World Music Ensembles

Ensembles are open to all students, regardless of major. Learn more about large ensemble auditions.

Banda NIU

Banda NIU is an ensemble in the NIU School of Music that honors the tradition of the great bandas from Mexico and performs styles from across Latin America. Its long and rich history is drawn on collaboration between European immigrants to Mexico in the 1800s and popular Mexican song. The most popular subgenre of regional Mexican music, Banda relies solely on an instrumentation of wind instruments. It is open to all students and anyone in the northern Illinois community. Interested musicians should be able to read music and have considerable performance experience on clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba/sousaphone, drums, percussion or voice. Students interested in participating in Banda should contact Jui-Ching Wang, D.M.A. at jcwang@niu.edu.

Chinese Music Ensemble

The Chinese Music Ensemble was one of the first college Chinese music groups in the U.S. and currently is the only one in Illinois. Established by Professor Emeritus Kuo-Huang Han in the 1970s, it gave several national and international concert performances between 1976 and 1978. Members of the ensemble learn to play assorted authentic Chinese instruments.

Individual lessons and group rehearsals make up the major part of the curriculum and Chinese musical instruments are available for short-term loan on a semester basis. In addition, members of the ensemble will also be introduced to basic Chinese music theory, the standard repertoire of Chinese instrumental and chamber music and knowledge about performance practice along with the aesthetic values and symbolism of Chinese traditional music.

Selected performance clips:

• Colorful Clouds Chasing after the Moon (彩雲追月)
• Joyfulness (喜洋洋)

Gamelan Ensemble

Gamelan is a percussion-dominated ensemble from Indonesia. It is the most popular Asian ensemble in the world, having 120 sets in the United States. The NIU School of Music teaches the Central Javanese and Balinese gamelans and gives regular concerts and demonstrations. Many composers, including students and faculty at NIU, also write new compositions for the gamelan.

Korean Drumming Ensemble

Korean Drumming Ensemble teaches two performance genres derived from Pungmul (Korean traditional folk music), Seoljanggu and Samulnori. Seoljanggu is a collection of janggu (hourglass-shaped drum) rhythms, while Samulnori is a percussion quartet consisting of four instruments, two gongs and two drums. In this ensemble, students will learn to play assorted percussion instruments in traditional style and to create their own Samulnori rhythms. 

Mariachi NIU

Mariachi is one of Mexico’s most recognized musical traditions, with roots in western Mexico and a history that has developed across generations. More than an instrumentation or musical genre, mariachi brings together instrumental performance, singing, cultural expression, storytelling and community.

The modern mariachi ensemble is built around the distinctive combination of violins, trumpets, guitar, vihuela and guitarrón, with harp and voice also playing important roles in the tradition. Its repertoire reflects the musical diversity of Mexico and includes son jalisciense, ranchera, huapango, bolero, vals, polka and canción, among other styles.

Mariachi NIU combines university-level musical study with the performance practices and community-centered traditions of mariachi. Students develop strong ensemble skills, stylistic understanding, musical independence, stage presence and a deeper appreciation for the cultural and historical traditions represented in the music.

A central part of the Mariachi NIU experience is learning how to become a confident and independent performing musician. Students are challenged to prepare repertoire at a high level, develop their vocal and instrumental abilities and memorize music for performance. Rehearsals emphasize accuracy, musicality, listening, communication and the ability to perform as a unified ensemble without relying exclusively on written music.

Learning in Mariachi NIU extends well beyond the rehearsal room. Members gain real-world professional experience performing for university audiences, schools, community organizations and major public events, including appearances with the Chicago White Sox. Central to the ensemble’s mission is community mentorship, connecting NIU musicians with youth programs across northern Illinois and the greater Chicago area to model leadership and inspire future college musicians.

Embracing mariachi’s intergenerational tradition of passing knowledge forward, members grow as performers, mentors and cultural advocates. Mariachi NIU is open to university students and community members with music-reading skills and performance experience in violin, trumpet, guitar, vihuela, guitarrón, harp or voice.

Middle Eastern Ensemble*

The Middle Eastern Music Ensemble provides an opportunity for students to learn the theoretical, practical and historical perspectives of Pan-Arabic music traditions. Throughout the course, students will be introduced to a wide range of Pan-Arabic music styles, with a certain emphasis on irregular rhythmic modes and maqams (tonal/melodic systems).

Repertoire to be studied in the ensemble ranges from classical pieces to religious, folk, popular and children’s songs from the Middle Eastern region. Guest artists from the Middle East (Turkey, Syria and Morocco) are regularly invited to give concerts, master classes and workshops.

Thai Music Ensemble*

Under the direction of Thai music specialist, Chamni Sripraram, Thai music ensemble is the newest addition to the NIU World Music Program. Members of the Thai music ensemble study assorted Thai music styles, including the classical court and the northeastern folkloric styles, including music and instruments of the Piphat, Mahori and Khrueang sai ensembles and the Mor Lam.

Other ensembles featuring music from around the globe include Banda NIU, Mariachi NIU and our Steelpan ensembles.