Current Season
Fall Concert: Romantic Splendor
Oct 10, 2026 | 7:30 P.M.
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, NIU Music Building
The KSO's 50th concert season opens with two powerful masterpieces: Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring acclaimed soloist Adam Neiman, and Camille Saint-Saëns' Symphony No. 3, the "Organ Symphony." A pre-concert talk begins at 6:30 P.M. This concert is sponsored in part by Ann and James Tucker. The KSO acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
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FREE Halloween Concerts
Oct 30, 2026 | 5:30 P.M. and 7:30 P.M.
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, NIU Music Building
Join the KSO in Boo-tell Hall for a performance of Halloween favorites and enjoy seeing your favorite orchestra musicians in costume. No tickets are required for these free, family-friendly concerts! These concerts are sponsored in part by Bosma Dental. The KSO acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
Holiday Pops: Winter Wonderland
Dec 11, 2026 | 7:00 P.M.
Dec 13, 2026 | 2:00 P.M.
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, NIU Music Building
A beloved annual tradition! Ring in the holiday season with traditional favorites. The KSO will be joined by the DeKalb Festival Chorus. Local music ensembles will be featured in the lobby before the concerts, during intermission, and following the concerts. The KSO acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
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Arthur D. Montzka Young Artists Concerto Competition
Jan 9, 2027 | 10:00 A.M.
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, NIU Music Building
Join us in Boutell Hall on Saturday, January 9, 2027 to hear the best young musicians in Illinois compete for the opportunity to perform with the KSO on February 27, 2027. The competition begins at 10 A.M. and will conclude at approximately 3:30 P.M. This competition is open to the public and free to attend; come when you wish and stay for as long as you'd like. The winner will be announced from the stage at the end of the competition day.
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Arthur D. Montzka Young Artists Concert
February 27, 2027 | 7:30 P.M.
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, NIU Music Building
This concert will feature the winner of the 2027 Arthur D. Montzka Young Artists Concerto Competition. The concert also features Appalachian Spring by Aaron Copland and Scheherazade by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. This concert is sponsored in part by Annette and Jerry Johns. All students will be admitted at no charge. Join our competition winner in a room near the concert hall for a pre-concert lecture at 6:30 P.M.
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Spring Pops:
The KSO Goes to Broadway
March 20, 2027 | 7:30 P.M.
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, NIU Music Building
Join the KSO for an evening celebrating the beloved music from your favorite Broadway musical composers: Rodgers and Hammerstein, Leonard Bernstein, Gilbert and Sullivan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more!
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50th Season Finale Concert
April 25, 2027 | 3:00 P.M.
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, NIU Music Building
Happy birthday, KSO! Our season finale concert will feature two choral masterworks: Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. The KSO will be joined by the NIU Concert Choir and the NIU University Chorus, both under the direction of Eric Johnson. This concert is sponsored in part by JoAnn Smelser. Please note that this event will be held on a Sunday afternoon.
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