2026-2027 Exhibition Submissions: Dittmar GalleryOngoing Evanston 2026-27 submissions are now open through April 10, 2026. Please CLICK HERE to submit your exhibition proposal. Dittmar Memorial Gallery at Norris University Center is an exhibition space and gatherin... | Visual Arts | March 2026 | 1773637200 |
Tuesday Karaoke at Luna's Pub!Starting March 17, 2026 Evanston Join us at Norris for weekly programming on Next Up! Stage! in Luna's Pub & Grill! Gather your friends for Tuesday Night Karaoke from 7:00 to 9:00pm each week. | March 2026 | 1773792000 | |
Hamdia Traoré’s “Des marabouts de Djenné” and Muslim Portraiture in MaliStarting March 18, 2026 Evanston The storied city of Djenné, a center of Islamic learning, study, and scholarship since the twelfth century, is the hometown of Bamako-based photographer Hamdia Traoré (b. 1992, Mali). The thirty portr... | Visual Arts | March 2026 | 1773853200 |
Teresa Montoya’s Tó Łitso (Yellow Water): Ten Years after the Gold King Mine SpillStarting March 18, 2026 Evanston On August 5, 2015, the rupture of the abandoned Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado, released more than three million gallons of toxic wastewater into the Animas River, turning its waters a shocki... | Visual Arts | March 2026 | 1773853200 |
Ramble On Subtitle EDE Rocks!Starting March 19, 2026 Evanston The Evanston Dance Ensemble is diving into the archives. Join us as we explore the culture, attitude, and expansive reach of rock and roll music. Artistic Director Enid Smith and Assistant to the Dire... | Theatre and Dance | March 2026 | 1773966600 |
Ramble On Subtitle EDE Rocks!Starting March 21, 2026 Evanston The Evanston Dance Ensemble is diving into the archives. Join us as we explore the culture, attitude, and expansive reach of rock and roll music. Artistic Director Enid Smith and Assistant to the Dire... | Theatre and Dance | March 2026 | 1774116000 |
Tuesday Karaoke in Luna's Pub!Starting March 31, 2026 Evanston Join us at Norris for weekly programming on Next Up! Stage! in Luna's Pub & Grill! Gather your friends for Tuesday Night Karaoke from 8:00 to 10:00pm each week. | Humanities | March 2026 | 1775005200 |
Thursday Trivia in Luna's Pub!Starting April 16, 2026 Evanston Join in us for our weekly programming on Next Up! Stage! in Luna's Pub & Grill! Gather your friends for Thursday Trivia, Thursdays from 7-9pm. | Humanities | April 2026 | 1776384000 |
Love & InformationStarting May 1, 2026 Evanston By Caryl Churchill Directed by Claire Bauman Someone sneezes. Someone can’t get a signal. Someone won’t answer the door. Someone put an elephant on the stairs. Someone’s not ready to talk. Someone is... | Theatre and Dance | May 2026 | 1777681800 |
MFA Collaboration Series: David’s Redhaired DeathStarting May 8, 2026 Evanston By Sherry Kramer Directed by Rosalind Faires Two women find that they have everything in common until the death of a brother drives them apart. Part stand-up comedy, part stand-up tragedy for two. Th... | Theatre and Dance | May 2026 | 1778286600 |
Writers Fest 2026Starting May 11, 2026 Evanston Please join us for the 18th annual Writers Festival, featuring renowned writers offering public readings! This year's featured writers are Leni Zumas, Aminatta Forna, and Marsha de la O. May 11: Read... | Literary Arts | May 2026 | 1778536800 |
In The Time of the ButterfliesStarting May 22, 2026 Evanston By Caridad Svich Based on the novel by Julia Alvarez Directed by Mariana Parejo Molinares Known as “The Butterflies,” the spirited and courageous Mirabal sisters inspired a fight for freedom in the D... | Theatre and Dance | May 2026 | 1779496200 |
The BeyondStarting May 29, 2026 Evanston Music by Harrison Lewis Created by Julie Marie Myatt, Jessica Thebus, Harrison Lewis, Jeff Hancock, Chloe Johnston, Cheyenne Casebier, and the Northwestern community. Directed by Julie Marie Myatt an... | Theatre and Dance | May 2026 | 1780101000 |
Ramble On Subtitle EDE Rocks!March 21, 2026 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Evanston The Evanston Dance Ensemble is diving into the archives. Join us as we explore the culture, attitude, and expansive reach of rock and roll music. Artistic Director Enid Smith and Assistant to the Dire... | Theatre and Dance | March 2026 | 1774105200 |
“Marsha:” Online Collection TalkApril 2, 2026 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM, Online Join Block Museum staff for a talk considering an artwork from the Block’s collection that reflects on legacies of living free, queer activism, and the trans experience, in connection to the 2025-2026... | Visual Arts | April 2026 | 1775151000 |
Thursday Trivia in Luna's Pub!April 2, 2026 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Join in us for our weekly programming on Next Up! Stage! in Luna's Pub & Grill! Gather your friends for Thursday Trivia, Thursdays from 7-9pm. | Humanities | April 2026 | 1775174400 |
