10th Anniversary Of The Uri Guitar And Mandolin Festival Brings Together Renowned Musicians And Global Talent To Celebrate Guitar Music In The Us

Published on September 23, 2025

The University of Rhode Island Guitar and Mandolin Festival has reached a milestone this year, celebrating its 10th day pinch a weeklong bid of events from October 19-26, 2025. What began arsenic a mini gathering of passionate guitarists has evolved into 1 of nan astir important classical euphony festivals successful nan United States. This year’s version of nan show promises to beryllium nan largest yet, pinch an awesome lineup of performances, competitions, and acquisition opportunities that will pull visitors from crossed nan globe.

As it enters its 2nd decade, nan URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival continues to grant nan rich | history and civilization of classical guitar while expanding its scope to see a wider assortment of drawstring instruments. The festival’s increasing world estimation is not only a testament to nan committedness of its founders but besides to nan expanding value of specified taste events successful promoting tourism and economical maturation successful nan region.

The Birth and Evolution of nan Festival

Founded successful 2015 by Adam Levin, nan show was calved from a desire to create a abstraction wherever musicians from each backgrounds could gather, collaborate, and observe nan powerfulness of guitar music. Levin, an accomplished guitarist and educator, envisioned a show that would not only service arsenic an acquisition level but besides arsenic a abstraction wherever productivity could flourish. In his words, “The extremity was to create a sanctuary for anyone—regardless of property aliases level—where they could travel together to turn arsenic guitarists and provender their philharmonic muse.”

Over nan years, nan URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival has transformed from a one-day symposium into an internationally recognized event, attracting immoderate of nan champion musicians from astir nan world. While nan show initially focused solely connected classical guitar, its description to see mandolin, oud, harp, and sitar has broadened its appeal, providing a much divers philharmonic acquisition for attendees.

This twelvemonth marks a peculiarly important milestone, arsenic nan show celebrates its 10th anniversary. With Tommy Emmanuel, a Grammy-nominated guitarist, headlining nan arena alongside different world-class musicians specified arsenic Meng Su, nan show is group to connection a unsocial philharmonic experience. For those successful nan recreation and tourism industry, this arena presents an fantabulous opportunity to showcase Rhode Island’s taste vibrancy while bringing successful euphony enthusiasts from crossed nan globe.

A Growing Festival: Education and Performance Combined

This year, nan show is group to beryllium nan largest yet, spanning eight days and featuring 11 performances crossed aggregate venues successful and astir nan University of Rhode Island campus. From October 19-26, attendees tin look guardant to a wide assortment of events, including international competitions, workshops, private lessons, masterclasses, and lectures. The show will besides supply summons options for some concert-goers and students wishing to further their acquisition successful guitar and mandolin techniques.

At its heart, nan show remains focused connected education, providing attendees nan opportunity to study from immoderate of nan finest guitarists and mandolinists successful nan world. Alongside its capacity offerings, nan show includes broad acquisition programs designed for musicians of each accomplishment levels, from beginners to seasoned professionals. It is this committedness to fostering philharmonic talent that has made nan URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival 1 of nan astir anticipated events successful nan classical euphony calendar.

The festival’s acquisition offerings scope from masterclasses pinch distinguished performers to competitions that springiness emerging talents a level to showcase their skills. These competitions, which pull entrants from astir nan world, supply invaluable vulnerability to young musicians while adding an constituent of excitement for nan audience. The festival’s blend of capacity and acquisition ensures that it remains applicable and engaging for some section and world attendees.

A Star-Studded Lineup of Performers

Each year, nan URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival attracts an awesome lineup of musicians who execute alongside nan festival’s acquisition programs. This year’s performers see Tommy Emmanuel, an internationally acclaimed guitarist and Grammy-nominated artist. Emmanuel, known for his virtuosic fingerstyle playing, is 1 of nan fewer musicians to beryllium recognized arsenic a “Certified Guitar Player” by nan legendary Chet Atkins. His capacity astatine nan show will undoubtedly beryllium 1 of nan highlights, offering fans an opportunity to witnesser 1 of nan guitar world’s existent icons live.

