RPI President Martin A. Schmidt ’81, and his wife, Lyn, invite the Capital Region to join them for the RPI Holiday Concert and Troy Victorian Stroll Kickoff, which will take place on Saturday, December 6, at 7 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) on RPI’s campus. 

This event is free and open to the public, and a reception with refreshments will follow. 

The concert, titled “Light in Winter,” will include performances from the RPI Wind Symphony, Concert Choir, and Orchestra, all under the direction of Robert Whalen, RPI lecturer in music and conducting. For the second year in a row, the concert will also serve as the kickoff for the 43rd annual Troy Victorian Stroll, made possible through RPI’s partnership with the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce.  

“This concert is a wonderful opportunity for our students, who work so hard all year, to share their passion for music and create something meaningful for the entire community,” said Whalen. 

The program, following a “Light in Winter” theme, celebrates the various ways we bring light and joy to the darker winter season.  

“There is a common connection across cultures of lighting up the darkness in the late fall and winter, said Whalen. “Consider Diwali, Hannukah, Christmas, Alban Arthan, and others.  Music and the arts, as well as education, each represent a way of sharing our inner creative light to illuminate the darkness.” 

During the concert, students will perform music by Smetana, Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Lauridsen, and Saint-Saens, all following the “Light in Winter” theme. The program will feature two winners of the 2025 RPI Concerto Competition, Reese Bush '27 in Saint-Saens' "Introduction and Rondo capriccioso" for Violin and Orchestra, and Avery Roach '25 singing Gershwin's gorgeous and evocative "Summertime". 

Performers across the three groups represent 160 students from 34 different majors and all 5 schools, a reminder of just how curious and well-rounded RPI students are, and that art and science don’t just coexist, they actually enhance each other. 

The opportunity to continue growing as a musician while pursuing an engineering degree is something that connects many of us and inspires the music we create,” said Bush. “We’re excited to share our hard work and passion with the community.” 

The Holiday Concert is an annual tradition that celebrates peace and unity, the creativity and hard work of RPI students, and the confluence of science, engineering, and art. Combining the concert with the Troy Victorian Stroll has been a great opportunity for RPI to partner with its home city and further engage with the community. 

RSVP here. 

Media are welcome to attend.