Thirty artists from 10 countries are converging on Kingston this week for the 11th annual URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival, an eight-day run of concerts, competitions, and masterclasses and a cultural mainstay in southern Rhode Island. The festival, which started October 18 and continues through October 25, 2026, brings together performers from countries including Brazil, France, Italy, Australia, South Korea, Israel, Greece, and Japan for 10 concerts spread across the region.
Festival artistic director Adam Levin appeared on Studio 10 this week to preview the event, which he founded in 2015 at the University of Rhode Island. The eight-day festival incorporates mandolin, with programming that includes jazz, Latin, classical, and blues, according to Rhody Today. Classical guitar is part of the festival's programming alongside other genres and performers.
A New Campus Home and an Outdoor Kickoff
This year's lineup arrives with a fresh venue to show off. URI officially dedicated its newly constructed 71,000-square-foot, three-story Fine Arts Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 14, the university has said, and festival performances are taking place in the new center. The upgrade followed years of planning and voter-approved state bond support, and festival attendees can tour the new center during the event, according to the WJAR report.
The festival did not open on campus, though. URI's official 2026 announcement places the kickoff on October 18.
Competition, Luthiers, and a Festival Orchestra
The weekend brings the 2026 M.E. Brune International Guitar Competition, where 12 international semifinalists are vying for more than $10,000 in cash and prizes along with a featured performance slot at the 2027 festival. The public competition rounds, held October 24 and 25, are free to attend, a detail highlighted in festival promotional material posted to YouTube.
The New England Invitational Luthier Expo runs October 22–25, giving North American instrument makers a place to showcase their work. The festival's final day also features the Mega Guitar & Mandolin Orchestra, an ensemble of approximately 70 artists led by Scott Borg. It performs at 11 a.m. on October 25 in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall as part of the festival's grand finale.
Youth Program and the Mandolin's Permanent Place
Young guitarists can take part in the festival's Rising Stars Youth Program, scheduled for October 23 to 25 for ages 6 to 16. The program offers group lessons, masterclasses, and ensemble opportunities.
Mandolin was not always part of the festival's name. The instrument was formally integrated into the festival structure in 2023 following a pilot course led by Israeli mandolin virtuoso Jacob Reuven, which prompted the event's permanent rebranding to the URI Guitar and Mandolin Festival. Duo Mantar features Reuven and Levin.
Levin's own musical lineage runs through one of this year's headliners: he studied under classical guitar legend Eliot Fisk, who is performing at the 2026 festival. Levin is also a co-founder of the Kithara Project, a non-profit promoting classical guitar education for youth in underserved communities internationally, according to a biography published by tonebase. More information on the festival schedule and tickets is available at urigmfest.org.
