Above / Wentz Concert Hall and the Madden Theater both are located in the North Central College Fine and Performing Arts Center located at 171 E. Chicago Avenue at Ellsworth Street, just steps from downtown Naperville.
Before the music begins…NCAA Football Division III – Finals
7PM Sun., Jan. 4 / Football: Kickoff at 7PM – 52nd Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, Sunday, Jan. 4, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio. TV ESPN. University of Wisconsin River Falls vs. North Central College. Go, Cardinals!
Music finds its way at North Central College
3PM Sun., Jan. 18 / Music: Dr. King’s enduring message of compassion, courage, and community beats on in the Chicago Sinfonietta’s annual MLK tribute concert. They offer the Chicago premiere of a new film suite by Kathryn Bostic; based on the novel The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Chicago Sinfonietta cellist Edward Kelsey Moore, a deeply human story capturing the bonds of friendship and resilience. They reprise Joel Thompson’s powerful “breathe/burn: an elegy”, commissioned by Chicago Sinfonietta in 2020 in remembrance of Breonna Taylor, featuring acclaimed cellist Jeffrey Zeigler. Closing their program is Antonin Dvořák’s “From the New World” Symphony 9, inspired by the African American spirituals he encountered during his time in the American Midwest. The concert begins at 3PM in Wentz Concert Hall. Tickets are $45-65; call 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/show.
7:30PM Fri., Jan. 23 / Music: North Central College faculty artist Abigail Riccards is a nationally recognized Chicago vocalist who has been a prominent voice in the jazz world for nearly two decades. After launching her career in New York City – performing at Birdland, the Jazz Standard, Smalls, and the Kitano – she was selected as a semifinalist in the 2004 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. Now a leading figure in the Chicago scene, she frequently headlines the Green Mill, the Jazz Showcase, and Winter’s Jazz Club, and has collaborated with artists such as Jane Monheit, Peter Bernstein, Joel Frahm, and Matt Wilson. For this concert, she will be joined by an outstanding NCC faculty ensemble: Christ White (piano), Dan Anderson (bass), Tim Coffman (trombone), and Juan Pastor (drums). The recital begins at 7:30PM in Madden Theatre. Tickets are $15; call 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/show.
7:30PM Sat., Jan. 24 / Music: Flute faculty member Ellen Huntington will present a recital featuring solo and chamber works for flute. The program includes Schubert’s Sonata in A minor (“Arpeggione”), Enesco’s “Cantiabile et Presto,” Mozart’s Flute Quartet in D Major, and “Court Dances” by Michael Harberg. Huntington will be joined by string faculty members Mara Gallagher, violin, and Claire Langenberg, cello. The recital begins at 7:30PM in Wentz Concert Hall. Tickets are $7; call 630-637-SHOW (7469) or visit northcentralcollege.edu/show.
Thanks for supporting the arts!
North Central College’s 2025–2026 Fine and Performing Arts Season is partially supported by the following sponsors and partners: Dommermuth, Cobine, West, Gensler, Philipchuck and Corrigan, Ltd.
These upcoming events are among many ongoing programs at North Central College to enrich and broaden the cultural and academic outlook for the College and community. North Central offers a variety of venues that accommodate a rich range of local and world-class events, performances and space needs for the public.
For a comprehensive schedule of musical performances, theatrical and dance productions, visit northcentralcollege.edu/show or call the box office at 630-637-SHOW (7469).
