Lauren Cancio is ready to carry inclusive music practices into her future classroom as she graduates from Illinois State in December with a double major in music education and trumpet performance.
Illinois State University’s Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts and the School of Music are excited to bring the sounds of the holidays to the Center for the Performing Arts in three concerts December 6 and 7.
From playing tuba as a farm kid at band camp to performing for troops as an Air Force musician, Dr. Andy Rummel’s ’97, M.M. ’99, journey back to Illinois State University is a full-circle story of music, service, and legacy.
The fall concert will feature two pieces with strong connections to the Illinois State University Percussion Studio, the world premiere of sophomore music composition and music education major Nick Sleevar’s new percussion duo “Hand Trong Rừng” and “Kars I,” a traditional Armenian folk song brought to life by piano virtuoso Tigran Hamasyan, and re-imagined for percussion trio, singer, and electronics by world-renowned percussionist and alum Ksenija Komljenović ’14, M.M.
School of Music faculty shined at summer festivals and teaching residencies, bringing their artistry and expertise to stages and classrooms across the country and around the world.
Teaching assistants from the award-winning Illinois State University String Project visited 21 Bloomington-Normal elementary schools throughout the month of September.
Sharon Huff ’82, Mojde Kalantari, M.S. ’24, and Randy Reid ’87, M.S. ’91, M.F.A. ’96, were honored as the inaugural recipients of new college level alumni excellence awards.
Illinois State University band alumni from all eras of the Illinois State band program are invited back to campus for Alumni Band events.
As co-founder and president of the new Redbird Mariachi Club, Marie Cruz loves sharing the music she grew up playing with the Illinois State University community, while inviting Redbird musicians to join the band.
All are invited to attend the second performance of the 2025-2026 Wind Symphony concert season on Sunday, October 19, at 3 p.m., in the Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall. A Q&A with Colonel Bourgeois will take place in the Kemp Recital Hall prior to the concert, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
