CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — The Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland College will host a free concert later this month featuring two local music ensembles performing beneath the planetarium dome.
The concert, titled The Book of Fixed Stars, is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. and will showcase original compositions and improvised performances paired with immersive visual projections.
University of Illinois musicology student Colin Hochstetler and University of Guelph improvisation student Hayden Mesnick will lead an accordion ensemble in the premiere of Mesnick’s composition, The Book of Fixed Stars. The work interprets constellations through ambient sound, creating an experience designed specifically for a planetarium setting.
Following the premiere, the planetarium sky will transition to geometric imagery as the UIUC Improvisers Exchange performs an improvised quartet set. The ensemble is directed by Jason Finkelman and focuses on omni-idiomatic improvisation, listening and performance strategies, and collaboration across musical genres.
To close the program, both ensembles will join together for another Mesnick composition, Drone Piece, accompanied by a simulated flight through space — beginning outside the Milky Way galaxy, traveling past nearby stars and through the Solar System, and ending at Earth.
The UIUC Improvisers Exchange was created in 2017 through the University of Illinois Center for Advanced Study Annual Initiative and remains an open ensemble class for musicians of all backgrounds.
Admission to the concert is free, but seating is limited. Tickets may be reserved at tickets.parkland.edu. For additional information, visit planetarium.parkland.edu or call 217-351-2568.