News & Events

The School of Music at UNI offers over 200 events each academic year. Whether you're a high school student looking for an opportunity to visit campus and meet your future UNI professors, a community member looking for a concert to attend on a Friday night, or anything in between - we've got you covered. Please take a moment to explore our calendar of events, festivals and workshops, summer camps and more.

Calendar of Events

Spotlight Series

About the Series

Each year, the UNI School of Music proudly showcases a variety of ensembles and individual performances in our Spotlight Series. These performances consistently offer the highest quality musical performances featuring student, faculty and guest performers. From orchestral to jazz, opera to bands, join us for the series and experience something for everyone!

Ticket prices for the Spotlight series are $15 for adults, $5 for non-UNI students. UNI students are admitted for FREE with their UNI ID card. For more information, call (319) 273-2028.

All Spotlight Series concerts are ticketed. For tickets, call (319) 273-4TIX or shop online.

Purchase Tickets

This Year's Concerts

Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band

Danny Galyen & Justin Mertz, conductors
Thursday, September 21, 7:30 p.m. | Great Hall, GBPAC

Jazz Band One & Jazz Band Two

Christopher Merz & Michael Conrad, directors
Friday, October 6, 7:30 p.m. | Bengtson Auditorium, Russell Hall

Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra

Erik Rohde, conductor
Thursday, October 12, 7:30 p.m. | Great Hall, GBPAC

UNI Choirs

John Wiles, conductor
Friday, October 27, 7:30 p.m. | Great Hall, GBPAC

UNI Holiday Concert

Ftg. Concert Chorale, Cecilians and Jazz Band One
Tuesday, December 5, 7:30 p.m. | Great Hall, GBPAC

UNI Choirs

John Wiles, conductor
Tuesday, March 5, 7:30 p.m. | Great Hall, GBPAC

Jazz Band One

Christopher Merz, director
Friday, April 12, 7:30 p.m. | Bengtson Auditorium, Russell Hall

Wind Ensemble

Danny Galyen, conductor
Tuesday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. | Great Hall, GBPAC

Jazz Band Two

Michael Conrad, director
Wednesday, April 17, 7:30 p.m. | Bengtson Auditorium, Russell Hall

Symphonic Band

Justin Mertz, conductor
Monday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. | Great Hall, GBPAC

Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra

Erik Rohde, conductor
Tuesday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. | Great Hall, GBPAC

Guest Artists

Each year the School of Music calendar is filled with exceptional guest artist events, with expert performers and clinicians visiting and sharing their talent and experience with School of Music students and faculty. Through hands-on master classes, thrilling performances, and interactive discussions, these inspiring guests and masters of music offer students a world of opportunity to find out why choosing music is truly a rewarding path. View our calendar of events to find out more about upcoming guest artist events.

Recent Guest Artists

Fall 2022
Stiletto Brass
Anne Laver, organ
Todd Van Kekerix, piano
Karel Keldermans, carillon
Francine Peterson, bassoon
Artu Duo
Ashley Killam, trumpet
Transient Canvas

Spring 2023
Colere Quartet
Céline Pellmont Guerrin, conductor
Reginald McDonald, conductor
Linda Huck, conductor
Anat Cohen, clarinet, saxophone
Ensemble Dal Niente
Chen Yi, composer
Calypsus Brass
Alex Aldridge, guitar
Megan Grey, lecturer
Rawlins Trio
Hands of Time
Moreau | VanTuinen Duo
Jason Hausback, trombone
Jorge Sosa, composer
Melisa Tien, librettist
Gryphon Trio
Betsy Cook, conductor
Jeremy Wilson, trombone
Iowa Guitar Quartet
Kristín Jónína Taylor, piano
Stacy Wilson Miller, saxophone
Rhonda Sider Edgington, organ
Carolyn Koebel, percussion

Guest artist funds for 2022-23 were supported in part or in full by the Joyce Gault Piano Concert Series Fund, the Meryl Norton Hearst Visiting Artist Series, the Dorothea and Robert W. Dean Visiting Artist Fund, the Howard and Mary Easter Quasi-Endowment, the Charles and Marleta Matheson Endowed Scholarship/Artists Fund, the Beach Guest Artist Fund, the Florence Christianson Scholarship, the Pine Family Music Education Fund, Spotlight Series patrons, the College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences and the UNI School of Music. The School of Music continues to extend its gratitude for these contributions.

Event Information

Concert Etiquette & Details

In consideration of the performers and other members of the audience, please enter or leave a performance at the end of a composition.

Cameras and recording equipment are not permitted. Please turn off all electronic devices except those being used to view concert programs, and be sure that all emergency contact cell phones and pagers are set to silent or vibrate.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Northern Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in any program, please contact Caroline Francis at (319) 273-2028 or caroline.francis@uni.edu at least one week prior to the event.

Performances are made possible through private support from patrons like you. Please consider contributing to School of Music scholarships or guest artist programs. Call (319) 273-3915 or click here to make your gift.

For more detailed information on planning your visit, view the Gallagher Bluedorn's information page here.

Stewardship Statement

The University of Northern Iowa honors the ancestral stewards of the land on which our university rests. Through the work we do every day to live our mission, the University of Northern Iowa aspires for you to see a community that: honors Native and Indigenous People and culture, lives the 7th Generation Principle, does good for the people and communities we serve, and embraces stewardship of our mission and land. Please see our full stewardship statement at president.uni.edu/stewardship-statement.

Connect with us!

We'd love to include you in our mailings and keep you up to date on our events and news. Share your contact information here to be included!