DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University will present its annual Oktoberfest Jazz concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, in Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. The concert will be free and open to the public, donations to support the music department will be accepted and attendees are encouraged to wear a Halloween costume.

Featured performers will be the Frankensax group, directed by Andrew Beals; the WCSU Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dave Scott; and the WCSU Jazz Orchestra, directed by Jamie Begian.

Begian, coordinator of jazz studies at WestConn, said, “The Halloween concert is always a lot of fun; the students have been working very hard preparing for the ‘opening night’ of the semester so there’s a lot of energy waiting to be released. The costume element also adds to their excitement — the Jazz Orchestra students always come up with some rather creative ideas!”

The Jazz Ensemble performance is expected to include the swing-era classic “Moten Swing,” a ballad by Bob Brookmeyer called “First Love Song,” and an up-tempo blues composition from the Oliver Nelson library.

The Jazz Orchestra will play a wide-ranging set that will include Duke Ellington’s classic “Cottontail,” “All of Me” as played by the Basie band, and an early composition of Begian’s entitled “Weep.”

“It promises to be a very exiting show and a real challenge for the kids to pull together some eclectic music,” Begian said.

For more information, call the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.