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHASING STORMS (2025) with Curtis Miller & Robin TanamachiApril 3, 2026 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston Block Cinema presents a free screening of A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHASING STORMS (2025) with filmmaker and Northwestern ATP lecturer Curtis Miller as well as atmospheric scientist and storm chaser Robin Ta... | Film | April 2026 | 1775260800 |
Amanda Majeski Vocal Master ClassApril 7, 2026 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Part of the Tichio-Finnie Vocal Master Class Series Lurdes Zapata and Maya Behiri, soprano; Isabel Yang, mezzo-soprano; Leonardo Mangalindan, tenor; Alan Darling, piano The Financial Times remarked... | Music | April 2026 | 1775606400 |
Opening Reception: Community Art ShowApril 9, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Evanston Join us for the opening reception of our annual community show which brings together artists from Northwestern, Evanston and greater Chicagoland communities to display their works in a group show. Ar... | Visual Arts | April 2026 | 1775775600 |
Garrick Ohlsson, pianoApril 10, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston Part of the Skyline Piano Artist Series “Impeccable clarity and architecture” —International Piano Since triumphing as the first and only American winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competi... | Music | April 2026 | 1775867400 |
Thaviu-Isaak Endowed Piano CompetitionApril 11, 2026 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM, Evanston Featuring Northwestern piano students nominated by the Bienen School piano faculty, this annual competition was established by the late violin professor Samuel Thaviu and his wife, Elinor Thaviu, to h... | Music | April 2026 | 1775926800 |
Diné in Focus Photography Collective: Panel DiscussionApril 11, 2026 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Evanston Join the Block Museum for a conversation with four Diné (Navajo) photographers and scholars whose work documents contemporary life across the Navajo Nation. Working collectively through Diné in Focus,... | Visual Arts | April 2026 | 1775934000 |
Raphaella Smits, guitarApril 11, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston Part of the Segovia Classical Guitar Series "...one of the most delicate and most cultivated performers of our time." —Diapason A renowned guitarist and pedagogue, Raphaella Smits plays worldwide o... | Music | April 2026 | 1775953800 |
Performing in the Parlor: The Golden Age of Guitar and ElocutionApril 12, 2026 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Evanston Anne Waller, Mark Maxwell, and Brian Torosian, guitar; Fiona Maxwell, theater artist A “musical and literary entertainment” in the style of 19th-century parlor performance. Hear American, French, Aust... | Music | April 2026 | 1776020400 |
Samuel and Elinor Thaviu String CompetitionApril 12, 2026 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Evanston Featuring Northwestern string students nominated by the Bienen School string faculty, this annual competition was established by the late violin professor Samuel Thaviu and his wife, Elinor Thaviu. Th... | Music | April 2026 | 1776020400 |
Spring 2026 Arts & Crafts FairApril 16, 2026 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Evanston Join us for the annual Arts and Crafts fair at Norris University Center. Each year, the Arts and Crafts fair draws hundreds of campus and Evanston community members to support Northwestern community a... | Visual Arts | April 2026 | 1776369600 |
Variety Night - Live Painting!April 17, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Evanston Join in us for weekly Variety Nights on Next Up! Stage! from 6:00 - 8:00pm UPCOMING VARIETY NIGHTS Friday, April 17 - Live Painting Friday, April 24- Open Mic Night Friday, May 8 - Standup Comedy Fri... | April 2026 | 1776466800 | |
Karen Kan-Walsh and Julian Kwok, pianoApril 17, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Coordinator of keyboard skills and non-major piano at the Bienen School, Karen Kan-Walsh has given performances in Russia and China, as well as throughout the Chicago and Ann Arbor areas. An active me... | Music | April 2026 | 1776472200 |
Contemporary Music EnsembleApril 18, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Ben Bolter and Shihan Jin, conductors Tanner Carlson-Huber, Perpetual Non-Motion Machine (world premiere) Adam J. Benefield, Armageddon Amy Beth Kirsten, Drink Me Marcos Balter, Code-Switching | Music | April 2026 | 1776558600 |
