Initiative Category: Music

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is dedicated to advancing the values exhibited in the life of Abraham Lincoln: excellence, service, and honor. Each year, the academy recognizes Lincoln Laureates who embody these virtues, as well as a group of Student Laureates.  

For the recent 58th Convocation & Investiture, Trinity’s Assistant Professor of Music Toni Esker performed several pieces. Esker sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Illinois,” the official state song, and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” for which she received a standing ovation.  

The ceremony, which was attended by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, honored William J. Brodsky, Debra Cafaro, Rebecca Carlisle Doyle, John McCarter, Martha C. Nussbaum, and Justice Robert R. Thomas.

“This was by far one of my favorite performances of all time,” said Esker. “It was such an honor and a privilege to be a part of a ceremony honoring these highly accomplished and influential citizens of Illinois.” 

The convocation ceremony can be viewed here.  

OPUS,  Trinity’s annual festival of student scholarship, is taking place on Wednesday, April 20.  The word “opus” is Latin for work. Whether it’s the arts & humanities, natural & applied sciences, or social sciences, students from all disciplines can present their work or attend this annual celebratory conference.

We invite you to attend OPUS 2022 and imagine the possibilities of your own OPUS!

OPUS SCHEDULE

12:30-12:45             OPUS Parade

12:45-1:15               Opening Ceremony

1:30-4:15                 Student Presentations

4:30-5:15                 Presentation Showdown

All students are given the opportunity to enter into a competition for all solo and group presentations. Top scorers advance to the Presentation Showdown where they give a 5-minute summary of their presentation in front of their peers and additional judges.

4:30-6:30                 Trinity Trolldown Dinner in the Dining Hall

5:00-6:00                 Dunk Tank Fundraiser for Ukraine

6:00-7:30                 Raffle & Closing Ceremony

7:30-8:30                 Senior Student/OPUS Art Reception

6:30-8:30                 GRUMPUS Graduate OPUS

9:00-10:00               Outcry

Special Thank you!

The Trinity Christian College community is grateful to alumni Yvette Madany (’85) and Peter Madany (’82), who generously provided financial support to underwrite expenses for OPUS 2022.

The OPUS 2022 committee is also grateful for the support of Trinity administration, faculty, and staff, including the departments of admissions, student life, physical plant, audio-visual services, information technology services, marketing and communications, and Creative Dining.

OPUS Committee Members

Brian Cerney

Inglebert Christiansen (Student Graphic Designer)

Sarah Hoeksema (co-chair)

Jeff Nyhoff

Mary LoGalbo

Deb Majewski (co-chair)

Katie Oomkes

Julianna Padilla (Student Government Representative)

Aron Reppmann

Omar Sweiss

Kevin Schenke

Maura Sukamto (Student Graphic Designer)

Please join the Trinity Christian College community this April 23rd at 4 p.m. for All God’s Children. This new concert includes performances by student choral and instrumental ensembles and by music faculty, as well as the dancers from Ballet 5:8!

And join us afterward for cookies and drinks.

Tickets are available here

Hotel Information:

Click here for information about area hotels.

For the second year in a row, Yamaha has named 40 exceptional music educators under the age of 40, and Trinity’s own Prof. Justin Antos, Ph.D., has been named to this selective group.

“I felt extremely humbled when Yamaha contacted me, because Yamaha and its Educator Suite are so ubiquitous in the music education field and I have consulted their resources countless times throughout my career,” said Antos, who teaches in Trinity’s Adult Undergraduate Program.

The award is given to educators who possess action, courage, creativity, and growth characteristics while going above and beyond when instructing music programs. According to Yamaha, hundreds of nominations were received.

For Antos, educating his students goes beyond music. “The only takeaway I want my students to remember from our experiences together is that they were always loved and their voices were always heard,” he said.

Along with his courses at Trinity, Antos serves as director of bands and orchestras at Dwight D. Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Ill., and director of bands at Saint Xavier University. He frequently performs as a percussionist and studio musician throughout Chicago

He started becoming passionate about making music his career starting in high school. “At that time, I thought that if someone studied music in college, they automatically majored in music education. It was not until I started studying in college when I realized that there are so many facets to undergraduate music study,” he said. “Fortunately for me, I loved music education and performance so much that I hit the ground running and never looked back.”

His musical interests are diverse. “I am attracted to talent; regardless of genre, I appreciate the contributions of master musicians from hip-hop to classical to non-western music,” he said.

Antos loves teaching both at the high school and college level. “I try my best to build strong relationships with my students rooted in our common interests. Once that level of trust and mutual respect is established, we can both reach our fullest musical potential,” he said. “That said, I love teaching high school students because I can introduce them to different musical experiences that hopefully can generate a lifelong appreciation for the art; I love teaching college students because I get to then refine those interests at a higher, more in-depth level.”

A Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity Christian College prepares students to flourish in their careers and vocations. And our graduates are well-prepared. According to data from Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation and Career Development, 97.7 percent of the graduates in the Class of 2021 are employed or in graduate school. That far surpasses the nationwide average of 82.4 percent. 

