DeKALB— The Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra will be putting on their Spring Pops Concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5. The concert will be led by music director and conductor Linc Smelser and held in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall inside the NIU music building. 

The concert will feature several local musicians and composers including the NIU Steelband, Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra members Kevin Davis and Kirk Lundbeck and local composers Robert Chappell and Ian Cook. The NIU Steelband will perform “88 Degrees in the Shade,” “Branches of Snow” and “Ivory Coast” composed by Robert Chappell, Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27, No. 2” and “Dream” composed by Liam Teague. 

The ensemble is dedicated to demonstrating the versatility of the steelpan (the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago) with direction from Liam Teague and Yuko Asada. The group has performed in various locations throughout the United States including Yankee Stadium, numerous symphony orchestras including both the St. Louis Symphony as well as the Chicago Sinfonietta and two tours in Taiwan. At the 2000 World Steelband Festival in Trinidad, the band earned 2nd place and represented the USA at the 2002 Seoul Drum Festival in South Korea. 

Tickets for the show will go on sale 30 minutes before each concert in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall lobby in the NIU Music Building. All seats will be general admission so it is recommended to arrive early. Ticket prices are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (62+) and $7 for students and children. 

The next concert of the orchestra’s 45th season will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 7:30 pm. More information on the concert will be shared on the KSO website and Facebook page.