Rhode Island Wind Ensemble to Present “What IS Classical Music?”

The Rhode Island Wind Ensemble wraps up its 2024–2025 indoor concert season with a performance at Riverside Middle School Auditorium on Sunday June 1 at 2:00 p.m. playfully asking “Just what IS classical music anyway?”—and diving into a lively genre-blending program to find out. Admission is pay-what-you-can and proceeds will benefit the East Providence schools’ music program.

The featured soloist for the concert is East Providence High School junior Owen Myers who will perform “Paceline” a contemporary work for trombone and wind ensemble. Myers was selected earlier this year through a competitive audition open to all East Providence band students. Several students from East Providence High School and Riverside Middle School bands will also join the Rhode Island Wind Ensemble in a special side-by-side performance to conclude the concert.

About the Concert

“As humans we love to categorize—especially when it comes to music” says conductor Robert Franzblau. “We put sounds into neat boxes: Hip-Hop Rock Jazz Classical Folk. Today’s streaming culture adds even more labels from Lofi Beats and Epic Soundtracks to Workout Twerkout. But rather than clarifying these categories can sometimes obscure what the music really is—especially when it comes to that sacred cow: ‘classical music.’”

Franzblau continues “With this concert we’re not trying to define classical music more narrowly—we’re doing the opposite. We’re blurring the lines in fun and creative ways asking: Does classical music have to be old? Must it be orchestral? Can a movie score be classical? What makes a piece truly iconic? Our program spans Gustav Holst to Earth Wind & Fire—music from different worlds yet each with qualities that make it a classic in its own right.”

About the Rhode Island Wind Ensemble

Known for its innovative approach to concert programming the Rhode Island Wind Ensemble (RIWE) is a modern wind band of fifty skilled volunteer musicians of all ages and from all walks of life who believe that live music helps build community. Their mission is to provide audiences of diverse ages and cultural backgrounds access to live music of the highest quality faithfully presenting the best in traditional wind band repertoire alongside music of underrepresented and historically disenfranchised communities.

In response to changing needs RIWE has recently expanded its scope beyond concert presentation to include public-school-based community service initiatives including a long-term partnership with the Music Pathways Program at Mount Pleasant High School in Providence and the Band Instrument Renewal Drive which pays for the cleaning and repair of donated used band instruments which are then redistributed to public school music programs in the greater Providence area where families cannot afford to purchase or rent an instrument.

Also check out other Concerts in East Providence, Music events in East Providence, Entertainment events in East Providence.