Northwestern University Chamber OrchestraApril 23, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Harvey Felder, conductor; Desirée Ruhstrat, violin Arnold Bax, Dance in the Sunlight from Three Pieces for Small Orchestra Clarice Assad, Violin Concerto Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 2 in D Majo... | Music | April 2026 | 1776990600 |
Variety Night - Open Mic Night!April 24, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Evanston Join in us for weekly Variety Nights on Next Up! Stage! from 6:00 - 8:00pm UPCOMING VARIETY NIGHTS Friday, April 17 - Live Painting Friday, April 24- Open Mic Night Friday, May 8 - Standup Comedy Fri... | April 2026 | 1777071600 | |
Northwestern University Symphony OrchestraApril 24, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Donald Schleicher, conductor; Shihan Jin, graduate assistant conductor Lili Boulanger, D’un matin de printemps (Of a Spring Morning) Richard Strauss, Don Juan, Op. 20 Igor Stravinsky, Le sacre du prin... | Music | April 2026 | 1777077000 |
Islamic Education in West AfricaApril 25, 2026 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Evanston In response to the Block exhibition Hamdia Traoré’s “Des marabouts de Djenné” and Muslim Portraiture in Mali, this panel discussion will consider Islamic education as both global cultural heritage and... | Visual Arts | April 2026 | 1777143600 |
Marquis HillApril 25, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston “His genre exchange has the ease of a walk across the street to a friend’s place.” —Downbeat Trumpeter and composer Marquis Hill has made it his mission to break down the barriers between contempora... | Music | April 2026 | 1777163400 |
Aristo Sham, pianoApril 26, 2026 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Evanston Part of the Skyline Piano Artist Series Winner of the Gold Medal at the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Aristo Sham is a laureate of international competitions, with first-prize wins... | Music | April 2026 | 1777233600 |
Jazz Small Ensembles: The Music of Miles DavisApril 27, 2026 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston Derrick Gardner and Kevin Fort, conductors The Derrick Gardner and Kevin Fort ensembles continue the celebration of the Miles Davis centennial with a selection of the legendary trumpeter, bandleader, ... | Music | April 2026 | 1777338000 |
Northwestern Concerto/Aria CompetitionApril 28, 2026 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Evanston With a reputation for producing some of the world’s finest young instrumentalists and vocalists, the Bienen School of Music showcases top students in the final rounds of this year’s solo competition. | Music | April 2026 | 1777413600 |
Curator Talk: Archival Research and Exhibition DevelopmentApril 30, 2026 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM, Evanston Join curator Uche Okpa-Iroha, the 2026 Block Museum Curatorial Graduate Fellow and Art History doctoral student, for an interactive conversation on how making use of research library collections (in t... | Visual Arts | April 2026 | 1777581000 |
Northwestern University Jazz OrchestraApril 30, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Derrick Gardner, conductor; Ari Hoenig, drums The Jazz Orchestra welcomes guest drummer Ari Hoenig for their first concert of the spring quarter. Dubbed a “postbop daredevil” (Time Out New York) for w... | Music | April 2026 | 1777595400 |
Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Combined Choirs: Sacred and ProfaneMay 2, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Andrew Megill, A. J. Keller, and Robert Taylor, conductors Combined Bienen School choirs and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble join forces for a unique collaboration exploring music of awe, reverence, and f... | Music | May 2026 | 1777768200 |
Symphonic BandMay 3, 2026 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM, Evanston Shawn Vondran, conductor The centerpiece of the Symphonic Band’s first spring concert is Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (orchestrated by Maurice Ravel and transcribed for band by Paul L... | Music | May 2026 | 1777838400 |
Jazz Small Ensembles: Countdown to 100—The Music of John ColtraneMay 4, 2026 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston Darius Hampton and Joe Clark, conductors Saxophonist, bandleader, and composer John Coltrane is among the most influential figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. He began his career wo... | Music | May 2026 | 1777942800 |
Percussion EnsembleMay 7, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston She-e Wu, director An evening of eclectic rhythms. | Music | May 2026 | 1778200200 |
Student Composers ConcertMay 7, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston A program of new works by Bienen School student composers. | Music | May 2026 | 1778200200 |
