Join the UIS Music program for the second Get Free Music Series event of the year. This show will feature Gerard Cox on keyboard. He will be joined by Frank Trompeter on saxophone, Richard Gilman-Opalsky on drums, and Adam Larison on guitar. Friday, November 21st at 7:00 pm, UIS Field Station, 9 Club Area, Springfield, IL.

---

Join the UIS Orchestra and Choir and the Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestras for their annual Autumn Orchestra Festival! The theme of joy runs through this program, which ranges from the young talents of the ISYO Junior Strings all the way to the combined forces of the UIS Orchestra and Chorus presenting the legendary Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In between, you will hear Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, the salsa-infused rhythms of La Bella Cubana, and much more.

Explore the enduring power of Beethoven’s music to illuminate the depths of human experience. This interdisciplinary panel examines how the works of Ludwig van Beethoven resonate across time, cultures, and disciplines. From the emotional intensity of his compositions to the philosophical questions they raise, we’ll delve into what makes Beethoven a timeless voice in the conversation about what it means to be human. This panel serves as a pre-concert discussion in advance for the UIS Orchestra Fall Festival Concert featuring Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 "Ode to Joy."

Join us for the final Brown Bag Concert of the semester featuring UIS Camerata students in a selection of classical and popular song. You are welcome to bring your lunch, stay for a while or stay for the hour. Free and open to the public.

The UIS Music Program is excited to present "Old Time on the Lake" with the Itchy Fingers String Band again! Join us for a performance of traditional Old Time music, lead by UIS faculty and fiddler Dr. Sharon Graf.

The performance will take place outdoors. In the event of poor weather, we will move inside--so please come, rain or shine!

You are warmly invited to bring your instrument if you'd like to join the musicians.

Orchid is the quartet of Vinny Golia on woodwinds, Dan Clucas on cornet and violin, Kevin Cheli on percussion/objects, and Seth Andrew Davis on electric guitar & laptop/electronics. The ensemble focuses on collective improvisation in the tradition of European and American Free Improvisation. The group is touring on their self-titled album released in April 2025 on Mother Brain Records & ISN Records.

The UIS Music Program is excited to present “Old Time on the Lake” with the Itchy Fingers String Band! Join UIS faculty fiddler Sharon Graf and musicians Mark Mathewson, Erich Schroeder, Peter Shapinsky, Mike Tungett and more for a lively performance of traditional tunes like “Over the Waterfall” and “Foldin’ Down the Sheets.” Enjoy a fiddle and cello duet, a Lunasa-inspired medley and more. The outdoor concert will move indoors in case of rain. Community members are invited to bring instruments and join an old-time music jam following the program.

Join us on Tuesday, October 7, for the first Brown Bag Concert of the semester! This concert features UIS Camerata student musicians in a variety of small ensembles ranging in musical styles from classical to modern to popular song. Bring your lunch and stay for a while or for the full hour. Join us!