By Kathryn Morcone

A weekly concert series kicked off yesterday at the African-American Institute.

The first event featured many of the musicians involved in the annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert and reflected on the history of the Northeastern tradition.

Speakers included Stan Strickland, Bill Pierce, Armsted Christian, Frank Wilkins, Sa Davis, Syd Smart, Tim Ingles and Leonard Brown. According to the website, the John Coltrane Memorial Concert tribute runs from Sunday, Sept. 16, through Saturday, Sept. 22 in various locations in Boston and Cambridge.

The Northeastern music department is hosting four events as part of a free concert series titled “Music at Noon.” The events will take place Wednesdays throughout September and October and range from concerts to panel discussions and master classes, all hosted by a variety of musicians.

Arthur Rishi, concert coordinator for the music department, is coordinating the upcoming series. He said the series will give the music department an opportunity to show the Northeastern community what it has to offer.

“A lot of people don’t realize what a great music department we have here, so it’s a way to let the entire campus know,” Rishi said.

Musicians Elizabeth Reian Bennett and Ryuko Mizutani will bring a piece of Japanese culture to campus with music for the Japanese Shakuhachi and Koto Sept. 26. Bennett and Mizutani will perform and speak about two types of traditional Japanese musical instruments: the shakuhachi, a wooden flute, and the koto, a plucked string instrument. The two musicians will also discuss the history of the instruments and their role in Japanese culture.

Nicole DeCrosta, a freshman international affairs major, said she will be attending this event as part of her Asian music class.

“I’m really looking forward to being able to explore Japanese culture through its music,” DeCrosta said.

Professor Allen Feinstein will conduct a live orchestra that will provide the soundtrack to various silent film classics. The event, entitled “Treasures of Silent Cinema,” will take place Oct. 17 in Northeastern’s Fenway Center on St. Stephen Street, and will most likely include a mix of professional and student musicians. The two films that will be screened are “Where are My Children” and “Voice of the Violin.”

Julie Mulcahy, a senior communication studies major, expressed interest in attending “Treasures of Silent Cinema.”

“It’s different than just watching a silent film or just listening to live music,” she said. “It’s a rare combination of both.”

The music department will also sponsor a concert with music by Peggy Seeger, an acclaimed folk singer-songwriter, and music historian with expertise in women in music Oct. 24. Selected students in the music department will be allowed to perform for Seeger who will then critique their performances.

The Music at Noon concerts are free and open to the community.