The Northern Illinois University Steelband at the Ottawa Center for the Arts Great Hall
Tue, Apr 21
|The Great Hall
The NIU Steelband is dedicated to demonstrating the versatility and profundity of the steelpan, the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. Created in 1973 by G. Allan O'Connor. Tickets ($20) Go On Sale March 1st, 2026!
Time & Location
Apr 21, 2026, 7:00 PM CDT
The Great Hall, 910 Columbus St, Ottawa, IL 61350, USA
About the event
The Northern Illinois University Steelband (NIU Steelband) is dedicated to demonstrating the versatility and profundity of the steelpan, the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. Created in 1973 by G. Allan O'Connor, the NIU Steelband is the first active steel orchestra formed at an American university and celebrated its 50 th Anniversary in April 2023. NIU is also one of the few institutions in the world at which students may pursue undergraduate and graduate music degrees with a steelpan emphasis.
The ensemble has performed throughout the United States and across the globe. Some of the band’s most notable appearances include a performance for 18,000 soccer fans at Yankee Stadium, tours of Taiwan in 1992 and 1998, concerts with symphony orchestras (including the St. Louis Symphony and the Chicago Sinfonietta), and several performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC). In 2000, the NIU Steelband had the distinction of placing 2nd at…