Faculty Ensembles
Illinois State University's School of Music also houses a number of faculty ensembles, whose remarkable performances honor not only the School of Music, but the University as a whole.
Faculty Brass Quintet
Since its formation in 1974, the Illinois State University Faculty Brass Quintet has enjoyed a reputation of excellence. In addition to performing on campus recitals, the Illinois State Faculty Brass Quintet has been a featured group in the New Sounds Music Festival in Canterbury, England; the Illinois Music Educators Conference; and the Midwestern Chamber Music Workshop in Lawrence, Kansas. Composer David Gillingham's work Quintessence for Brass Quintet and Wind Ensemble was written especially for the group. The quintet performs and does clinics as outreach to the public and the private schools throughout Illinois. While in Canterbury, England, the quintet toured the grammar and the primary schools, performing outreach concerts to the children through the town.
Also, the Faculty Brass Quintet has served as a performing opportunity for a deserving trumpet graduate student. Among those who have performed with the group are Chris Jaudes, freelance New York artist and lead trumpet for Flower Drum Song on Broadway; Thomas Erdmann, Director of Bands at Elon College, NC; Randy Reyman, trumpet professor at Millikin University; Rick Rowell, trumpet professor at Centenary College in LA and Principal Trumpet in the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra; Deb Whitfield, band director in Alice, Texas; Brian White, band director in Singapore; and most recently Kelly Watkins, member of the U.S. Coast Guard Band.
Faculty Jazz Quartet
This group performs at various events on and off campus and may include guest performers from the local musical community. All of the members contribute original compositions, arrangements, and transcriptions which gives the concert programs a wide range of styles and approaches. Future plans include a Faculty Jazz Ensemble CD.
Faculty String Quartet
The School of Music Faculty String Quartet performs concerts regionally, nationally, and internationally. The FSQ is comprised of Dr. Sarah Gentry, violin; Kate Lewis, viola; and Adriana La Rosa Ransom, cello. The position of second violin is awarded through auditions to a qualified graduate student. The student holds the position of second violinist as an assistantship for the period of one to two years while completing graduate work in the School of Music.
Le Nuove Musiche
Le Nuove Musiche is the Faculty New Music Ensemble at Illinois State University. Under the artistic guidance of Michelle Vought and Glenn Block, this ensemble specializes in the performance of the most recent musical works for any vocal and/or instrumental combination.
Sonneries Woodwind Quintet
The Sonneries' repertoire includes a variety of styles and periods that, coupled with their technical perfection, captivates audiences of all ages and interests. In residence at Illinois State University, the Sonneries Quintet has performed and given master classes in North America, Europe, and the Orient. Current membership includes Kimberly Risinger, flute; David Gresham, clarinet; Judith Dicker, oboe; Michael Dicker, basson; and Joe Neisler, horn. This group rehearses regularly during the course of the academic year and 
performs frequently on campus and throughout the state of Illinois.
The Quintet has earned similar acclaim for performances in Europe, Japan, and major cities throughout the U.S.. In addition to a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York, the group has appeared in Pablo Casals and Asahi Shinbun Halls in Toyko, the Goodman Theater and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts in Chicago, Persons Auditorium in Marlboro, and the Music Educators National Conference in Atlanta, Atlantic City, and Chicago. The Sonneries Quintet has been featured at the Moon Beach Music Festival in Okinawa and Tokyo.
Linden Duo
Kimberly McCoul Risinger and Angelo L. Favis began performing together in 1996. Finding that they really enjoyed playing together and shared a passion for contemporary music, they began to concertize as a duo soon thereafter. Since its inception, the Linden Duo has entertained audiences with their artistry and innovative programming. They have given concerts in the United States and Canada and have been featured at several new music festivals throughout the country, such as the New Music Festival at Lewis University, the 7-11 Festival of Contemporary Music at the University of 
Illinois, and the annual conferences of the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) and the Association for Technology in Music Instruction (ATMI).
The Linden Duo performed the world premieres of Matthew Halper's Sonata for Flute and Guitar and Stephen Taylor's Seven Microworlds for Flute, Guitar, and Electronics; both of which were written for and dedicated to them. The duo also appears on vol. 12 of the Music from SEAMUS series of recordings, and has recently concluded a tour of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. They continue to seek out new works and encourage composers to write for them.