Variety Nights - Student Standup Comedy!May 8, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Evanston Join in us for weekly Variety Nights on Next Up! Stage! from 6:00 - 8:00pm UPCOMING VARIETY NIGHTS Friday, April 17 - Live Painting Friday, April 24- Open Mic Night Friday, May 8 - Standup Comedy Fri... | May 2026 | 1778281200 | |
Keyboard Conversations: Music of Joy and PeaceMay 8, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston Part of Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel Jeffrey Siegel, piano Siegel closes the 2025-26 season of Keyboard Conversations with uplifting, buoyant works of Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schuman... | Music | May 2026 | 1778286600 |
Bienen Harp StudioMay 9, 2026 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM, Evanston Marguerite Lynn Williams, director; Lynn Koschnitzke, Marin Trendel, and Madeleine Worrall, harp Solo and chamber works for harp by Damase, Debussy, Grandjany, Liszt, Renié, and Still. | Music | May 2026 | 1778349600 |
MFA Collaboration Series: David’s Redhaired DeathMay 9, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:15 PM, Evanston By Sherry Kramer Directed by Rosalind Faires Two women find that they have everything in common until the death of a brother drives them apart. Part stand-up comedy, part stand-up tragedy for two. Th... | Theatre and Dance | May 2026 | 1778373000 |
Xuefei Yang, guitarMay 9, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston Part of the Segovia Classical Guitar Series “with sparkle, clarity, and flair.” —New York Sun Xuefei Yang is acclaimed as one of the world’s finest classical guitarists. Hailed as a musical pioneer, ... | Music | May 2026 | 1778373000 |
Brass Ensemble: American ClassicsMay 12, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Adam Unsworth, director A program of works by American composers, including Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story Suite featuring Bienen student soloists | Music | May 2026 | 1778632200 |
Northwestern University Jazz Ensemble: Good Vibes—The Art of the Jazz VibraphoneMay 12, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Darius Hampton, conductor The Jazz Ensemble showcases the innovators of the jazz vibraphone with a program including music by Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, and Gary Burton. | Music | May 2026 | 1778632200 |
Zachary Good, clarinetMay 14, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Zachary Good ('23 DMA) is the clarinetist of Eighth Blackbird, a member of Ensemble Dal Niente, and a founding co-artistic director and member of performance collective Mocrep. He has frequently perfo... | Music | May 2026 | 1778805000 |
Concert Band: CelebrationMay 15, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Daniel J. Farris, conductor Director of Athletic Bands Daniel J. Farris conducts his final concert after 26 years at Northwestern, where he led the “Wildcat” Marching Band and Concert Band. Prior to h... | Music | May 2026 | 1778891400 |
Guitar EnsembleMay 17, 2026 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM, Evanston Anne Waller, director Music for guitar soloists, small ensembles, and full ensemble. | Music | May 2026 | 1779048000 |
Spring Festival ConcertMay 17, 2026 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Evanston Stephen Alltop, conductor; Millar Choir and soloists; Baroque Music Ensemble The Millar Choir and Baroque Music Ensemble join forces for a jubilant concert of Baroque masterworks for soloists, choir, ... | Music | May 2026 | 1779055200 |
Trombone ChoirMay 18, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Reed Capshaw, director Music written and arranged for trombones. | Music | May 2026 | 1779150600 |
Sol LeWitt Wall Drawings (Online)May 21, 2026 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM, Online This webinar will provide an introduction to wall drawings conceived by Sol LeWitt (American, 1928-2007), with attention to how they are made and why the artist pursued this form of artmaking. Sol Le... | Visual Arts | May 2026 | 1779384600 |
Variety Night - Drag Show!May 22, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Evanston Join in us for weekly Variety Nights on Next Up! Stage! from 6:00 - 8:00pm UPCOMING VARIETY NIGHTS Friday, April 17 - Live Painting Friday, April 24- Open Mic Night Friday, May 8 - Standup Comedy Fri... | May 2026 | 1779490800 | |
Symphonic Wind Ensemble: Sonic TalesMay 22, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Robert Taylor, conductor; Imran Amarshi and Michael Witt, graduate assistant conductors The Symphonic Wind Ensemble presents an evening of musical storytelling, where familiar legends and new tales co... | Music | May 2026 | 1779496200 |
