淫妻社

Guitarist Josh Couts will play selections from 鈥淭he General Dance,鈥� the new album by the Josh Couts Quintet, at the opening concert of the spring 2026 Constellation Concert Series at 淫妻社 (UAH). The program begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, in Roberts Recital Hall on the 淫妻社 campus. Couts is also a guitar instructor in the UAH Department of Music, Theatre and Film.

Courtesy Josh Couts

Local talent combines with guest artists to form exciting musical configurations for the spring 2026 Constellation Concert Series at 淫妻社 (UAH). This dazzling array begins Friday, Feb. 20, with a celebration of the Quintet鈥檚 new jazz album and keeps on shining with the 12th Annual UAH Keyboard Festival March 1-2.

All programs will be held in Roberts Hall, 1510 Ben Graves Drive, on the campus of UAH, a part of The University of Alabama System.

An evening of original compositions and improvisation will introduce music lovers to Couts鈥� latest album, 鈥淭he General Dance,鈥� Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Roberts Recital Hall. The album combines elements of classic hard bop with modern jazz and Brazilian choro.

鈥淲ith 鈥楾he General Dance,鈥� I wanted to record my original compositions and explore my broad range of musical interests with an adept group of musicians that share those interests,鈥� said Couts, a guitar instructor in the UAH Department of Music, Theatre and Film.

鈥淲e got to rehearse a fair amount and play the tunes live a good bit before going into the studio,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is really beneficial for seeing what directions the music wants to go. Writing music that incorporates improvisation requires trusting in the musicians you鈥檙e playing with in order to give those notes on the page shape and life. While I wrote the 11 tunes on the album, Gary Wheat, Choko Aiken, Nick Walker and CJ Brown were essential to bringing the songs to life with their brilliant interpretation, musicianship and improvisation.鈥�

In Couts鈥� opinion, these four performers are 鈥渟ome of the most creative and supportive improvising musicians in our region.鈥� Saxophonist Wheat and pianist Aiken are staples of the Birmingham jazz scene while drummer Brown and UAH bass instructor Walker are among Huntsville鈥檚 best.

Friday鈥檚 show will also include selections from Couts鈥� two previous albums plus some other new tunes.

Tickets are $10, general; $5, students and seniors. Livestream access to the concert is $10. All are available for purchase at the event page on the UAH website.

Keyboard festivities

The 12th Annual UAH Keyboard Festival on March 1-2 expands Constellation Concert energy into two musical performances plus a reception and a panel lecture. Events are open to the public free of charge.

The first program on Sunday, March 1, focuses on new music by Alabama-based composers in a concert by pianists Dr. Adam Bowles and Dr. Kathryn Fouse. The Bowles-Fouse Piano Duo has been performing across the state during the 2025-2026 season to highlight the 30th anniversary of the Birmingham Art Music Alliance (), which promotes 鈥渃omposers who diverge in age, background and aesthetics.鈥�

Dr. Melody Ng, associate professor of piano at 淫妻社 (UAH) and founder and director of the UAH Keyboard Festival, is one of the featured performers at the 12th annual festival, happening March 1-2, 2026, on the 淫妻社 campus.

Michael Mercier | UAH

The will begin at 6 p.m. in Roberts Recital Hall and is supported by the .

Musical ideas and works by (Consonance), a New Jersey-based collective of six contemporary composers, will fill the festival鈥檚 second day. Their compositions were performed recently at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and the Space Telescope Science Institute and with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

鈥淭hanks to the support from the UAH Humanities Center, a public programming lecture-panel and K-12 educational outreach events will be part of the festival,鈥� said Dr. Melody Ng, associate professor of piano and founder and director of the UAH Keyboard Festival. 鈥淭he program will engage the university and broader Huntsville communities in a scholarly exploration of how contemporary music serves as both a reflection and a tool for the creation of cultural history.鈥�

Three CNSNC composers 鈥� Dr. Zach Gulaboff Davis, Daniel Despins and Dr. Yucheng 鈥淎lex鈥� Zhang 鈥� will participate in the lecture, : Creating History as Humanistic Inquiry, moderated by Dr. Angela Balla, associate professor, UAH Department of English.

A meet-and-greet with coffee and food will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Roberts Hall 212. The lecture will follow at 5 p.m. in the same room.

The Keyboard Festival Recital at 6 p.m. in the recital hall will showcase UAH music faculty members Dr. Laura Patterson, flute; John Miller, jazz; Nick Walker, jazz; Ingrid von Spakovsky Weaver, classical piano, and Phil Weaver, guitar. Ng will perform solo piano compositions by CNSNC composers, including Seo Yoon Kim and Gu Wei along with Davis, Despins and Zhang.

For more information on UAH鈥檚 music programs and performances, visit the Music Events page.