KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Oct. 8, 2025 \u2013 The University of Rhode Island\u2019s Music Department will host its first-ever Bandapalooza event on Sunday,<\/strong> Nov. 2,<\/strong> at 1 p.m. <\/strong>in the <\/strong>Fine Arts Center Concert Hall \u2013 one of many musical performances this fall concert season.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first Bandapalooza event, which is one of\u00a0 the large number of ensemble concerts and student recitals we have as a department this fall,\u201d said Cardany. \u201cWe 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 \u2018Impressions.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2014students and faculty support each other in many ways.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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,\u201d said Cardany.\u00a0<\/p>\n URI\u2019s Guitar and Mandolin Festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a week-long series of performances beginning Oct. 19. (URI Photo)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n 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>, a signature event that will be celebrating its 10th anniversary, will begin Oct. 19. The week-long event will run through Oct. 26<\/strong> and showcase an array of music performed by world-renowned artists and URI\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Jazz Combos 1 performance is set for Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m. <\/strong>at the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall. The combos will perform a wide variety of jazz while focusing on traditional jazz improvisation techniques.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe try to curate each performance to be unique,\u201d said Associate Professor Emmett Goods, director of the jazz studies program. \u201cOur young musicians are emerging professionals and take each performance and give it 110%.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m.<\/strong> 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\u2019s chorus and other instrumental ensembles and feature faculty, student soloists and guest artists in its concerts.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou can expect ambitious and dynamic programs that showcase the versatility of the URI symphony,\u201d said Viquez. \u201cCompared to last year, we\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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,<\/strong> at the Concert Hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n On Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n The University Chorus will perform on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. <\/strong>at the Fine Arts Center. The chorus, composed of students, faculty, staff and community members, showcases a range of choral singing experience. \u201cIn the Pocket,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope the audience members are impressed and inspired by the range of music they hear during the concert from our ensemble,\u201d said University Chorus Director Elizabeth Woodhouse. \u201cFrom movements of Schubert\u2019s Mass in G, composed in 1815 and sung in Latin, to \u2018Lua Soberana\u2019 sung in Portuguese, with some beautiful contemporary choral pieces thrown in there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Tickets for concerts can be purchased through Eventbrite<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-09-23-at-12.24.28-PM-1024x584.png\")
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