Students

On Sunday February 22, Colin Hochstetler, an Illinois School of Music graduate student in musicology, and Hayden Mesnick, graduate student at the University of Guelph, premiered Hayden Mesnick's piece, The Book of Fixed Stars. The evening began with a lecture by Colin and Hayden, offering insight into the composition and its cosmic inspiration. The score was recreated and projected onto the dome so the audience could see exactly how the musicians were "reading" and presenting the night sky. The evening featured four performances: The Book of Fixed Stars; an improvisation as a quartet featuring Colin, Hayden, Maxwell Miller on electronics, and Improvisers Exchange ensemble director Jason Finkelman on jawharps; a collective improvisation by the Improvisers Exchange ensemble; and a reading of Drone Piece, composed by Hayden and performed by a combined ensemble of Improvisers Exchange and accordion musicians.

The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts will host the 2026 Hip Hop Convene beginning Wednesday, Feb. 25, bringing four days of performances, workshops, guest lectures and panel discussions to Champaign-Urbana.

Andrew Gaffey, saxophonist and student of Dr. Nicki Roman, won First Prize and Krannert Center Debut Artist. Maxwell Schultz, cellist and student of Prof. Daniel McDonough, won Second Prize. Ana Huerta Fernández, pianist and student of Dr. Chi-Chen Wu, won Third Prize.

Prof. Barry Houser, Director of the Marching Illini, Associate Director of Bands, and Chair of the Conducting Area, has received an Honorable Mention at the 2026 Student Success Impact Awards.

The UIUC School of Music undergraduate brass quintet Fortissimo 5 has made the semi-finals for the 2026 Ryan Anthony Memorial Chamber Music Competition through the International Trumpet Guild.

The University of Illinois Marching Illini are putting the final touches on an unforgettable international journey as they prepare to depart for Ireland on March 13.

The University of Illinois School of Music is proud to recognize our faculty, staff, and students who presented at the Illinois Music Educators Conference in Peoria, Illinois this January.

Jackson Govern (MM '26) has recently been selected as a semi-finalist for the North American Saxophone Alliance Solo Competition.

On January 20, 2026, Cody Jensen was awarded a “Bessie” in the category of Outstanding Sound Design or Musical Composition by the New York Dance and Performance Awards.

The University of Illinois School of Music is proud to recognize our faculty, staff, students, and alumni who presented at The 79th Annual Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois this past December.

The University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts has proposed a new Bachelor of Arts degree in Hip Hop Culture and the Arts.

Thanks to a generous gift from the Meredith Foundation, the University of Illinois Chamber Singers—the School of Music’s premier choral ensemble—has been renamed the Meredith Chamber Singers.  

This past October, guest ensemble Atlas Maior visited the School of Music for a workshop with the Improvisers Exchange Ensemble.

Students from music-affiliated Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) performed at The Canopy Club on November 12, 2025 to fundraise for their organizations.

Composer Jeremy Gill visited the University of Illinois in November 2025 to serve as Composer in Residence for the Illinois Modern Ensemble.

Kirsten Barker, Samantha Lampe, and Mel Bialecki Miller recently presented at the annual meetings for the American Musicological Society (AMS) and Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM), held in Minneapolis, MN and Atlanta, GA respectively.

The University of Illinois Marching Illini head to Nashville, TN to perform at the Music City Bowl on December 30, 2025.