The Illinois Symphony Orchestra [ISO] opens its 2026-27 season this week with some of classical music's spookiest selections. The orchestra plays at Illinois State University on Halloween night, officially christening the Performing Arts Center's Carole and Jerry Ringer Stage.
It will be the first public unveiling of a concert hall renovation that includes a 12-foot stage extension and upgraded lighting— something that has been top-of-mind for ISO music director Taichi Fukumura and Executive Director Trevor Orthmann.
"They removed the four front rows of seats and extended the stage out to where that would be,” Orthmann said. "So it will give a significant amount of room."
In the former configuration, the orchestra was practically spilling off the stage. Fukumura said he would warn soloists they'll be playing precariously close the edge. That limitation also restricted some of the repertoire he could bring to Bloomington-Normal.
"We've been doing a lot of new music here that tends to involve some percussion instruments, and harps, and Celeste, and mallet instruments and all that. So, we've been pretty tight," he said.
The changes are part of a multiyear, multimillion dollar renovation to the university's arts complex funded in part by a $2.78 billion initiative from the state of Illinois investing in capital improvements at higher education institutions.
The stage is only the first part. Ongoing renovations to the east side of the Center for Performing Arts limit access to the School Street parking garage. The ISO has arranged golf cart transport for patrons from the South garage in the interim. The changes also bring the audience 12 feet closer to the musicians; Fukumura and Orthmann both say they're exploring how the changes additionally impact acoustics.
"It's just to figure out with the sound clouds, where, how far forward or how far back should the orchestra be positioned in this new configuration?” Orthmann said.
That's something they're working on in Springfield, too, adjusting to a second home theater at the University of Illinois at Springfield, which was completely closed all of last year.
Spooky classics — and Strauss
Breaking with tradition, last season the ISO opened with a pops concert, partly due to Fukumura's schedule with the Cleveland Orchestra. They could have done the same for an Oct. 31 opener this year, but chose to lean into classical masterworks with a spookier side.
“Once we realized we were going to open the season on Halloween Day, there was a conscious decision that we made together,” Fukumura said. “There's so much great repertoire in the classical tradition that is very appropriate to this theme.”
Specifically, they picked Dukas' Sorcerer’s Apprentice [made famous in the Disney film Fantasia], the "morning" half of Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite, and Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1, as interpreted by soloist Claire Wells.
“We also thought for the orchestra, it's really nice to kick off with something that is going to be one of the most challenging programs we've ever done, but at the same time having so much fun with it,” Fukumura said.
He's talking about Richard Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel, the centerpiece of Saturday's program.
“It's our first Richard Strauss we are doing together ever," he said. “There's a lot of moving pieces and textures, and you have to make sure things are really the right balance and the right articulation and everything has to fit well together. It doesn't really play itself, in a way. You can play the notes, but it's really easy for Strauss to come across a mumble jumble if you don't really take care of everything.”
On top of this, Fukumura added that this particular piece is about a prankster, which makes for an even more difficult Strauss experience.
“There's a lot of humor, a lot of surprises and quick turnarounds and things like that, that is that it has to be navigated really well for it to come across in a funny way.”
Illinois Symphony Orchestra's Tricks and Treats is 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the ISU Center for the Performing Arts, 400 W. Beaufort St. Tickets are $14-$69 at 309-438-2535 and ilsymphony.org.
