24 25 ANNUAL REPORT
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The UIC School of Theatre and Music sits on the traditional homeland of the original peoples of the area: the Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe Nations (known as the Three Fires Confederacy) as well as the Menominee and Ho-Chunk who—along with many Indigenous peoples—were among its first inhabitants. The School of Theatre and Music honors the many Native Americans past, present, and future who call this land home.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT
2024–2025 was another great year for the School of Theatre and Music.
With a vibrant community of new and returning students, faculty, and staff—all working, learning, and creating in the lower level of the ETMSW building we call home—we continued to grow in both numbers and ambition.
This spring, our Choirs and Orchestra filled St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church on Roosevelt Road with a sold-out, standing-room-only performance of Mozart’s Requiem, conducted by Assistant Professor and Director of Choral Activities Liza Calisesi Maidens and Adjunct Lecturer and Orchestra Director Timothy Fawkes.
In Theatre, four major productions and a New Play Festival took center stage. Two new works included TheNeighbors,theAsshole,andtheCelebration—a world premiere adaptation of three one-act farces by Anton Chekhov—was adapted, translated, and directed by Professor and Head of Theatre Yasen Peyankov. SheCamefromtheBronx: AHip-HopExperiencewas a fully produced workshop of a new musical by the Q Brothers Collective, directed by JQ and Jackson Duran.
Meanwhile, the Antiracism Advisory Committee (AAC), led by Lecturer James McNally, continued advancing its mission by conducting a climate survey that produced both encouraging and actionable insights. (See the accompanying word cloud on page 22 that represents student responses describing their experience in the School of Theatre and Music.)
This annual report offers an overview of the year’s highlights—a window into the achievements, artistry, and ongoing work that make our School such a dynamic and inspiring place to be.
Best wishes,
Christine Mary Dunford Director
THEATRE AND MUSIC AT UIC
We’ll meet you where you are and take you where you want to go.
The School of Theatre and Music provides innovative, rigorous, and comprehensive academic and performance programs as part of our diverse, urban context.
Our programs develop practical knowledge, cultural sensitivity, intellectual resourcefulness, and imaginative daring in emerging artists and scholars. We connect students to Chicago’s abundant, vibrant theatre culture and to the city’s dynamic jazz and classical music networks.
We prepare theatre and music students for professional careers in the arts, for entry to highly competitive advanced degree programs, or for paths in other creative fields. Full-Time
Adjunct
STUDENT PARTICIPATION
ENSEMBLES
491 total students registered for our music ensembles in 2024–2025.
54% of performers were non-degree students. Students from across the campus participated in the following ensembles:
Chamber Choir
Chamber Ensemble
Digital Music Ensemble
Jazz Combo
Jazz Ensemble
Mariachi Fuego Orchestra
Pep Band Percussion Ensemble
Pop Rock Ensemble
Symphonic Band
Treble Choir
University Choir Wind Ensemble
ENROLLMENT BY RACE/ETHNICITY
GENERAL EDUCATION
7,070 total students across campus took a theatre or music general education course.
INCOME AND EXPENSES
$5,359,574 Total Expenses
$4,224,894 Total Income
$4,386,182 Personnel $3,778,752 State $358,671 Earned $87,471 Other $973,392 Other
RECRUITMENT AND ADMISSIONS
Outreach in Chicagoland Schools
This year, STM faculty and recruitment staff visited over 20 schools in Chicagoland, leading clinics, masterclasses, and workshops for prospective performing arts students. Faculty and staff made meaningful connections with parents, counselors, and teachers introducing them to our programs and degrees.
Schools attended include:
• Bloom Trail High School
• Bolingbrook High School
• College of DuPage Fine Arts College & Career Night
• Eisenhower High School
• Fremd High School
• Illinois Music Education Conference
• Illinois Theatre Festival
• Joliet Catholic High School
• Maine East High School
• Midwest Band & Orchestra Festival
• Minooka High School
• Northshore Performing Arts College Fair
• Northside College Prep
• Plainfield Central Concert Band Festival Invitational
• Plainfield South High School
• Rolling Meadows Jazz Festival
• Senn High School
• Shepart High School
• Shepard High School
• Solorio High School
• Stevenson High School
STM also organized individualized visit experiences for hundreds of prospective students. These visits included class observations of performing arts courses, sample private lessons, campus tours, and information sessions about the application/audition process.
