Octubafest returns to bring in Halloween season

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas’ Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall will be filled with the sound of tubas and euphoniums at the end of October.

Octubafest, a scary celebration of all things tuba, happens over two nights in “Octuba” — Oct. 29 and 31. Both concerts are at 7:30 p.m. in the Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

The performances, composed primarily of tubas and euphoniums, will include music and skits. Octubafest aims to highlight the diversity of the tuba and ways that it can be melodic and even virtuosic.

Christian Carichner, assistant professor of tuba and euphonium in the UCA Department of Music, encourages people of all ages to come enjoy the concerts.

“These two concerts are a great chance for people to see the tuba and euphonium in a different light,” he said. “Usually, we’re stuck in the back of the band playing ‘oompah,’ but now we get to sit at the front of the stage and play the melody.”

The performance Oct. 29 will feature several soloists from the tuba-euphonium studio, as well as student quartets. The traditional Octubaween performance Oct. 31 will features soloists, quartets and some skits — all done in costume with free candy.

“Octubaween is in its sixth year on campus, and the students have enjoyed the performance so much we decided to add a second night of performances,” Carichner said. “The quartets have been working really hard on some challenging music, so the performances should be exceptional — and there’s free candy.”

For more information, contact Carichner at (501) 4505759 or ccarichner@uca.edu.