May 21, 2026
Southern Illinois Music Festival to pay tribute to ‘America at 250’
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Break out the red, white and blue as the 22nd season of the nationally recognized Southern Illinois Music Festival (SIFest) pays tribute to the nation’s 250th birthday.
The three-week festival, from June 18 to July 4, will commemorate the nation’s music history with American classical music from the 18th through the 21st centuries, featuring composers such as Amy Beach, George Whitefield Chadwick, Samuel Barber, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Chick Corea, Aaron Copland and many more. Offerings include five major orchestral programs, five “patriotic pops” concerts, numerous chamber music programs, at locations throughout the region, and a special pre-fireworks concert outside of SIU Carbondale’s Banterra Center on July 4.
Edward Benyas, SIFest artistic director, founder and conductor, said this year’s repertoire is an opportunity to introduce audiences to a tremendous range of music by American composers.
“The crux of the festival are five concerts at Carterville High School that will cover about 150 years of American Classical music, which major symphony orchestra and music festivals often neglect,” said Benyas, professor emeritus of oboe and conducting at SIU Carbondale and executive director of the Cascade Symphony in Edmonds, Washington.
Benyas said the five concerts include the music of 19th century masters George Whitefield Chadwick and Charles Ives; 20th century icons George Gershwin, William Grant Still, Florence Price, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein; and living American composers John Adams, James Stephenson, Peter Boyer, Mary Watkins and John Williams.
Media availability
Reporters, photographers and news crews interested in covering the Southern Illinois Music Festival may arrange interviews with Edward Benyas, SIFest artistic director, founder and conductor, at benyas@siu.edu or 312-560-2094.
The festival will commemorate the music of no less than 15 living American composers who range in age from 21 to 94 years old. In addition, throughout the festival there will be instrumental selections from American musicals including “Oklahoma!,” “Hamilton,” “South Pacific,” “West Side Story” and “A Chorus Line.” There also will be excerpts from John Williams’ film scores at every orchestral concert.
Artist biographies, ensembles and the full schedule of concerts are available on the festival website, sifest.com.
This year’s festival received a significant boost to help with programming with a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The funds went toward performance rights for American classical music not in the public domain that will be performed at this year’s festival.
Festival highlights
WSIU Radio will host a one-hour festival preview at 8 p.m. June 12 (with rebroadcast June 19). On June 18, a festival preview and reception featuring jazz and string chamber music is set for 8 p.m. at Buckwater Brew Works and Whiskey House in Carbondale.
The festival’s opening event is at 7 p.m. June 20 with a “Patriotic Pops Concert” at SIU Carbondale’s Tedrick Welcome Center, highlighting American music from composers including John Philip Sousa, Gershwin, Copland and Williams. The event will include free hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
Other concert locations include Carterville High School, the Marion Civic Center, the Harold Jones Fine Arts Center in Cairo, Artspace Southern Illinois 304 Cultural Arts Center, the African American Museum, and the First United Methodist Church, all in Carbondale, and Alto Vinyards.
Tickets available now
Tickets for all SIFest 2026 events, except those that are free, are $25 general admission and $10 for students of any age, and available at concert venues 30 minutes before each performance. An all-festival pass is $200 and includes admission to all events along with a 60-page program booklet, valued together at $280. Advance festival passes and individual tickets are available on the SIFest 2026 brochure ticket order form on the festival website.