The Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra (NISO) will perform the Brahms Requiem on April 15th, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in Sioux Center, IA, with guest conductor Dr. Ryan Smit and soloists Shannon Salyards-Burton (soprano) and Mitchell Widmer (baritone).
The Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra (NISO) will present a performance of the Brahms Requiem on Tuesday, April 15th, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the B.J. Haan Auditorium in Sioux Center, IA. The concert will feature several guest artists including guest conductor Dr. Ryan Smit, director of choral activities at Dordt University, the Dordt University Concert Choir, the Sioux County Oratorio Chorus, soprano Shannon Salyards-Burton, and baritone Mitchell Widmer.
This performance of the Brahms Requiem marks an exciting and long-awaited event for both the performers and community. Originally scheduled for 2020, the performance was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, while the piece has been performed with organ in the area in the past, Dr. Smit is eager for the community to experience the work in its full form with choir and full orchestra. “This will be one of the largest performances by NISO in its history, with the full membership of the orchestra, organ, and a 110-voice choir comprised of the Dordt University Concert Choir and the Sioux County Oratorio Chorus,” adds Smit.
While the music is both beautiful and moving, Smit also highlights that the Brahms Requiem provides the audience with emotional depth and complexity. “There are many moments in this work in which the meaning of the text is expressed in profound ways with the orchestra, chorus, and soloists. Audience members will want to follow the text closely in their programs to fully appreciate the work,” Dr. Smit explains.
“Programmed annually by choirs and orchestras around the world, the Brahms Requiem is revered as the foremost large-scale sacred composition for chorus and orchestra of the nineteenth century,” says Smit. “It was Brahms’ intention to create a piece that focused on offering comfort to the living rather than memorializing the dead, and it is in many ways an expression of his own grief at the passing of his mother. As a result, the work is deeply personal and poignant.”
Tickets for the event can be purchased here.
About Dordt University
As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.
“Our partnership allows us to provide comprehensive care right here in the community. For many student-athletes, traveling to Sioux Falls or Sioux City for specialized care is not always feasible. Through this collaboration, we can streamline access to orthopedic specialists, physical therapy, and immediate athletic training services.”
Dordt University Men's Basketball Coach Brian Van Haaften is the recipient of 2025 Don Meyer National Coach of the Year award, which is presented annually to the top head coach in NAIA college basketball.
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