Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra

Youth Concerts

2026 CUSO Youth Concerts
At Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

“The Composer’s Toolbox”

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.

The annual Youth Concerts at Krannert Center bring the magic of live music to thousands of school children each year. Educators and students in grades 3–6 are invited to join Maestro Stephen Alltop and CUSO in April 2026 for “The Composer’s Toolbox.”

How do composers write music? What do they find in their “tool box” to help them compose? This engaging and interactive program will allow students to become composers, making decisions about instrumental sounds and colors. Students will enjoy this musical adventure with favorite movements from Georges Bizet’s Carmen, Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, and Sicilienne by Gabriel Fauré. Each concert is approximately 45 minutes.

Teachers, download the concert Educator’s Guide here!



ADMISSION IS FREE!
Register at krannertcenter.com
The Youth Concerts are funded by CUSO and presented free of charge as part of the Krannert Center Youth Series.

ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
To register for the free concert, educators must complete the online ticket form on the Krannert Center website.

Register

Selections from:
BIZET: Carmen
GRIEG: Peer Gynt Suite
FAURÉ: Sicilienne

 
The 2026 CUSO Youth Concerts are funded by the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra and produced in partnership with Krannert Center for the Performing Arts as part of their Youth Series. Funding is also provided by the Guild of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, the CUSO Youth Music Appreciation Endowment Fund, the Robeson Family Benefit Fund, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

The CUSO Youth Concerts provide elementary school students in Champaign County a live symphonic musical experience in the Foellinger Great Hall of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. As many as 3,000 students attend these concerts each year, coming from communities throughout the region within a 50-mile radius. Participating teachers receive an Educator’s Guide and recordings for pre-concert study in the classroom to help enhance their students’ concert experience and musical education.

The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra first performed the Youth Concerts (known then as Young People’s Concerts and KinderKonzerts) in 1964. Early on, the concerts were in Foellinger Auditorium, but their popularity necessitated a move first to the Assembly Hall and then to the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, where the performances have been held since 1975.

CUSO recognizes the importance of engaging future generations with classical music. The Youth Concerts are a critical part of CUSO’s mission and an opportunity we are proud to provide. We thank Krannert Center for the Performing Arts for their support of these wonderful concerts.