In summation to Emmanuel, nan show will characteristic Meng Su, a virtuoso classical guitarist and module personnel astatine nan San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Su’s dazzling method and engaging performances person earned her a salient spot connected nan world classical euphony scene. She will adjacent retired nan show pinch a gala capacity connected October 26, marking nan conclusion of nan week’s events successful spectacular fashion.

Throughout nan week, attendees will besides bask performances from local musicians and module members, including those from nan festival’s faculty, specified arsenic mandolinists Ekaterina Skliar, Norberto Cruz, and Dor Amran. In addition, location will beryllium performances by guitarists specified arsenic Ceili Connors, Victor Main, and Raffi Donoian.

The show will besides showcase ensemble performances, including a typical world premiere of “Sofia’s Trip to Disney World,” composed by Thatcher Harrison. This piece, based connected nan real-life communicative of a young woman battling cancer, will beryllium performed by an orchestra of classical guitarists arsenic portion of nan festival’s committedness to utilizing euphony to animate and support organization initiatives.

Economic Impact and Tourism Opportunities

The festival’s 10th anniversary is not only a ceremony of euphony but besides an opportunity to item nan important domiciled that taste festivals play successful section economies. Events for illustration nan URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival tie thousands of visitors to Rhode Island, creating a important economical effect done tourism, accommodation, dining, and different section businesses. This influx of visitors during nan show play provides an important boost to nan section economy, benefiting businesses specified arsenic hotels, restaurants, and transportation services.

For nan tourism industry, nan show offers a unsocial opportunity to marketplace Rhode Island arsenic a destination for euphony lovers and taste enthusiasts. With its vibrant arts scene, beautiful coastal landscape, and rich | taste history, nan authorities is an perfect location for festivals and events that observe nan arts. The URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival is conscionable 1 illustration of really taste tourism tin beryllium leveraged to pull world visitors and showcase nan region’s imaginative spirit.

The show besides serves arsenic an important acquisition assets for section students, peculiarly those studying euphony astatine nan University of Rhode Island and adjacent institutions. It offers students nan chance to activity pinch renowned professionals, summation valuable capacity experience, and link pinch like-minded musicians from astir nan world.

A Broader Cultural Experience

Beyond nan world-class euphony performances, nan show offers a chance to acquisition a wide scope of taste influences. The inclusion of instruments for illustration nan mandolin, oud, sitar, and tabla enriches nan festival’s offerings, bringing divers philharmonic traditions to nan stage. The fusion concerts, specified arsenic those featuring Amit Kavthekar connected tabla and Purbayan Chatterjee connected sitar, supply audiences pinch a unsocial opportunity to research nan blend of classical Indian euphony pinch modern guitar styles, highlighting nan world quality of nan festival’s programming.

The fusion performances, arsenic good arsenic nan international competitions, lend to nan festival’s increasing estimation arsenic a hub for cross-cultural philharmonic exchange. By bringing together artists from divers philharmonic traditions, nan show helps foster a greater knowing and appreciation for different styles of music, while besides promoting nan cosmopolitan connection of music.

The Future of nan Festival and its Impact connected Music Education

Looking ahead, nan URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival will proceed to grow, some successful size and successful influence. The show has already established itself arsenic 1 of nan premier destinations for guitar and mandolin enthusiasts, and pinch its beardown committedness to acquisition and performance, it will apt stay a fixture successful nan classical euphony organization for years to come.

For aspiring musicians, nan show provides an invaluable opportunity to study from immoderate of nan world’s finest guitarists, whether done workshops, masterclasses, aliases nonstop competition. The arena serves arsenic a reminder of nan value of providing spaces for young musicians to grow, innovate, and stock their trade pinch nan world.

As nan show moves into its adjacent decade, it will proceed to play a important domiciled successful promoting euphony acquisition and supporting nan world organization of guitarists, mandolinists, and different drawstring instrumentality musicians. For nan tourism industry, it represents a vibrant and successful illustration of really taste events tin not only observe creator look but besides lend to nan maturation of section economies and communities.

Conclusion

The 10th Annual URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival is simply a landmark arena for some nan euphony organization and nan authorities of Rhode Island. By offering a operation of world-class performances, acquisition opportunities, and world philharmonic exchange, nan show has go an important portion of nan taste landscape. As it celebrates its anniversary, nan show is poised to proceed its bequest of inspiring musicians and enriching nan community, while contributing to nan maturation of euphony tourism successful nan United States.