KINGSTON, R.I. – April 2, 2010 –The busy spring concert season at the University of Rhode Island begins the weekend of April 16-18 with two concerts on tap, offering selections from Gilbert & Sullivan light operas and a full round of chamber music from student ensembles. In addition, the first concert in the URI spring Jazz Series will be held on Tuesday, April 20. All concerts will be held in the URI Fine Arts Center Concert Hall at 105 Upper College Road, Kingston.

The URI Opera Theater will present “A Gilbert and Sullivan Potpourri” on Friday, April 16 at 8:00 p.m. The concert will feature excerpts from the favorite “Big Three” of the popular light operas, The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, and H.M.S. Pinafore, with additional selections from Ruddigore. The program will be presented in costume with stage direction by Rene de la Garza, choreography by Denise Lachowski, and costumes by Marilyn Salvatore. Pianist Patrice Newman will accompany.

The 18-member cast includes students in the URI opera program, guest artists and two university singers who are not enrolled in the music program. Vinnie Joyce is the night manager for the student union cafeteria and Anthony Parham is a PhD candidate in Chemistry who has returned to school after working in the private sector for 20 years.

Admission for this concert is $8 general admission, $2 students, with seats are available on a first-come basis.

The URI Chamber Ensembles will present their concert on Sunday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. Admission for this concert is free.

The Oboe Band will perform trios by Bach and Pergolesi and also a piece by Graham Powning called Octandre for eight oboes. Performers will be Drew O’Connors, Theresa Procopio, Khrystalin Hall, Elizabeth Escalera, Ben Negrete, Alyson D’Amato, and Alexa Pagliaro , with coach Jane Murray.

The URI Clarinet Choir will play Aires Tropicales by Paquito D’Rivera, with Joseph Alberg, Eb Clarinet; Megan Vallee, Emily Coppola, and Anne Veeger, Bb Clarinet; coach Kelli O’Connor, Alto Clarinet; and Brandon Winrich, Bass Clarinet.

The Bach Ensemble, with Donald Martin, violin; Alyson D’Amato, oboe and Justin Cahoon, harpsichord, will play the movements II and III from Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe. This year’s Guitar Ensemble performers will be a quartet: Kate Bentley, Raffi Donoian, Kevin Bodurtha, and Jesse Coppa. They will play Pastorale by Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) and Catharina by Erasmus Widmann (1572-1634).

In addition, the Saxophone Ensemble will perform several pieces, including Praelude by Grieg, Galloping Thunder by Harlow (a contemporary Boston writer), Fantazia by Gibbons, Vilia by Lehar/arr. Worley, and possibly: Fugue by Niehaus and/or The Nasty by Watson. The Trombone Ensemble will play a transcription of a Bach Motet, Jesus Priceless Treasure, and the Flute Ensemble will also perform.

The first concert in the URI Spring Jazz Series is at 7:30 p.m. on April 20 and will feature small group student combos. Admission is $8 general admission, $2 students.

The box office opens 45 minutes before each concert begins. The URI Fine Arts Center Concert Hall is handicap-accessible, and parking is available in the lot behind the building, off Bills Road. For more information, contact the URI Department of Music at 874-2431.