Additionally, STM continued to utilize digital marketing, with additional resources for YouTube and Google Display Ads, along with strategic improvements in Search Engine Marketing. These efforts have resulted in STM’s most successful recruitment cycle on record. STM received the greatest number of applications and has admitted the highest number of students in the school’s history.
YOUTH PROGRAMS
STM serves students from Chicago-area schools annually through youth programs and performances. Students have the opportunity to learn from UIC faculty and renowned guest artists. Many students who attend the Youth Programs go on to pursue a degree at UIC.
Youth programs also offer a chance to make new friends and connect with Chicago’s vibrant and growing performing arts community. This year, the Jazz Festival welcomed renowned trumpeter and arts educator Ingrid Jensen as a guest artist. The Honors Band Festival featured guest conductor and composer Carol Brittin Chambers from Texas Lutheran University, while the Choral Festival showcased Magdalena Delgado — a choral conductor, singer, and music educator from the Dominican Republic — as a guest artist.
YOUTH PROGRAM EVENTS
THEATRE AND MUSIC SEASON
UIC and community members enjoyed a total of 71 performances this year, increasing total attendance from 2023–2024 by 28%. Audiences enjoyed a diverse program of theatre and music performances. The theatre season invited guest directors the Q Brothers Collective to workshop their new play, SheCameFromtheBronx; adjunct theatre faculty Monet Felton directed Madeline George’s Hurricane Diane; theatre head Yasen Peyankov adapted and directed Anton Chekhov’s TheNeighbors,theAsshole,andthe Celebration; while faculty Bonnie Metzgar partnered with theatre student Omar Fernandez to direct summertime,aninterlude, written by alum Aniello Fontano. This was the first play written by an alum to be performed at UIC theatre.
The Music Department held 37 free concerts throughout the season, performing both in the School of Theatre and Music’s performance spaces, as well as Chicago cultural institutions including: Logan Center for the Arts, St. Francis of Assisi church, The Jazz Showcase, and more.
See the listing of our past performances here: theatreandmusic.uic.edu/past-events
Theatre and Music Season Event Attendance: 12,061
OUR DEGREES
Students study music while developing a strong liberal arts foundation. They take core music courses and four terms of private instruction while playing in music ensembles and taking advantage of over 200 other disciplines at UIC. Some BA Music students pursue a double degree.
Students combine music study with courses from UIC’s College of Business Administration in accounting, marketing, and finance. They complete up to two internships in Chicago’s music industry and develop essential business and music knowledge and skills necessary to pursue a career in this ever-expanding field.
BA Theatre Design, Production, and Technology
Students develop a strong foundation in theatre through core courses then deepen their study in the area of design that interests them. Courses are offered in acting, scenic design, lighting design, costume design, make-up design, set construction, costume construction, stage management, directing, playwriting, and contemporary performance. All students graduate with a portfolio.
BA Music Business
BA Music
BA Theatre and Performance
Students take advantage of a wide range of courses across the discipline and focus study through three tracks: general, performance, and authorship. The program allows for both flexibility and focus in the study of theatre.
BFA Acting
Working closely with world-class faculty from Tony Award-winning theatres, students in our BFA in Acting program gain conservatory-style training in a university setting. Students take six semesters of voice for the actor and six semesters of movement for the actor. Eight semesters of acting culminate in a semester-long audition class taught by casting directors from the Goodman Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
BMUS Music Education
Students prepare to become licensed music educators in Illinois while developing the knowledge and skills to teach in large, diverse urban school districts. They explore child development, culturally responsive teaching, and multiple music and language literacies through a flexible curriculum that includes band, banda, choir, gamelan, jazz, mariachi, orchestra, salsa, and popular music. With hands-on experience in Chicago Public Schools and internships in local music programs, students gain the practical tools and real-world insight needed for a dynamic and inclusive teaching career.
BMUS Jazz Studies
Students develop the tools for a professional career in jazz and related fields of contemporary music. They receive weekly coaching from top Chicago jazz musicians, jazz-centric coursework in theory, and arranging, and performance opportunities both on and off campus.
BMUS Performance
Students pursue advanced study in piano, voice, guitar, and orchestral instruments. Students have access to Chicago’s most outstanding artist-teachers and develop their musicianship through regular master classes with acclaimed guest artists, and multiple performance opportunities with STM’s many ensembles.
