Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra

Youth Concerts

2027 CUSO Youth Concerts
At Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

“We’ve Got Rhythm!”

Tuesday, March 30, 2027 | 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, March 31, 2027 | 10:00 a.m.

Educators and students in grades 3 through 6 are invited to join Maestro Stephen Alltop and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra for the 2027 Youth Concerts at Krannert Center, “We’ve Got Rhythm!” Music lovers of all ages will enjoy this fun, toe-tapping celebration of rhythm. We are surrounded by pulse in our world: our hearts beat, clocks tick, jackhammers hammer, and music makes us move! This engaging and interactive program explores the importance and enjoyment of rhythm in a wide range of music, from classical to rock and roll!

Teachers, download the concert Educator’s Guide here!



ADMISSION IS FREE, ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
Educators must register their class online. For more information and to register for the free 2027 Youth Concerts, visit the Krannert Center website here.

Maple Leaf Rag—Scott Joplin
We’ve Got Rhythm—Roberto Sierra
I Got Rhythm—George Gershwin
Scherzo from Symphony No. 9 (selected passages)—Ludwig van Beethoven
Danzón No. 2—Arturo Márquez
Overture to “West Side Story”—Leonard Bernstein
Rock and Roll Variation (from Happy Birthday Variations)—Matthew Naughtin

 
The CUSO Youth Concerts are produced in partnership with Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, with funding from the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra, Richard and Judith Kaplan, Jane and Chris Scherer, the Robeson Family Benefit Fund, the Meredith Foundation, and the Illinois Arts Council.

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.