been invited to perform at PASIC 2018 (Percussive Arts Society International Convention) in Indianapolis, Ind. Saturday, Nov. 17, the NIU Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Gregory Beyer and Ben Wahlund will present the 2018...
NIU Jazz Orchestra presents a Swing Dance!
For one night only, the iconic Altgeld Hall Auditorium on the NIU Campus will be transformed into a jazz dance club as the NIU Jazz Orchestra presents a Swing Dance, Sunday, October 21 at 6 p.m. Everyone's invited to join the Jazz Orchestra for a one-of-a-kind evening...
Cor Cantiamo announces dates for fall concert “Catalyst”
Cor Cantiamo, a professional chamber choir in residence at NIU School of Music, will present their fall concert "Catalyst” in three Illinois locations over the next few weeks. The concert provides a fusion of art and ideas to connect with the DeKalb community and the...
NIU Student Composers and Friends present “Hasty Measures”
Time is of the essence in a unique event coming up in the NIU School of Music. The newly formed Student Composer Association in the Composition Area of the School of Music is going to put themselves to the ultimate test of speedy composing in an event they have aptly...
NIU Philharmonic Season Opening Concert October 10
Join the NIU Philharmonic for their season opening concert, Wednesday, October 10 at 8 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall. The program includes: Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus (Solo Harp and Strings), Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 5, Franz Schubert Italian...
In the news: Northern Public Radio interview with Huskie Marching Band Director Tom Bough
As part of their Friday Forum Series, Northern Public Radio WNIJ News featured the growth of the NIU Huskie Marching Band and interviewed band director Tom Bough.
School of Music’s Cliff Alexis to receive Trinidad and Tobago’s highest honor
Cliff Alexis, recently retired from the NIU School of Music, has been selected to receive the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago's highest honor. The Hummingbird Medal Of The Order Of The Trinity is "awarded for loyal and devoted service beneficial to the state in any...
Steelband and Huskie Marching Band to add on course musical flavor to 2018 Corn Classic 10K
The 38th annual DeKalb Corn Classic 10K race has a new route, part of which goes right through the NIU campus, and on-course entertainment, which includes the world-famous NIU Steelband and the bigger and better Huskie Marching Band. The race's new route begins in...
School of Music celebrates 100 years of Bernstein
The celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of famed American composer Leonard Bernstein a number of NIU School of Music groups will be incorporating his work into some of their fall concerts. The NIU Concert Choir and University Chorus will perform Chicester...
Avalon String Quartet to perform series of concerts at Roosevelt University’s Ganz Hall
The Avalon String Quartet, the artists-in-residence at the Northern Illinois University School of Music, is moving its annual Chicago series of concerts to Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University for the 2018-2019 season. Described by the Chicago Tribune as "an ensemble...
The secrets behind the biggest Huskie Marching Band in years
When you think of college football, inevitably you picture a crisp fall day full of changing leaves and bright sunshine, tailgating fans and players running onto the field with glistening helmets. But it's not just what you picture, it's what you hear. College...
School of Music’s Greg Beyer joins Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition’s brand new Grossman Ensemble
Greg Beyer, NIU Professor and Director of Percussion Studies has been selected as a member of the newly formed Grossman Ensemble, part of the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition (CCCC) at the University of Chicago. The CCCC was founded just last year, and in...
School of Music’s Beyer and Fleisher part of CD tribute to composer-percussionist Michael Manion
NIU School of Music Professor and Director of Percussion Studies Greg Beyer and retired School of Music faculty member Robert Fleisher are featured on "Long Roll: A Tribute to Composer-Percussionist Michael Manion" by Albany Records. The release features a solo...
Founders Memorial Library exhibit on cellist Raya Garbousova
A new exhibition on world renowned, Russian-born cellist Raya Garbousova has opened at NIU's Founders Memorial Library. Garbousova taught in the NIU School of Music from 1979 to 1991. Garbousova was one of the first women to play the cello, and she was an...
In the news: Northern Star profile on retiring NIU School of Music Associate Professor Fareed Haque
NIU Associate Professor of Music and world-renowned guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque is retiring from the university. NIU's student newspaper, Northern Star profiled Haque and talked to him about his future plans. NIU gem to walk new path Thursday, May 3 - Batul...
NIU Concert Choir and Philharmonic to perform Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Sunday, April 29
The NIU Concert Choir and Philharmonic are joining forces to present J.S. Bach's final great achievement, the Mass in B Minor, Sunday, April 29. This is a rare opportunity to hear what critics and historians have hailed as not only Bach's greatest work, but one of...
NIU’s Jui-Ching Wang and the value of children’s singing games
A series of coincidences led NIU Associate Professor of Music Jui-Ching Wang to Indonesia to witness firsthand the value of traditional children's singing games. At the beginning of her tenure in NIU's School of Music, Wang found herself directing the school's...
School of Music’s Liam Teague to receive NIU Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor honor
Liam Teague, Northern Illinois University Professor of Music and Chair of Steelpan Studies has been selected as a Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor. The award was created in 1982 to recognize faculty excellence in teaching, research,...
