Staerkel Planetarium to Host Free Cosmic Concert

Local music ensembles to perform original compositions and improvisations with immersive visuals.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Staerkel Planetarium at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois will host a free concert on February 22nd featuring two local music ensembles. The performance, titled "The Book of Fixed Stars", will combine original compositions, improvised music, and immersive visual projections inspired by constellations and space exploration.

Why it matters

This event provides the community with a unique opportunity to experience live, experimental music in an immersive planetarium setting. By pairing ambient soundscapes with cosmic visuals, the concert aims to inspire wonder and imagination around the mysteries of the universe.

The details

The concert will feature the premiere of "The Book of Fixed Stars" by University of Guelph student Hayden Mesnick, performed by an accordion ensemble led by Mesnick and University of Illinois musicology student Colin Hochstetler. This work interprets constellations through atmospheric sound. The UIUC Improvisers Exchange, an open ensemble class directed by Jason Finkelman, will then perform an improvised quartet set accompanied by geometric imagery. To close the program, the two ensembles will collaborate on Mesnick's "Drone Piece", which will be paired with a simulated journey through space.

The concert is scheduled for Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 7 p.m.

The players

Hayden Mesnick

A student at the University of Guelph who composed "The Book of Fixed Stars" and "Drone Piece" for the concert.

Colin Hochstetler

A University of Illinois musicology student who will lead the accordion ensemble performing Mesnick's compositions.

Jason Finkelman

The director of the UIUC Improvisers Exchange, an open ensemble class that will perform an improvised quartet set.

UIUC Improvisers Exchange

An open ensemble class at the University of Illinois that focuses on omni-idiomatic improvisation, listening and performance strategies, and collaboration across musical genres.