ALUMNI AND FACULTY
Ephraim Champion
BMus Performance | Class of 2020
In April of 2025, music alum Ephraim Champion premiered his work Sonder&Ozuriewith the Chicago Composers Orchestra as a part of their “Evening of World Premieres” concert. Champion says “This has become my favorite piece I’ve written to date. Can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Ethan Check
BFA Acting | Class of 2023
Ethan Check took the stage in Philadelphia this year, portraying David in Quintessence Theatre Group’s production of James Baldwin’s Giovanni’sRoom. This was the first time this work has been adapted for the theatre, and the performance received positive attention from critics across the country, including The NewYorkTimes.
Isa Pardilla
Sophia Williams
BA Music | Class of 2009
Sophia Williams is the frontwoman for Chicago-based blues/psych-rock band Daisychain. In June of 2025, the trio released their debut album All In a Name. Their record was produced by the renowned Sylvia Massy, who has engineered certified platinum records for groups like Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash, and Prince.
BA Theatre Design, Production and Technology | Class of 2024
Isa Pardilla, a recent graduate of our Theatre Design, Production, and Technology program, received the UIC Student Award at the 2025 Michael Merritt Awards. These awards are designed to recognize excellence in theatre design and instruction.
A FEW FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
Liza Calisesi Maidens Assistant Professor, Music
Tanera Marshall Associate Professor, Theatre
Tanera Marshall helped actors like Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones master authentic Hungarian accents for The Brutalist. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, with Brody receiving the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Dr. Liza Calisesi Maidens, named one of UIC’s Rising Star Researchers of the Year, studies historically underrepresented Renaissance and Baroque composers, especially women and composers of color. Her nationally recognized project, Expanding theChoralCanon, produced with Bella Voce, increases access to early choral repertoire.
Robyn Smith
Teaching Associate, Music
Edward Torres Associate Professor, Theatre
UIC Theatre Professor Edward Torres served as both producer and director for the Chicago premiere of David Mamet’s HenryJohnson, presented during Victory Gardens Theater’s return 50th Anniversary season.
Trombone Instructor Robyn Smith performed at Carnegie Hall with the Gateways Festival Orchestra as part of its 2024–2025 season. Founded in 1993, Gateways celebrates Black classical artistry through performances, residencies, and community engagement, amplifying the work of Black composers and forging new connections between artists, audiences, and tradition.
Lonnae Hickman
Adjunct Lecturer, Theatre
Adjunct faculty member Lonnae Hickman received the Michael Maggio Professional Designer Award, which honors outstanding emerging theatrical designers in the Chicago area. The award includes a $2,000 honorarium and recognizes her growing impact, excellence in artistry, and collaborative spirit in Chicago theatre design.
Joon Park Associate Professor, Music
This spring, top music theory journal MusicTheory Online published Associate Professor Joon Park’s article ‘“At One End of the Endless Universe”: Akira Nishimura’s Interview with Isang Yun”. This piece translates the interview between the two composers that explores the social, cultural, and philosophical contexts for Yun’s compositional decisions.
Jordan Kamps Lecturer,Music
Yasen Peyankov
Professor,HeadofTheatre
Yasen Peyankov traveled to Sofia to direct the Bulgarian premiere of ADoll’sHouse,PartTwo at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. He co-translated the play, which has since entered the theatre’s repertory and continues in an open-end run. The show earned multiple performance awards at “Theatre on Crossroads”, an international theatre festival in Nish, Serbia.
Lecturer Jordan Kamps visited Trinidad this spring to participate in the 2025 National Panorama Large Band Finals. This year’s event was a tribute to the Steelpan’s role as a cornerstone of Trinidad and Tobago’s rich cultural heritage.
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
As part of their efforts to support an equitable and inclusive school community, the STM Antiracism Advisory Committee (AAC) successfully developed and implemented a school wide student survey (60% response rate). The survey will enable STM faculty, staff, and administration to better understand our student population and develop responses to challenges they face, especially those related to extracurricular obligations in their personal lives. The AAC additionally developed a draft framework for a module that shares resources related to equity and inclusion that professors can implement at the beginning of the semester and finalized a process for forming STM-specific affinity groups and connecting students with affinity groups on the campus level.
When students were asked to share words they associate with the School of Theatre and Music, their responses were collected and visualized. The size of each word reflects how frequently it was mentioned.