NIU Wind Ensemble to perform April 19 with special guests
The NIU Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Ronnie Wooten, wraps up their concert season with a concert Thursday, April 19 at 8 p.m. in the Boutell Concert Hall in the Music Building on the main NIU campus, with special guests. The concert will include the men of...
Eddie Gomez Trio live at NIU
The NIU School of Music offers a unique opportunity to attend a concert by one of the most accomplished jazz musicians in the business. The trio, led by the multiple Grammy Award winning Eddie Gomez, is performing in an all-school convocation, Monday, April 23 that...
Fox Valley Brass Band to perform with NIU Wind Symphony, April 23
The brand-new Fox Valley Brass Band, part of the Fox Valley Music Consortium, will perform in concert, April 23 with the NIU Wind Symphony at 8 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall in the Music Building on NIU's main campus in DeKalb. Tom Bough, Professor of Music at...
NIU Steelband spring concert features steelpan virtuoso Victor Provost
The world-famous NIU Steelband's 2018 Spring Concert is Sunday, April 22, at 3 p.m., featuring an eclectic blend of music styles, and a special guest artist. The NIU Steelband, under the direction of NIU Professor of Music and Director of Steelpan Studies Liam Teague,...
April showers bring lots of concerts
During the academic year there are always lots of School of Music concerts, but April is always the busiest month, and this year is no exception. Check out all of the great music you can hear, in person or via webcast over the next few weeks. Boutell Memorial Concert...
Former Vermeer Quartet violinist to perform, NIU students can attend for a discount
World-renowned violinist Shmuel Ashkenasi will perform with Camerata Chicago, April 6 and 7, and NIU Students can attend either performance at a 40% discount. Shumuel, Camerata Chicago's artistic advisor, is the former first chair of NIU's famous Vermeer Quartet. He...
Steelpan in The Last Jedi influenced by NIU’s Liam Teague
A distinctive part of the soundtrack for Star Wars: The Last Jedi was the steel drum on the music that played during the movie's scenes on the planet of Canto Bight. That influence, it turns out, can be traced back directly to NIU's Liam Teague, Professor of Music...
NIU’s Avalon String Quartet to perform at Lakeside Arts Park, March 11
NIU's award-winning Avalon String Quartet is performing at Lakeside Arts Park at the Dole, March 11 at 3 p.m. The concert is part of the NIU School of Music Showcase and Guest Performance Series, a series of concerts by NIU groups at Lakeside Arts Park. Tickets for...
NIU racks up recognition at Elmhurst College Jazz Festival
The NIU Jazztet and NIU Jazz Orchestra performed at the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival, February 24 and both groups received praise from adjudicators and several individual NIU students received outstanding recognition awards at the festival. For the NIU Jazztet...
March 4 choirs concert part of Alumni Association’s Experience NIU
Experience NIU by attending the Music Choral Concert, Sunday, March 4 at 3 p.m. in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall in the Music Building on the main campus in DeKalb. In addition to being one of three choral concerts at NIU this spring, the performance is also part of...
Steelpan in Education book review
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday published a review of the NIU Press book "Steelpan in Education - A History of the NIU Steelband" in their February 8 edition. The reviewer, BC Pires, while not a fan of the book's title, clearly enjoyed the book and the stories within. ...
School of Music’s Clarinet Cornucopia festival Feb. 17
Every year since 2002, the Northern Illinois University School of Music has presented a day-long festival for clarinet players with a different theme. The 2018 Clarinet Cornucopia festival features “The French Belle Époque’” with guest artists Stefan Harg, clarinet...
School of Music’s Willie Pickens remembered as mentor to generations of jazz students
Willie Pickens, Applied Artist in the NIU School of Music, passed away in New York City on December 12. He was 86. Pickens taught jazz piano and jazz studies at NIU. Over the years, he was an important influence on many students who went on to become successful...
NIU School of Music at JEN – Dallas 2018
The Northern Illinois School of Music will be well represented at the Jazz Education Network's annual conference in Dallas, Tex., in January. NIU Music faculty are serving as clinicians at several sessions, and the NIU Jazz Ensemble "Supersax Project" is performing....
New Music Festival organizers receive kudos from Augusta Read Thomas
Augusta Read Thomas, Founder and Director of Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition at The University of Chicago was a guest of the Seventh Annual New Music Festival at NIU. Thomas is one of the most revered and honored composers of of this era. She gave a...
NIU presents “Double Duty: An Improv Experience”
The NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts presents the inaugural project of the Interdisciplinary Student Project Artistry and Research (ISPAR) Grant with a single week of performances of a new improv comedy show, Double Duty: An Improv Experience, December 6, 9...
Upcoming Holiday Concerts
Swingin' in the Holidays Sunday, November 26, 3 p.m., Boutell Memorial Concert Hall $10 adults, $5 students, (get $2.50 off if you bring a non-perishable food item) 20th Annual Choral Holiday Concert Sunday, December 3 at 3 p.m., Boutell Memorial Concert Hall...