World Music
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Friends and family are welcome to attend performances and clinics throughout the day as well as the 3pm Awards Ceremony & Saakumu Dance Troupe Performance. All events are free of charge and open to the public.
2024 Schedule
Visitors are encouraged to park in Hitt Street Parking Structure (309 Hitt Street) or University Avenue Parking Structure (1115 University Ave.), both easily accessible from the Sinquefield Music Center. Parking in University lots is free on the weekends.
High School performances and clinics are held in the Sinquefield Music Center (1101 University Avenue). The Awards Ceremony & Saakumu Dance Troupe Performance will be held at the Missouri Theatre (203 S. Ninth Street) at 3:00 PM. The Missouri Theatre is approximately four blocks northwest of the Sinquefield Music Center.
Visitors to the MU campus are encouraged to sign up for MU Alert while on campus. The sign-up process is quick and you can opt out at any time. MU Alert is only used only for emergencies that may affect your health and safety.
Please contact the School of Music at mubands@missouri.edu or 573.882.3439 if you have questions or need special accommodations for this event.
The World Percussion Ensemble (WPE) began in 1997 as the Latin Percussion Ensemble and expanded as the students' interests in different world music styles increased. It currently consists of Tiger Pans (Caribbean Steel Band), the Chiyedza Mbira Ensemble (Zimbabwe), and the West African Ensemble (drumming, dancing, and singing from Ghana). WPE frequently collaborates with specialists in these areas with recent guests including Nani Agbeli, Musekiwa Chingodza, Fradreck Mujuru, and Tom Miller. The group performs two concerts per year on campus, in addition to a variety of performances in public schools and in the community. In 2018, the Chiyedza Mbira Ensemble was selected through competitive application to perform a Showcase Concert at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis with special guest Musekiwa Chingodza. The WPE is directed by Megan Arns and Julia Gaines.
