In neighborhoods across Iowa, it is not unusual to see “House Divided” flags flying from homes. The flag combines the logos of the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, and it indicates that at least one alumnus or fan of each university lives at the same residence, with their respective loyalties presumably in tension with one another. The University of Iowa, founded in 1847, and Iowa State University, founded in 1858, have long enjoyed one of the most historic in-state collegiate rivalries since meeting for their first football game in 1894.
On Friday, March 28, 2025, music students and faculty from both universities will unite to present an innovative concert performance in Chicago’s historic Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center, the 2,521-seat auditorium that is home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. We warmly invite you to meet us in Chicago for the concert.
The Iowa Symphony Band, under the direction of University of Iowa Director of Bands Dr. Mark Heidel, and the Iowa State University Wind Ensemble, under the direction of ISU Director of Bands Dr. Michael Golemo, will share the stage in one of the finest concert halls in the world. Their unique combined performance will be the first collaboration between these storied ensembles and will feature a compelling program of traditional and contemporary compositions performed by some of the finest student musicians from each campus.
The Iowa Symphony Band will perform Festmusik der Stadt Wien by Richard Strauss; O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen; Run to the Light by Ivan Trevino featuring UI alumni Dr. Nick Miller (2020 MA, 2023 DMA) and Dr. Peter Naughton (2014 BM, 2020 DMA) as percussion soloists; Handel in the Strand by Percy Grainger, with Golemo as guest conductor; Unidad En Ritmo by Michelle Fernandez; and Polka and Fugue from Schwanda by Jaromir Weinberger, with UI faculty member Dr. Gregory Hand on organ.
The ISU Wind Ensemble’s program consists of the Finale from Paul Fauchet’s Symphony in B-flat; Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, featuring ISU faculty member Mei-Hsuan Huang on piano; Dance of the Jesters from “The Snow Maiden” by Peter Tchaikovsky, with Heidel as guest conductor; and Concerto for Wind Ensemble by Kevin Day.
This concert is sure to be a proud moment for the state of Iowa as these two talented Iowa ensembles come together in an historic exhibition of musical unity—and we’re hoping that Hawkeyes, Cyclones, music lovers, and Chicago lovers alike will unite and fill Orchestra Hall in proud support of our talented students. We will also be hosting a reception before the concert for School of Music alumni and friends. If you would like to attend but have not received an invitation, please contact music@uiowa.edu for details.
We encourage you to begin planning now for your weekend trip to Chicago this spring!
Tickets are available through the Chicago Symphony Orchestra website at https://bit.ly/UI-ISU-Chicago. General admission tickets are $20 each, while tickets for groups of 20 or more are $8 per person.
Richard Mark Heidel is Director of Bands and Professor of Music in the School of Music at the University of Iowa, where he conducts the Iowa Symphony Band, teaches graduate courses in conducting and band literature, guides the graduate band conducting program, and oversees all aspects of the University of Iowa Bands program.