Honors String Quartet Articulate and academically gifted students who play the violin, viola, or violoncello audition annually to perform as members of this exclusive quartet. Participants in this ensemble receive substantial scholarships towards payment of their tuition and fees. The Quartet performs one major public concert each semester and is often asked to perform at various university related functions and off campus activities. Recent concerts have involved the performance of advanced repertoire by such major composers as Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, Shostakovich, Barber, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Schubert . Quartet members may teach in the Music Preparatory Program for pre-college and adult students, and perform as principal players in the URI Symphony Orchestra.

Other Chamber Ensembles

Student and faculty musicians perform music of the Baroque, Classical, and Contemporary periods in recitals on and off campus. They participate in numerous special events and have the occasional privilege of premiering new works by Rhode Island composers as well as students. Student chamber ensembles are coached each semester by artist faculty in the music department. They perform at least once each semester on a chamber music program and/or at Thursday afternoon convocations. Each group meets twice weekly, once with the coach, and once by themselves. The meeting times for these groups are generally decided at the first convocation of each semester by participants in consultation with the coach. Flexible depending upon demand and interest, groups and coaches have included:

Ensembles, Coaches

Brass Trio, Quartet and Quintet: Darren Acosta
Bach Ensemble: Jane Murray
Clarinet Ensemble: Kelli O’Connor
Flute Ensemble: Susan Thomas
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Guitar Ensemble: Daniel Salazar
Percussion Ensemble: Ronald Stabile
Saxophone Quartet, Quintet, Septet and Octet:  Brian Sparks
Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble: Gary Buttery
Viola Quartet: Ann Danis
Woodwind Trio and Quintet: Jane Murray