The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Music Department presents many concerts and music events every year, by students, faculty and visiting artists. Many of them are free. These concerts are always enjoyable.
The music department is not only excellent for music students and valuable for the UNC student body, but is also a great resource to the community.
The music department also hosts guest artist performances, master classes, lectures and more.
The concerts that are not free are very affordable ($5-$10) and often fund music scholarships for UNC students.
Venues for UNC Music Events
These are the addresses of the venues:
Memorial Hall
144 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill
Hill Hall
135 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill
Person Hall
181 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill
Kenan Music Building
125 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill
Make sure to arrive early, as parking on campus can be tricky. Learn about parking here.
Concerts with UNC Music Department
Here are just a few of the upcoming concerts and performances with UNC Music Department. Find them all here.
Sacred Nine Project: Mending Sampler
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
6 p.m.
Person Hall
Free
Sacred Nine Project celebrates John Wood Sweet’s, The Sewing Girl’s Tale, with a curated vocal concert at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he is Professor of History.
Featuring:
- Diya Kayaleh, soprano
- Beth Allen-Gardner, mezzo-soprano
- Henry Reacher, tenor
- Liam O’Laughlin, baritone
- C. Leonard Raybon, baritone
- Danny Spiegel, piano
Mike Wiley: One Noble Journey (one man play)
Friday, October 23, 2026
4 to 6 p.m.
Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
Free
One man play, depicting the stories of Henry “Box” Brown and Elizabeth Craft.
Henry “Box” Brown was an African American born into slavery in 1816 in Louisa County, Virginia. Although he was not subjected to physical violence, Henry’s story (the basis for One Noble Journey) demonstrates the cruelty of slavery was every bit as devastating to the heart as it could be on the body.After his family was torn apart and parceled out to various beneficiaries of the estate, Henry devised an ingenious escape plan – sealing himself in a wooden box for shipment to friends and freedom in Philadelphia.
One Noble Journey also recounts the daring and miraculous quest for freedom of Elizabeth Craft and her husband William, who were born into slavery in Georgia.* Ellen Craft, who was very light skinned, disguised herself as a sickly, white gentleman traveling to Philadelphia for medical treatment. Ellen and William, who acted as her slave throughout the journey, bravely traveled on public trains and steamers as they made their way up the eastern seaboard to Philadelphia. Eventually they were forced to sail for England after the Fugitive Slave Law enabled slave hunters to pursue them even in free states.
Narrative of a Slave Woman: Songs of Hope, Justice, and Freedom (music and spoken narrative)
Friday, October 23, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
Free
A powerful presentation by soprano LaToya Lain that examines the issue of slavery by combining musical performance with spoken narrative accounts. About the project, Lain says, “In 2003, HBO presented a documentary entitled ‘Unchained Memories’ about the stories of former slaves interviewed during the 1930s’ Federal Writers’ Project. As I read the print version of these slave narratives and later watched the documentary, I began to see how the stories of these men and women are told through the Negro Spirituals. I saw the direct relationship of some of my favorite spirituals and the life stories of remarkable slave women, whose names, if not for these narratives, we would have never known. I was inspired to take these narratives and combine them with concert arranged Negro Spirituals to tell the story of one former slave woman through song.”
UNC Jazz Band with Jean Caze
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
$10 for general admission. $5 for students, faculty and staff. Free for UNC Music students, faculty and staff
UNC Jazz Band with guest Jean Caze, jazz trumpet artist, composer and educator.
UNC Harp Ensemble Fall Concert
Thursday, October 29, 2026
8 p.m.
Person Hall
Free
Featuring UNC Harp Ensemble, directed by Laura Byrne.
UNC Jazz Combos with guest Jean Caze
Friday, October 30, 2026
3 p.m.
Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
Free
Featuring UNC Jazz Combos, coached by Dan Davis and Jason Foureman with guest Jean Caze.
“To BEethoven Rather Than To Seem”: Part II | Gut Instinct Chamber Music Project
Friday, November 6, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Person Hall
Free
Featuring:
- Nicholas DiEguenio, violin
- Mimi Solomon, piano
Program:
Featuring Allen Anderson’s “Linen,” plus Beethoven Violin Sonatas Nos. 6 and 7.
This season, Gut Instinct takes on the large-scale project “To Beethoven Rather Than To Seem,” marking 200 years since Beethoven’s death and 250 since the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Over the course of five concerts, Nicholas DiEugenio and pianist Mimi Solomon will present all ten Beethoven Sonatas on period instruments along with five commissioned works written expressly for them.
UNC Opera presents Fall Scenes Program
Saturday, November 7, 2026, 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 8, 2026, 3 p.m.
Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
Free
Featuring:
- UNC Opera, directed by Timothy Sparks
- Lara Saldanha, Répétiteur
Program:
European Travelogue: A musical adventure wandering through Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Egypt, Africa, and India, returning to the USA.
University Chamber Players
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
7:30 p.m.
Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall
Free
Featuring University Chamber Players.
Check back soon for more, or look at the full calendar now.
Double-Check Before You Head Out!
We make every effort to make sure that everything on Triangle on the Cheap is 100% accurate.
However, sometimes things change without notice, and it’s also possible that we can make a mistake.
Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.
More Events
Check out our list of free and cheap events in Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle this weekend, or our full event calendar in the Triangle, or just look at few upcoming events here:
Person Recital Hall at UNC Chapel Hill
181 East Cameron Avenue
Chapel HIll, NC
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