KINGSTON, R.I. – Nov. 20, 2025 – A mix of worldwide holiday spirit, Christmas classics and some new musical offerings will fill the University of Rhode Island’s Fine Arts Center on Saturday, Dec. 6, for the 2025 Holiday Extravaganza.
The University’s preeminent holiday event will hold two performances on Dec. 6—a 2 p.m. concert and a 7 p.m. showing. Both concerts will be held in the Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road, on the Kingston Campus. Tickets for each show costs $25 for general admission, and $15 for students, senior citizens, and faculty and staff.
The annual tradition, now in its third year, serves as both a showcase for the entire University’s Department of Music and as a fundraiser to support URI’s music programming. Seven different ensembles—the URI Symphony Orchestra, Concert Choir, Jazz Big Band, University Chorus, Wind Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble and In the Pocket Jazz Choir—featuring approximately 150 performers will take the Concert Hall stage to enhance the audience’s holiday spirit, says David Gilliland, URI assistant teaching professor of collaborative piano and Holiday Extravaganza artistic director.
Along with URI’s music department performing some holiday classics, including “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Here Comes Santa Claus,” this year’s concerts will also feature some new musical offerings highlighting various cultures around the globe. Among the new offerings is a selection sung in Arabic by the Concert Choir celebrating the Baháʼí Faith entitled “Ya Baha’ul Abha,” and “Habarigani Mulana,” an original song composed by URI Director of Jazz Emmett Goods to celebrate Kwanzaa, Gilliland says.
“We have always wanted to showcase different cultures and the way they celebrate the holidays,” Gilliland said. “Our music directors this year have highlighted many different ideologies from across the globe, and offered reflections on what the holidays mean to them. We’ll also have multiple conductors—both student and faculty—showing off their artistry.”
For the first time, the extravaganza will also feature the URI Lyric Stage Opera Workshop performing “Our Finest Dreams” from Little Women, giving the extravaganza a theatrical component as well.
The concerts will once again offer a Christmas “Carol-Along,” allowing the audience to sing signature Christmas classics—such as “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” and “Joy to the World”—along with the performing musicians. “I feel it’s important for us to have the audience participate; it makes it fun for them,” Gilliland said.
Brenton DeBoef, interim dean for the URI College of Arts and Sciences, will serve as the extravaganza’s master of ceremonies this year. Graduate students Victor Sanchez, Keith Brown and Ryan Cox will conduct multiple pieces with the Symphony Orchestra during the extravaganza.
“All cultures love expressions of joy, and music is one of the most effective ways to experience that emotion as a community” URI music department Chair and Director of Choral Activities Mark Conley said. “We hope everyone can join us as we share the many ways music brings us together across time, space and cultures.”
Other upcoming shows
While the Holiday Extravaganza will highlight most of URI’s music ensembles on one stage, each ensemble will also hold individual performances to conclude the fall semester—all but two of them taking place at the Fine Arts Center.
Some members of the Jazz Big Band, under the direction of Goods, will rouse the spirit within the Olney Street Baptist Church congregation at 100 Olney St., Providence, with a concert on Sunday, Nov. 30, at 2 p.m. Additionally, the full Jazz Big Band will hold its annual Ugly Sweater Christmas Concert on Friday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m., at Pump House Music Works, 1464 Kingstown Road, South Kingstown.
Jazz Big Band members will also perform combos both on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m., at the URI Fine Arts Center.
The URI Concert Band, guided by URI Director of Bands Brian Cardany, will take the stage on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 3:30 p.m. to perform both classic and contemporary pieces. Then, trombonist Adam Hanna and trumpeter Gino Villarreal will hold a Brass Christmas Cracker as part of the URI Music Department’s University Artist Series on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m.
On Sunday, Dec. 7, at 1 p.m., the University’s Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Artist/Teacher in Classical Percussion Kyle Forsthoff, will hold a recital in both solo and ensemble settings. Later that evening at 7 p.m., the URI Student Composers, led by coordinator, Professor of Music/Teacher in Composition and Director of Graduate Studies in Music Eliane Aberdam, will hold a concert featuring the latest sounds from the student musicians.
The Symphony Orchestra will hold its final fall semester performance on Monday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m., by playing seasonal and timeless classics under the direction of Assistant Professor in Orchestral Conducting, Director of Orchestral Studies and Instructor in Clarinet Luis Viquez.