Bienen Ensembles

Symphonic Band

Friday, March 13, 2026 at 7:30pm CDT

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

Shawn D. Vondran, conductor

The Symphonic Band’s second winter-quarter concert features five contemporary voices who are adding fresh perspectives to the wind band medium. Adam Schoenberg conceived his two-movement work Rise as a piece that could bookend an entire program, and the ensemble will honor this vision by separating the two movements. Omar Thomas’s setting of the well-known folk song “Shenandoah” is, in the words of the composer, “mysterious, somewhat ominous, constantly introspective, and deeply soulful.” Kevin Charoensri’s Rising Light is a powerful statement about anti-Asian hate and represents his non-apologetic celebration of the bicultural identity of Asian Americans. Kevin Day’s energetic Shimmering Sunshine opens the second half of the program, followed by Ryan George’s An Gé Fhiáin (The Wild Goose), a celebration of the Celtic people and their belief that the Holy Spirit was represented by this wild, untamed bird.

Adam Schoenberg, Rise, mvmt. I: “Beginnings”
Omar Thomas, Shenandoah
Kevin Charoensri, Rising Light
Kevin Day, Shimmering Sunshine
Ryan George, An Gé Fhiáin (The Wild Goose)
Adam Schoenberg, Rise, mvmt. II: “Farewell Song”

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Tickets are $6 for the general public and $4 for students with valid ID.

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Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

Address

50 Arts Cir Dr
Evanston, IL 60208
United States

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About

Pick-Staiger is a 972-seat hall located in the Arts Circle on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The main lobby entrance for concerts is on the west side of the building (revolving and regular doors). Since its inception in 1975, the hall has functioned as both a classroom and performance facility for Bienen School of Music performing ensembles, faculty recitals, festivals, and professional guest artists.