Music Commons^™

2025-2026 New Music Festival: Gala Concert With The Lynn Philharmonia, Lisa Leonard, Glen Cortese, Lynn Philharmonia, Rebeca Sierra, Nabil Hetman, Zion Pe Montebon, Ana-Maria Uzunova, Ian Lewis, Hanting Peng, Aneliya Novikova, Yu-Hsuan Feng

New Music Festival

The 20th Annual New Music Festival

• Glen Cortese, Composer-in-residence
• Lisa Leonard, director

Friday, February 27, 2026 at 7:30 PM

• Master Class with Anthony de Mare

Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 7:30 PM

• Gala Concert with the Lynn Philharmonia

Monday, March 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM

• Anthony de Mare: American Mavericks & Re-imagining Sondheim

Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:30 PM

• Faculty Masters Concert II

Friday, April 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM

• Emerging Composers Concert

2025-2026 Master Class With Anthony De Mare: Living Composers And Multi-Piano Works, Anthony De Mare, Rebeca Sierra, Nabil Hetman, Zion Pe Montebon, Ana-Maria Uzunova, Owen Chen

Master Classes

No abstract provided.

2026 High School Orchestra Festival Concert: February 27, 2026, Illinois State University School Of Music

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundred and nineth program of the 2025-2026 season.

Center for the Performing Arts

February 27, 2026

Friday Afternoon

2:30 p.m.

Charles W. Bolen Faculty Recital: Joshua Mobley, Trumpet; February 27, 2026, Joshua Mobley, Anne Mcnamara, Grace Eom

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundred and tenth program of the 2025-2026 season.

Kemp Recital Hall

February 27, 2026

Friday Evening

7:30 p.m.

2025-2026 Opera Fuoco: The Labyrinth Of Love, Katharina Wolff, Juliette Tacchino, Sophia Stern, Jennifer Hardy, Jean Brégnac, Kenneth Weiss

Guest Recitals

No abstract provided.

Isu Philharmonia String Orchestra: Samuel Chen, Director; February 25, 2026, Samuel Chen, Jayce Milburn

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundred and seventh program of the 2025-2026 season.

Kemp Recital Hall

February 25, 2026

Wednesday Evening

7:30 p.m.

Examining The Impact Of Individual And Group Piano Instruction On Students’ Learning: Teachers’ Perceptions, Pavithra Madapatha

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Group and individual piano instruction are the most common piano teaching approaches in Sri Lanka. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these techniques help to improve students’ learning skills. The study was based on qualitative data gathered through in-depth interviews from five (05) piano teachers. Teachers were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Thematic analysis method was used to analyse the interview data. The themes included are: (1) advantages and disadvantages of individual piano teaching; (2) benefits of group piano teaching; (3) challenges of group piano teaching; (4) teaching approaches and strategies used under each method …

Galina Kiep's Bassoon Studio Recital: February 24, 2026, Illinois State University School Of Music

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundred and sixth program of the 2025-2026 season

Kemp Recital Hall

February 24, 2026

Tuesday Evening

7:30 p.m.

Voices Of Sorrow And Strength: University Glee, Belle Voix And Stevenson High School Advanced Choir; February 22, 2026, Tim Fredstrom, Andrew Bruhn, Roland Hatcher, Kirstin Snelten

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundred and third program of the 2025-2026 season.

Center for the Performing Arts

February 22, 2026

Sunday Afternoon

3:00 p.m.

Gresham Clarinet Studio Recital: Momoko Gresham, Clarinet; February 22, 2026, Momoko Gresham

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundred and fifth program of the 2025-2026 season.

Kemp Recital Hall

February 22, 2026

Sunday Evening

7:30 p.m.

Winter Concert: Treble Choir, Concert Choir And Stevenson Highschool Patriot Singers; February 22, 2026, Mark Grizzard, Andrew Bruhn, Roland Hatcher, Kirstin Snelton

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundred and fourth program of the 2025-2026 season.

Center for the Performing Arts

February 22, 2026

Sunday Evening

6:00 p.m.

Junior Recital: Breanna German, Flute; February 21, 2026, Breanna German, Lu Witzig, Sam Guynes

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundred and first program of the 2025-2026 season.

Kemp Recital Hall

February 21, 2026

Saturday Afternoon

1:30 p.m.

Afternoon Of Brass: February 21, 2026, Illinois State University School Of Music

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundred and second program of the 2025-2026 season.

