KINGSTON, R.I.—January 18, 2008— Young jazz performers in 17 ensembles from high schools around Rhode Island will gather at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston on Saturday, Feb. 2, for the annual Rhode Island Music Educators High School Jazz Festival, co-sponsored by the Rhode Island Music Educators Association and the URI Department of Music. There is no admission charge. URI Jazz Program Director Joseph Parillo is the festival coordinator.
The ensembles will spend the day performing in competition before a panel of judges from the URI’s Music Department Jazz Program and Band faculty: Jared Sims, Mark Berney, and Brian Cardany.
The festival, which takes place in the URI Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, 105 Upper College Road, Kingston, runs from 9 a.m. to 4pm and is open to the public.
The participating high schools represent 12 different R.I. communities. The jazz ensembles competing in the festival include: Barrington, directed by Barbara Hughes; Bishop Hendricken, directed by Todd J. Gariepy; Coventry, directed by William Smith; Cranston East, directed by Mark Colozzi, and Cranston West, directed by Arthur Montanaro; East Providence Jazz Band, directed by Richard Vars; Exeter/West Greenwich, directed by Gregg Charest; North Kingstown, directed by Toni-Annette Silveira; North Smithfield, directed by Fritz Benz; and Portsmouth, directed by Ted Rausch. Also participating are West Warwick “A” Jazz and West Warwick Junior Jazz, both directed by Metro A. Narcisi; Woonsocket Jazz Band I, directed by Kevin Plouffe, and Jazz Band II, directed by Jeff Ethier; and from Providence: Classical, directed by Allan Raskin; LaSalle Academy Jazz Ensemble, directed by Brian Brouillard, and Moses Brown Upper School Jazz, directed by Stephen Toro.
For more information, call the URI Music Department at 874-2431.