Outside the Box new music festival returns to SIU campus March 24

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - Musicians and music lovers will have the chance to enjoy full week of concerts and workshops on the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Campus.

The university is hosting Outside the Box 2023 new music festival from Friday, March 24 through Friday, March 31.

Now in its 16th year, the festival showcases and brings in internationally known musicians and performers to campus.

Events, such as workshops and concerts, will be held at various locations on the Carbondale campus, including Shryock Auditorium, Altgeld Hall and the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall.

All of these are free and open to the public.

According to SIU, nearly all of the School of Music faculty are contributing to the festival.

“This is an incredibly exciting time of year for the Carbondale community, especially School of Music students and faculty as they perform and interact with nationally and internationally recognized musicians of the highest caliber, often premiering completely new compositions,” said SIU associate professor of music theory and composition Christopher Walczak. “There’s an incomparable energy around Outside the Box. The concerts would be something special in any city, so we’re very proud to be able to offer these events to music lovers in our area.”

Grammy Award winning Third Coast Percussion kicks off the festival at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 24, showcasing its latest work, and will then be joined by the SIU Wind Ensemble.

For a complete schedule of events, click here.