2025-2026 Senior Recital - Ethan Sanchez (Double Bass), Ethan Sanchez, Rebeca Sierra

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Master Of Music Recital - Chase Hogan (Clarinet), Chase Hogan

Master of Music Recitals

No abstract provided.

Performance Forum - February 20, 2026, Hanting Peng, Sheng Yuan Kuan, Laura Gonzalez, Nia Morgan, Verse Tomac, Roey Dushi, Rebeca Sierra

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

Jazz Ensembles I & Ii: Dr. Tom Marko, Director; February 20, 2026, Dr. Tom Marko

School of Music Programs

This is the one hundredth program of the 2025-2026 season.

Center for the Performing Arts

February 20, 2026

Friday Evening

8:00 p.m.

Convocation Recital: February 20, 2026, Illinois State University School Of Music

School of Music Programs

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

Kemp Recital Hall

February 20, 2026

Friday Afternoon

1:00 p.m.

2025-2026 Junior Recital - Noah Suarez (Clarinet), Noah Suarez, Rebeca Sierra

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Junior Recital - Meixi Zhou (Violin), Meixi Zhou, Sheng Yuan Kuan

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Master Of Music Recital - Roey Dushi (Cello), Roey Dushi, Sheng Yuan Kuan

Master of Music Recitals

No abstract provided.

First Annual David Gresham Chamber Concert: February 19, 2026, David Gresham, Kim Risinger, Ben Stiers, Momoko Gresham, Steuart Pincombe

School of Music Programs

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

Kemp Recital Hall

February 19, 2026

Thursday Evening

7:30 p.m.

John Hersey High School Symphonic Band And Isu Wind Symphony: Februar 18, 2026, Spencer Hile, Anthony C. Marinello Iii, Wesley Anderson

School of Music Programs

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

Center for the Performing Arts

February 18, 2026

Wednesday Evening

7:00 p.m.

Groove Goes The Distance: An Initial Inquiry Into Jazz Music In Egypt, Farida Gohar

Theses and Dissertations

Jazz music has been a historically contentious site of social, cultural, and political signification. From the violent subjugation that characterized its origins and aspirational freedom that animated its practice, to its transformation into a distinctly “American” music instrumentalized by the US State Department to counter Soviet influence, jazz’s capacity for the inscription of meaning is vast and regularly cause for debate. The particular configuration of jazz music in Egypt is no less complicated although seldom studied. This thesis ventures an initial mapping of the dynamics and negotiations that historically defined the initiation of “Egyptian” jazz, as well as the ones …

Fostering Worship In A Countercultural Setting: An Ethnodoxological Approach To Secular Heavy Music, Jacob Lewis Ream

Masters Theses

Despite stylistic musical diversity within the evangelical church, many secular musicians and music fans have little to no desire to participate in corporate worship music. Specifically, those that engage in “countercultural heavy music (CHM);” namely, hard rock, punk rock, and heavy metal. Music that is often played for the purpose of corporate worship in the local church fails to resonate with many musicians in the corresponding local community. In addition, most evangelical worship ministries do not strive to reach the music communities outside of their local church. This study examines the reasons for this disconnectedness. “Worship as missions” is not …

2025-2026 Junior Recital - Isabella Swalm (Violin), Isabella Swalm, Sheng Yuan Kuan

Junior and Senior Recitals

No abstract provided.

2025-2026 Hugo Valverde ('16) And Enriqueta Somarriba In Recital, Hugo Valverde Villalobos, Enriqueta Somarriba

Guest Recitals

No abstract provided.

Performance Forum - February 13, 2026, Dj Combs, Sheng Yuan Kuan, Derek Lund, Nabil Hetman, Roey Dushi, Isabella Swalm, Zion Pe Montebon

Performance Forum

No abstract provided.

Music Ministry Of Children And Youth: A Study And Defense For Incorporating Children And Youth Choirs In The Modern Worship Service, Veronica Leigh Haber Allison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Graded children’s choir ministries have been a part of churches for the last century. In recent years, there has been a growing trend away from offering music ministry opportunities to children and youth in contemporary churches. There are several reasons for this decline; the major reason is that many churches have moved away from traditional music offerings to a praise band format. It has rendered the musical training of children in church unnecessary. The limited quantity of recent scholarly literature, the decline in commercially produced music, and the discontinuation of teaching materials for children’s choir ministries also attest to this …

Symphonic Winds: Dr. F. Mack Wood, Conductor: Fevruary 13, 2026, Dr. F. Mack Wood, Colby Powers

School of Music Programs

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

Center for the performing Arts

February 13, 2026

Friday Evening

8:00 p.m.