The UI Museum of Art is normally filled with silently reflective patrons, but not on Oct. 21. The “Music at the Museum” series, a union of melody and art engineered by the UI School of Music, will fill the gallery with an afternoon of Baroque arias and sonatas. The free performance is open to the public, beginning at 2 p.m. UI School of Music lecturer Shari Rhoads, the concert organizer and a musical contributor, beams with excitement when asked about utilizing this previously untapped venue.

“This event is special because it is a relatively unused space at the Museum of Art in terms of concerts,” she said. “The pieces that we are performing for these concerts were composed for small, intimate spaces instead of the massive auditoriums that were built in America to accommodate everything from a sporting event to a tractor pull.” The Oct. 21 concert is the second in a series of six at the museum.

This one focuses on music of the Baroque period; harpsichordist Rhoads will join accomplished UI School of Music oboist Mark Weiger and soprano Susan Bender from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The ensemble will combine famous works penned by such composers as Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel. The concerts, which continue through the remainder of the school year, will involve UI student musicians as well.

“For many of the concerts, there are collaborations among faculty and students,” Rhoads said. “This gives the students an opportunity to perform with professionals and gain experience on another level. For us, it is joyful to stand side by side with our students and make music with them.” The concert series will span a variety of genres. The Nov. 11 concert will offer madrigal works from the 16th century, provided by some of the School of Music’s premier musicians.