Violauta Duo will perform “Rossiniana 2”on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Smith Music Hall Studio 143, the first School of Music event this semester.

“We try to schedule our performances on campus at the beginnings of semesters, that way we leave available dates in the semester for students’ recitals and ensembles,” Wendell Dobbs, one of the two members of Violauta Duo, said.

Dobbs said the Violauta Duo has performed “many, many times” on campus, but as of right now, has no plans to play on campus again this semester.

“Rossiniana” is an expression from the 19th century guitarist Mauro Giuliana to honor the world-renowned opera composer Gioachino Rossini. Rossini’s music was popular across Europe and in the young United States of America during his lifetime. Other composers began to create new works based on his to honor Rossini’s life.

“Two such composer and performers, other than Giuliani, were flutist Jean-Louis Tulou and guitarist Ferdinando Carulli, important figures in the musical fabric of Paris in the early 19th century,” Dobbs said. “Acknowledging the importance of Rossini’s music, they created arrangements for flute and guitar of a half-dozen of Rossini’s most famous opera arias.”

The Violauta Duo will perform three of the arrangements on Thursday, in addition to a sonata by the guitarist Mauro Giuliana and another serenade by Carulli.

“Our first Rossiniana performance last September filled our Studio 143 in Smith Music Hall,” Dobbs said. “We hope for a similar turnout.”

The Violauta Duo has been performing for a little over 10 years. Members Wendell Dobbs and Júlio Ribeiro Alves began performing together shortly after Alves arrived at Marshall. Dobbs and Alves are both faculty members for the School of Music. Part of the reason they formed the duo is that there is a large selection of music composed for flute and guitar.

This Sunday they will be playing the same program at the Ariel Theater in Gallipolis, Ohio at 2 p.m. They will then travel to Reston, Virginia on Feb. 17 to perform at the Flute Society of Washington’s Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair.

Rachael Cook can be contacted at [email protected].