Now in its 21 st season, the 2025 Southern Illinois Music Festival runs May 23 through June 8, under the artistic and administrative direction of SIU School of Music Emeritus Professor Edward Benyas. Professional singers, instrumentalists and dancers from across the United States and Europe converge in Southern Illinois to perform orchestral and chamber music, opera, jazz and educational programs, along with select SIU faculty and students.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, May 23, 2025

7pm: WSIU SIFest 2025 Radio Preview, 91.9 FM
7pm: Violin Soirée ($50)
Guyon Home
Drinks, hors d’oeuvres and music by Michael Barta, Kiril Laskarov and Anita Hutton

Saturday, May 24, 2025

7pm: Saturday String Soirée ($50)
Artspace 304
Drinks, hors d’oeuvres and music by Some Strings Attached

Sunday, May 25, 2025

2pm: Antigone String Quartet ($25/10)
First United Methodist Church of Carbondale
Quartets by Beethoven, Dvorak and Coleridge-Taylor

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

6pm: Chamber Music in Cairo (Free)
Harold Jones Fine Arts Center
Piano and String Quartet

7pm: Meredith Young Artists Opera Arias ($25/10)
First United Methodist Church of Carbondale
Arias and Ensembles by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and more

Friday, May 30, 2025

7pm: Opera Teaser ($25/10)
Alto Vineyards
Famous opera excerpts by Mozart, Donizetti, Bizet, Offenbach, Verdi and Puccini with internationally recognized soloists

Saturday, May 31, 2025

1pm: Antigone Quartet at Rend Lake (Free)
Rend Lake Event Center

2pm: Mozart and Beethoven Chamber Music ($25/10)
Artspace 304
String Quartets and soprano arias with piano and violin

8pm: Donizetti’s Anna Bolena ($25/10)
Altgeld Castle
The tragic story of Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour, performed outdoors with a castle backdrop
(Lawn seating Free)
*Note the late start time. Rain date: Sunday, June 1

Sunday, June 1, 2025

2pm: Antigone String Quartet in Anna ($10/5)
Anna Arts Center
Antigone String Quartet

8pm: (Rain Date) Donizetti’s Anna Bolena at Altgeld Castle

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

7pm: Mozart and Haydn ($25/10)
O’Neill Auditorium at John A. Logan College
Haydn’s first two “London” Symphonies (93 and 94), Bruch’s Kol Nidre, with David Peshlakai, and Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, with Diana Higbee

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

4pm: Chamber Music by Telemann and Beethoven (Free)
Morris Library 3 rd Floor Rotunda

Friday, June 6, 2025

7pm: Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore ($25/10)
Shryock Auditorium
The Elixir of Love, one of opera’s most melodic and delightful comedies

Saturday, June 7, 2025

7pm: Beethoven Violin Concerto ($25/10)
Carterville High School
Music by Cimarosa, Schubert and Beethoven with soloists Kelly Sulick, Abby Simoneau and Amelia Korbitz

Sunday, June 8, 2025

2pm: Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore ($25/10)
Shryock Auditorium

Fest Date: May 23 - June 8, 2025

Locations:
Artspace 304, 304 W Walnut St, Carbondale, IL 62901
First United Methodist Church, 214 West Main Street, Carbondale, IL 62901
Harold S Jones Fine Arts Center, 815 Commercial Avenue, Cairo, IL 62914
Alto Vineyards, 8515 Highway 127, Alto Pass, IL 62905
Rend Lake College, 468 North Ken Gray Parkway, Ina, IL 62846
Anna Arts Center, 125 W Davie Street, Anna, IL 62906
John A. Logan College, 700 Logan College Drive, Carterville, IL 62918
Morris Library, 605 Agriculture Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901
Shryock Auditorium, 1050 South Normal Avenue, Carbondale, IL 62901
Carterville High School, 1415 West Grand Avenue, Carterville, IL 62918

Click here for more information.