Contemporary Music EnsembleMay 23, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Ben Bolter, Alan Pierson, and Shihan Jin, conductors Matthew Mailman, world premiere Jianing Yang, world premiere Kelley Sheehan, splitting to collapse Frederic Rzewski, Coming Together | Music | May 2026 | 1779582600 |
Jazz Small Ensembles: New Beginnings—Student OriginalsMay 27, 2026 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston Derrick Gardner and Kevin Fort, conductors The Derrick Gardner and Kevin Fort ensembles share new compositions and arrangements by jazz studies students. | Music | May 2026 | 1779930000 |
Puccini's La rondineMay 28, 2026 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM, Evanston (The Swallow) Joachim Schamberger, director; Christopher Allen, conductor; Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra Magda, a courtesan and mistress of the wealthy Rambaldo, enjoys high society life ... | Music | May 2026 | 1780014600 |
Variety Night - Game Night!May 29, 2026 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM, Evanston Join in us for weekly Variety Nights on Next Up! Stage! from 6:00 - 8:00pm UPCOMING VARIETY NIGHTS Friday, April 17 - Live Painting Friday, April 24- Open Mic Night Friday, May 8 - Standup Comedy Fri... | May 2026 | 1780095600 | |
Puccini's La rondineMay 29, 2026 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM, Evanston (The Swallow)Puccini's La rondine Joachim Schamberger, director; Christopher Allen, conductor; Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra Magda, a courtesan and mistress of the wealthy Rambaldo, enjoy... | Music | May 2026 | 1780101000 |
Symphonic BandMay 29, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Shawn Vondran, conductor The Symphonic Band’s second spring-quarter concert takes as its focal point George Gershwin’s Catfish Row: Symphonic Suite from Porgy and Bess, arranged for band by Donald Hun... | Music | May 2026 | 1780101000 |
Northwestern University Symphony OrchestraMay 30, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Donald Schleicher, conductor; Lena Ying-Ting Wong, graduate assistant conductor; Hiu Sing Fan, violin (Northwestern Concerto Competition winner) Richard Wagner, Lohengrin: Prelude to Act III Jean Sibe... | Music | May 2026 | 1780187400 |
Puccini's La rondineMay 30, 2026 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM, Evanston (The Swallow) Joachim Schamberger, director; Christopher Allen, conductor; Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra Magda, a courtesan and mistress of the wealthy Rambaldo, enjoys high society life ... | Music | May 2026 | 1780187400 |
PhilharmoniaMay 31, 2026 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Evanston Luis Aguilar, graduate conductor; Lena Ying-Ting Wong and Shihan Jin, graduate assistant conductors W. A. Mozart, Overture to Don Giovanni, K. 527 Gabriel Fauré, Pelléas et Mélisande Suite, Op. 80 ... | Music | May 2026 | 1780257600 |
Puccini's La rondineMay 31, 2026 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM, Evanston (The Swallow) Joachim Schamberger, director; Christopher Allen, conductor; Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra Magda, a courtesan and mistress of the wealthy Rambaldo, enjoys high society life ... | Music | May 2026 | 1780257600 |
Northwestern Camerata: Between Valley and SkyMay 31, 2026 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Evanston Ari Carillo, conductor Sacred and secular songs of hope, light, and comfort, by composers ranging from Giovanni Battista Pergolesi and J. S. Bach to Craig Hella Johnson and Caroline Shaw. Dolly Parton... | Music | May 2026 | 1780264800 |
Jazz Small Ensembles: New Beginnings—Student OriginalsJune 1, 2026 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM, Evanston Darius Hampton and Joe Clark, conductors The Darius Hampton and Joe Clark ensembles share original compositions and arrangements by jazz studies students. | Music | June 2026 | 1780362000 |
Northwestern University Jazz Orchestra: New Beginnings—Student and Faculty Compositions and ArrangementsJune 4, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Derrick Gardner, conductor The Jazz Orchestra finishes the spring quarter with a concert highlighting fresh compositions and arrangements by jazz studies students and faculty. | Music | June 2026 | 1780619400 |
Combined ChoirsJune 6, 2026 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM, Evanston Andrew Megill and A. J. Keller, conductors; Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble, University Chorale, University Singers, and Northwestern Camerata The combined Bienen choral ensembles present one... | Music | June 2026 | 1780792200 |


























