Each year, Trinity seeks career outcome data from new alumni. For 2020-’21 degree conferrals, 82.1% of graduates are employed, 15.1% are enrolled in graduate school, and one is serving the United States in the military.  

“We are excited to see our students successfully launch into their life after Trinity and continue to make meaningful contributions in the world,” said Director of Vocation and Career Development Jeff Timmer. “This metric is just one way that Trinity demonstrates how it prepares students for positive engagement in their communities and for contributions to the Kingdom.” 

Companies that employ recent Trinity graduates include Amazon, BDO USA, Chicago Public Schools, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Topel Forman. 

The class of 2021 has a range of job titles, reflecting the diversity and depth of Trinity’s liberal arts education: medical surgical/oncological nurse; special education teacher; art therapist; communications coordinator; graphic designer; tax associate; internal events coordinator; pastor; business analyst; baseball coach; police officer; and occupational therapy technician, among others. 

Trinity graduates are also pursing further education at the graduate level at institutions such as Duke Divinity School, John Marshall Law School, Northwestern University, Rush University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  

Avery Johnson ’21, is currently attending Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and she cited the support she received from Trinity in helping her on her journey.  “I couldn’t have gotten this far without the help of the Trinity’s staff and professors,” said Johnson, who double majored in Biblical Studies and Communication Arts at Trinity and plans to become an ordained minister. 

For more information about Trinity’s 98% placement rate, visit Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation & Career Development. 

On Dec. 4, Trinity’s Music Department came together to celebrate Christmastide, and the Chicago Tribune’s Daily Southtown was there to cover the return of the beloved tradition.

Myriam Melidona, a junior nursing student from Oak Forest, was one of the Christmastide participants quotes in the article. She said the songs brought so much meaning, particularly after last year’s Christmastide was cancelled because of Covid. “Since we didn’t have the opportunity to perform for the community last year, it’s a wonderful opportunity to come together,” Melidona told reporter Mary Compton. “It’s a also a way to showcase our talents and our praises to the people that come and join us and recognize the true meaning of the season of Christmas.”

You can read the entire article here.

Trinity’s Wind and Brass Ensembles, led by Prof. Artie Black, recently performed at the Concert on the Lawn, providing joyful music on a beautiful fall day. It was the first time the groups had played together in person since December 2019.

To see more about the performance, visit Trinity’s YouTube page.

Join us for Stardust Jazz Night, with the Trinity Jazz Ensemble and the Trinity Jazz Collaborative! The concert will take place at 7 pm in Ozinga Chapel Auditorium on Sept. 24. The concert marks the first in a series of events planned by Trinity’s Music Department this semester.

After an opening from the Trinity Christian College Jazz Ensemble, the night will feature a professional performance from Trinity Faculty members Artie Black (sax), Chris Davis (trumpet), and Kevin Brown (guitar) with special guests Katie Ernst (bass and vocals), and Tim Mulvenna (drums). Don’t miss this beautiful evening of live jazz,  right here on campus!

“We are very excited to return to live music after not being able to gather for concerts last year,” said Professor of Music and Department Chair Mark Peters. “Stardust Jazz this year features our student jazz ensemble opening for the Trinity Jazz Collective, a professional combo featuring three Trinity faculty.”

An education from Trinity Christian College doesn’t just change lives—our graduates go on to change the world. And the life-changing value of a Trinity education has once again been recognized by U.S. New and World Report, which named Trinity to several of its “best” lists for 2022, including among the Top 20 Regional Colleges Midwest and #15 for social mobility. And in U.S. News’ inaugural ranking, Trinity’s nursing program has been ranked among the top 300 of all undergraduate nursing programs in the United States. 

U.S. News uses multiple criteria for its highly regarded rankings. To be named among the “Best Colleges,” Trinity was rated for its graduation and retention rates; social mobility; academic reputation; student selectivity; financial resources; alumni giving; and graduate debt, among other factors. 

“I am confident that, under the tutelage of a talented and dedicated faculty, Trinity students work hard and learn well as they prepare for a lifetime of opportunity and service,” said President Kurt D. Dykstra. “While no one set of data can measure that kind of transformative experience in full, it is gratifying to, once again, be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top college in the Midwest.” 

Trinity’s performance on social mobility deserved its own category, according to U.S. News, which looked at Trinity’s ability to enroll and graduate students from less-advantaged backgrounds. U.S. News also recognized Trinity’s undergraduate nursing program. (see “U.S. News Recognizes BSN Program among Best in Country”) 

“We are honored and excited to be recognized as an institution that excels at making a college education possible for students from all backgrounds,” said Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D. “This recognition is the result of the significant dedication of an excellent faculty and staff – but, most truly, it is a recognition of the hard work, dedication, and amazing gifts of Trinity’s students. It is such a privilege to serve the students who come to Trinity to learn, to be challenged, to be transformed, and to discover the joy of their vocation.”  

Along with the U.S. News rankings, Trinity is frequently recognized by many organizations for preparing students for a world that needs them. The College’s honors include being named a “College of Distinction;” routinely ranked the best BSN programs in the state of Illinois; part of the “National Strength and Conditioning Association Education Recognition Program;” and a “best value” among special education programs.