NEW AND EXCITING
WELCOME NEW FACULTY
Andrew Barrett Adjunct Lecturer, Musicology
Andrew Barrett joins UIC as Adjunct Lecturer in Musicology, bringing expertise in transnational musical collaboration across the 20th and 21st centuries. A PhD candidate in musicology at Northwestern University, his research explores Cold War Modernism and the work of Spanish musicians including Andrés Segovia and Joaquín Rodrigo. Andrew has presented at major conferences in the U.S. and Spain, with support from the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs and the Social Science Research Council.
Kirby Fellis Teaching Associate, Jazz Trombone
Kirby Fellis, a Chicago-based trombonist, educator, arranger, and composer, joins UIC’s faculty with a rich background in performance and jazz education. Originally from South Florida, he has spent over a decade performing nationwide with artists such as Darius Rucker, Kurt Elling, Jennifer Hudson, and the Count Basie Orchestra. His work has earned recognition from Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, and the Chicago Jazz Festival, underscoring his dynamic voice within today’s jazz community.
Stephanie Gregoire Clinical Assistant Professor, Music Education
A longtime music educator and current PhD candidate at Northwestern, Stephanie Gregoire brings over a decade of experience across schools, community programs, and university classrooms. As Clinical Assistant Professor of Music Education, she’ll help prepare a new generation of music educators to serve and reflect the communities of Chicago.
Cameo Humes Teaching Associate, Voice
Cameo Humes joins the UIC School of Theatre and Music as Instructor of Voice, bringing a distinguished career as an operatic and concert tenor. He has appeared with renowned companies and festivals including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro alla Scala, Lucerne Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, and the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. His repertoire spans Mozart, Verdi, Blanchard, and Porgy and Bess, reflecting both versatility and depth of artistry. A dedicated educator, Cameo has taught at Central State University and Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, and currently performs with the Lyric Opera of Chicago Chorus.
Galina Kiep
Teaching Associate, Bassoon
Galina Kiep joins UIC as our new bassoon instructor, bringing an accomplished performing and teaching career to the School of Theatre and Music. She has appeared with renowned ensembles including the Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Grant Park Festival Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as festivals such as Pacific Music Festival, Atlantic Music Festival, Santa Monica Music Festival, and Music from Angel Fire. A dedicated educator, Galina has previously taught at Illinois State University, the Music Institute of Chicago, and the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop.
Joey Slotnick
Adjunct Lecturer, Theatre
Joey Slotnick joins the UIC Theatre faculty as Adjunct Lecturer, bringing decades of experience as an actor, improviser, and educator. A longtime ensemble member of Chicago’s Tony Award–winning Lookingglass Theatre Company, he has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in film and television, earning acclaim for his versatility across mediums. Joey has also taught improvisation at Northwestern University, University of Michigan, Oklahoma State, and the Atlantic Theatre School in New York.
Sarah Zegree Director of Vocal Jazz Ensemble
A seasoned music educator, arranger, pianist, and vocalist, Sarah Zegree joins UIC as Director of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. In addition to her new role, Sarah serves as Director of Vocal Music at Evanston Township High School, and has worked with Uniting Voices Chicago, Wheaton North High School, and other area schools as both teacher and accompanist.
FACULTY PROMOTIONS
Dr. Christine Mary Dunford has been promoted to Professor.
Lydia Diamond has been promoted to Associate Professor.
Dado has been promoted to Clinical Associate Professor.
Myron Elliott has been promoted to Associate Professor.
LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNS
The School of Theatre and Music is excited to share that the UIC Latin American Music Festival will return October 9–11, 2025. Presented in conjunction with New Student and Family Program’s Family Weekend, this festival will welcome over 1,000 guests across all three days and provide a vibrant celebration of Latin American music and culture. Highlights include a Mariachi Festival with community workshops and a performance by UIC’s Mariachi Fuego, an academic talk exploring Latin American rock by scholar Carmelo Esterrich, and an indoor block party featuring performances by Madera Once, Banda El Pueblo, Lakeside Pride Latin Band, DJ Marino, Auge Huasteco, and Eréndira Izguerra.
A NEW MARQUEE
The School of Theatre and Music has had a Daktronics digital marquee display since the early 2000s. With over two decades of use, the display had worn down significantly and was limited by the technology of the time. Towards the end of its life, only one side of the marquee was still functional, and the cost to repair the broken panel outweighed the cost to purchase a new model.
This summer, our facilities team worked with Daktronics and Sivert Electrics to upgrade our marquee to a modern offering. This display offers an improvement in resolution, remote scheduling capabilities, and full color display. See below for a before and after comparison.
Before After
