Music Commons^™

Guest Artist Recital: William Jason Raynovich: February 4, 2026, William Jason Raynovich

School of Music Programs

This is the ninety-third program of the 2025-2026 season.

Kemp Recital Hall

February 4, 2026

Wednesday Evening

7:30 p.m.

Lakota Powwow Singers At The Drum, Robert J. Damm

Publications

No abstract provided.

Chamber Music For Strings In Rational Intonation: Performance Practice And Analysis, Marina Kifferstein

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the early 21^st century, the field of contemporary music has experienced an explosion of interest in rational intonation. This ratio-derived tuning system, often referred to as “just intonation,” has become established as a widespread movement that is still on the rise. It is of increasing importance for composers, performers, historians, and theorists who specialize in contemporary music to be knowledgeable about the growing body of repertoire in this area and its performance practice.

This dissertation examines current and recent trends in rational intonation through the lens of chamber music for strings. It includes perspectives on performance practice gleaned …

Foreign Songs, Occitan Voices, And The Guitar In Early Modern France (C. 1570-1650), Ana Beatriz Mujica Lafuente

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The cultural traditions of European nations are too often treated as independent and essential entities, obscuring the transnational and interregional exchanges that have shaped modern cultures. In musicology, recent studies have emphasized the plurality and mobility of people, cultures, and music in Europe. Yet, French songs are still largely explained within the framework of the national, generally privileging written over oral traditions, printed over manuscript music, national over regional languages, and monolingual over plurilingual practices. Through the study of songs in Italian, Spanish, Occitan, and Turkish, this dissertation challenges such preconceptions.

This study shows that secular songs in foreign and …

Regional Geography And Tuning Systems Of Traditional Georgian Folk Music, Alex Kutubidze

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The project focuses on the traditional folk music of Georgia, mapping the geographical distribution of singing traditions across the country’s historical regions. Because vocal traditions and stylistic features of Georgian folk music vary significantly across historical regions, the project highlights these differences for the audience, which might be interested in learning Georgian folk music, seeking a basic understanding of its structure, or planning to visit the country for cultural or educational purposes related to folk music.  In addition, this work examines the tonal organization of Georgian traditional music, drawing on recent ethnomusicological research. It engages with ongoing scholarly discussions regarding …

Cecil Taylor, 1950–1976: Theory & Practice In His Own Words, Michelle A. Yom

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Cecil Taylor (1929–2018) was a poet, composer, pianist, and dancer who is widely regarded as one of the founding figures of Free Jazz. Despite this historical significance, Taylor has not been a subject of substantial archival research. Some scholars have written his name into music scholarship through explicitly or implicitly reiterating the notion of “freedom” that circulated among contemporary jazz critics of the late 1950s and the 1960s. Others have focused on analyzing Taylor’s solo piano music, often reducing Taylor’s musical theories and practices into the formal structures of the music itself. To date, the scholarship has simplified Taylor’s work …

Senior Recital: Matthew Sourwine, Tuba: February 1, 2026, Matthew Sourwine, Lu Witzig, Andrew Sniegowski, Xavier Buford, Sean Wright, Graham Miller

School of Music Programs

This is the ninety-second program of the 2025-2026 season.

Kemp Recital Hall

February 1, 2026

Sunday Afternoon

2:00 p.m.

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

2025-2026 Master Of Music Recital - Gabrielle Siena (Piano), Gabrielle Siena

Master of Music Recitals

No abstract provided.

Performance Forum - January 30, 2026, Jose Ignacio Diaz, Ay Kawasaki, Jonathan Monk, Roey Dushi

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Junior Recital - Aidan Quintana (Piano), Aidan Quintana

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

Arts In Criminal Justice And Corrections: International Perspectives On Methods, Journeys And Challenges, Edited By Amanda Gardner And Laura Caulfield, Kirstin Anderson Dr

Journal of Prison Education Research

It was the first day of my study I had planned as part of my PhD research. I had prepared all the materials the night before, took an early train to ensure I was on time, went through all the checks at the prison gate, set up my room and waited for the first participant to come in for their interview. I welcomed him with ease, introduced myself and went through the consent form. I turned on the audio recorder. ‘It’s just like the fucking police’. My heart sank. I don’t think I told anyone about how big a misgiving …

Isu Symphony Orchestra Concerto-Aria Competition Finals: January 28, 2026, Illinois State University School Of Music

School of Music Programs

This is the ninety-first program of the 2025-2026

Center for the Performing Arts

January 28, 2026

Wednesday Evening

7:00 p.m.

Jury Recognition Recital: January 26, 2026, Illinois State University School Of Music

School of Music Programs

This is the ninetieth program of the 2025-2026 season.

Kemp Recital Hall

January 26, 2026

Monday Evening

7:30 p.m.

2026 Isu Wind Symphony Concerto Competition: January 25, 2026, Illinois State University School Of Music

School of Music Programs

This is the eighty-ninth program of the 2025-2026 season.

Center for the Performing Arts

January 25, 2026

Sunda Afternoon

2025-2026 Piano Passion From The Studio Of Roberta Rust, Owen Chen, Ana-Maria Uzunova, Ian Lewis, Aidan Quintana, Ziling Wang, Zion Pe Montebon, Hanting Peng, Gabrielle Siena, Caroline Dratnal, Diego Suarez

Studio Recitals

No abstract provided.

Performance Forum - January 23, 2026, Kade Gordon, Sheng Yuan Kuan, Ian Lewis, Ziling Wang, Hanting Peng, Aidan Quintana, Zion Pe Montebon

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

Our Bodies Are Wild And Shimmering (Music For Exhibition), Marcus O’Donnell, Colin N. Webber Dr

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

A note on the sound design: The Tracks draws inspiration from Marcus’ beautiful images that both reveal and conceal and explore the nexus of human and divine love.

The tracks are created in collaboration with AI tools, specifically Suno, Synthesiser V, Chat GPt and Claude. The lyrics are GPT, Claude and Google Translate versions of Richard Rolle’s The Fire of Love, rendered into liturgical Latin, Russian and Spanish, along with elements of canonical Mass lyrics. I chose to use musical styles that are found in ecclesiastical settings such as the 16th Century Catholic church, Medieval monasteries,

Russian Orthodox settings …

Performance Forum - January 16, 2026 (Special Event), Calida Jones

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

The Role Music Plays In Facilitating Transformation And Self-Actualization In Israeli Music Students Impacted By Trauma, Adina Feldman

Educational Studies Dissertations

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the role music plays in facilitating transformation and self-actualization among Israeli undergraduate and alumni music students who have experienced trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. Guided by social constructivist and humanistic-existential frameworks, this research employs a narrative methodology to examine how music operates as a medium for meaning-making, resilience, and growth in non-clinical contexts. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and the analysis of musical compositions and artifacts from two singer-songwriters who transformed personal adversity into creative expression. The findings reveal that although trauma leaves lasting psychological and emotional effects, engagement with music enables …