WEST CHESTER, PA — Jazz, orchestral music and Golden Ram spirit will fill the heart of West Chester University this September as the Wells School of Music brings its 10th annual Concert on the Quad back for a free evening of music under the open sky.
The concert is set for Friday, Sept. 11, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on the Quad outside Main Hall. The program will bring together the WCU Symphony Orchestra, The Criterions Jazz Ensemble and the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band while marking America’s 250th anniversary, the upcoming centennial of jazz at WCU and the weekend surrounding the university’s first home football game of the 2026 season.
Paul Bryan, WCU Symphony Orchestra director and Wells School of Music faculty member, will direct the event with Jonathan Ragonese, professor of jazz studies.
“Concert on the Quad is a wonderful way to bring our campus and community together through music,” Bryan said.
The Symphony Orchestra will perform music connected to the nation’s 250th anniversary, including Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, presented in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait. West Chester University President Laurie Bernotsky will serve as narrator for the Copland work.
The concert also looks ahead to a milestone later in the fall. The Wells School of Music will celebrate 100 years of jazz in November, marking the centennial of The Criterions Jazz Ensemble, which the university describes as the longest-running university jazz band in the country.
“This year’s program celebrates the rich history of jazz, reflects on important moments in our nation’s history, and looks ahead to the next century of music-making at West Chester University,” Bryan said. “It’s also a great way to kick off the excitement surrounding the first home football game of the season.”
Bryan noted that last year’s Friday-night concert drew hundreds of community members to the Quad.
The event will also continue WCU’s Neuro-Inclusive Campus Environment, or N.I.C.E., efforts. Attendees can expect ASL interpretation, trained volunteers, large-print and digital programs, therapy dogs, an instrument “petting zoo,” clear accessibility signage and an appearance by the university mascot, Rammy.
Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, snacks, friends and family. If weather forces a change, the concert will move indoors to Asplundh Hall.
Event Details
- What: West Chester University Wells School of Music’s 10th Annual Concert on the Quad
- When: Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, from 7:30-9 p.m.
- Where: The Quad outside Main Hall, West Chester University, 720 S. High Street, West Chester, PA
- Cost/Tickets: Free and open to students, faculty, staff, and community members
- More Info: https://www.wcupa.edu/music/eventsCalendar.aspx
For West Chester families, students and music lovers, the concert offers an easy way to welcome the fall semester with everything from symphonic works and jazz to marching-band energy — all in the middle of campus and without a ticket required.
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