Wide variety of music genres From Bandapalooza to Duke Ellington’s 125th
By Kiera Wrage
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| URI’s Music Department has a full slate of performances scheduled throughout the fall. Among them are the department’s first- ever Bandapalooza presented by the URI Concert Band, Wind Ensemble and the community American Band on Nov. 2. (URI Photo/Nora Lewis) |
First up: The Jazz Combos 1 performance is set for Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall. The combos will perform a wide variety of jazz while focusing on traditional jazz improvisation techniques.
“We try to curate each performance to be unique,” said Associate Professor Emmett Goods, director of the jazz studies program. “Our young musicians are emerging professionals and take each performance and give it 110%.”
The University of Rhode Island’s Music Department will host its first-ever Bandapalooza event on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall – one of many musical performances this fall concert season.
Bandapalooza, an afternoon jamboree of music for winds and
percussion, presented by the Concert Band, Wind Ensemble and the community
American Band. All three groups will be conducted by Professor Brian Cardany,
director of bands at URI.
The American Band, which also counts Cardany as its
principal conductor, is one of the oldest continuously active bands in the
United States. It is composed of over 50 adult musicians from Rhode Island and
nearby Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Cardany drew inspiration from Lollapalooza for the event, as
the three concert wind bands perform back-to-back, somewhat like a music
festival. The title came to him during a conversation with a colleague while
scheduling the collaborative event between the URI ensembles and The American
Band.
“This is the first Bandapalooza event, which is one of the large number of ensemble concerts and student recitals we have as a department this fall,” said Cardany. “We have been having joint concerts with the URI Wind Ensemble and Concert Band for a few years, but we will add a final performance that afternoon by The American Band, which will be presenting a program called ‘Impressions.’”
With every concert Cardany puts together, he works hard to
choose music that is appropriately challenging for the ensemble members, while
also being interesting for players and audience members alike. He describes the
URI Music Department community as a family—students and faculty support each
other in many ways.
“I consider each concert to be a journey of sorts, with ebbs
and flows in the level of energy and notable connections among the compositions
that hopefully keep everyone engaged throughout,” said Cardany.
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| URI’s Guitar and Mandolin Festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a week-long series of performances beginning Oct. 19. (URI Photo) |
The Music Department concert lineup for this fall semester features music festivals, faculty and student performances, fusions and recitals. The URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival, a signature event that will be celebrating its 10th anniversary, will begin Oct. 19.
The week-long event will run through Oct. 26 and showcase an array of music performed by world-renowned artists and URI’s very own Adam Levin, founder and artistic director of the festival. The series will feature a variety of music genres for students, family and the general public.
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall, the URI Symphony Orchestra will hold its first concert of the fall, featuring a variety of music curated by Assistant Professor Luis Viquez, director of orchestral studies. The orchestra will perform literature from the standard repertoire, collaborating with URI’s chorus and other instrumental ensembles and feature faculty, student soloists and guest artists in its concerts.
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| The URI Jazz Big Band is hosting a concert with a focus on the work of legendary composer and band leader Duke Ellington on Oct. 30. (Gordon Parks/Library of Congress) |
“You can expect ambitious and dynamic programs that showcase the versatility of the URI symphony,” said Viquez. “Compared to last year, we’re expanding our collaborations with choirs and guest artists, and are beyond honored to be featured at the National Conference of the College Orchestra Directors Association, which URI is hosting in 2026.”
The URI Jazz Big Band is hosting a concert with a focus on
the work of legendary composer and band leader Duke Ellington with a pre-show
lecture to discuss his contributions to music as well as honor his 125th
birthday. The pre-show talk will take place at 7 p.m. at the Fine Arts Center
and the concert will start at 8 p.m on Thursday, Oct. 30, at
the Concert Hall.
On Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Fine
Arts Center, the URI Concert Choir, a select group of singers, will perform
choir music that spans across centuries and will move the audience. Professor
Mark Conley, director of choral performance, is in charge of this performance.
The University Chorus will perform on Wednesday,
Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Center. The chorus, composed of
students, faculty, staff and community members, showcases a range of choral
singing experience. “In the Pocket,” under the direction of Alta DeChamplin,
will also be featured. Members gather every week to practice, learn and grow
alongside each other, creating a beautiful sound in the process.
“We hope the audience members are impressed and inspired by
the range of music they hear during the concert from our ensemble,” said
University Chorus Director Elizabeth Woodhouse. “From movements of Schubert’s
Mass in G, composed in 1815 and sung in Latin, to ‘Lua Soberana’ sung in
Portuguese, with some beautiful contemporary choral pieces thrown in there as
well.”
Tickets for concerts can be purchased through Eventbrite or
one hour prior to performance at the Box Office. General Admission tickets cost
$15, students and seniors (60 and older) cost $10 and children 12 and under are
free. Events are located in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, unless stated
otherwise.
To see the full list of concerts being offered this semester, please visit the Music Department events page.
