Battle Royale! Swing into the golden age of jazz with the Flying Horse Big Band as they pay tribute to the legendary bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Directed by Saul Dautch '18, this electrifying evening celebrates the timeless music of the swing era, featuring iconic tunes inspired by Basie, Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. Special guest vocalist Carla Cook will join the band for this unforgettable night.The Flying Horse Big Band is one of the premier performing ensembles of the UCF Music Department. Under the direction of American saxophonist Jeff Rupert, they have appeared at the Montreux, Switzerland, and the North Sea Jazz Festivals, as well as numerous festival and concert appearances domestically. The band has featured Randy Brecker, Bob Berg, Michael Mossman, James Moody, Nick Brignola, Harry Allen, Steve Turre, Rodney Holmes, Terry Gibbs, Marvin Stamm, Mulgrew Miller, John Swana, Kevin Mahogany, Lou Donaldson and Eric Alexander with the band.The group has eight recordings recordings. In 2011, the Flying Horse Big Band's debut album Jazz Town climbed to 43 on the JazzWeek chart, and the band has been hitting national jazz charts ever since. Their 2012 release, The Blues is Alright topped out at 35 on JazzWeek's chart. Subsequent recordings include The Blues is Alright (2012), Into the Mystic (2015), Big Man on Campus (2017), The Bat Swings (2018), Good News (2019), and The Florida Rays (2020). Most recently, in 2023, the band released A Message from the Flying Horse Big Band as a tribute to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Both The Florida Rays and A Message from the Flying Horse Big Band have charted to #1 on national (professional) music charts.This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025, Registration Link: https://cah.ucf.edu/events/celebrates/ Registration Info: Purchase tickets here.

UCF Celebrates the Arts is an immersive and dynamic cultural extravaganza that fuses creativity, innovation and community engagement. This annual festival showcases the artistic prowess of UCF's faculty and students and invites the broader community to enjoy performances, exhibitions, presentations and interactive experiences. With a focus on accessibility, partnership and diverse offerings, UCF Celebrates the Arts is a unique opportunity for the community to experience the creative side of UCF's innovative spirit.The festival will feature the cherished theatrical masterpiece of "Fiddler on the Roof," brought to life by Tony winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. With unforgettable musical hits like "Tradition," "Sunrise, Sunset," and "If I Were a Rich Man," as well as the enchanting melodies of "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" and "To Life (L'Chaim!)."Each spring, UCF brings its best and brightest artists to Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for a large-scale celebration of creativity. UCF Celebrates the Arts showcases our students, faculty and alumni through dance, concerts, lectures and discussions, film, chamber music, visual arts and more. Registration Link: http://Arts.ucf.edu/celebrates Registration Info: purchase tickets here.

Get ready for an electrifying art showdown! Watch as talented artists armed with nothing but markers race against the clock to create stunning large-format artwork. The twist? The theme is revealed just seconds before the competition begins, so anything can happen! Join us for this thrilling event, and don't miss your chance to vote for your favorite piece at the end. Plus, be sure to check out the incredible artwork created at UCF Celebrates the Arts 2024, on display in the lobby all week long!This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025. Registration Link: http://Arts.ucf.edu/celebrates Registration Info: For more information.

Join us for an exciting evening showcasing the innovative work of UCF's SVAD graduating seniors from the nationally ranked Emerging Media BFA program. Engage with the future of Orlando's design community, connecting with talented students as they showcase groundbreaking projects in the Graphic Design and Animation & Visualization tracks. The evening will conclude with inspiring presentations from distinguished industry guests, sharing their creative insights and career wisdom. Don't miss this unique chance to be a part of the next chapter in Orlando's thriving creative scene!This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025. Registration Link: http://Arts.ucf.edu/celebrates Registration Info: For more information.

The most beloved fairy tale of all time: A young woman of unmatched grace and goodness overcomes the abuse of her stepfamily, profits from the help of a fairy godmother, and wins the heart of a royal suitor to live happily ever after. For almost 2,000 years, versions of the Cinderella story have been told across the globe, inspiring interpretations by myriad authors, playwrights, musicians, and filmmakers. There is much to recognize in Jules Massenet's fin-de-siecle version of this story, including a carriage formed from a pumpkin, a midnight curfew, and a singular glass slipper. Yet Massenet's title character is rendered at once stronger and more human than her literary forebear, as Massenet and librettist Henri Cain augment the opera's comedy, romance, and wistfulness with Cendrillon's remarkable ability to forgive.This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025. Registration Link: https://cah.ucf.edu/events/celebrates/ Registration Info: Purchase tickets here.

The University of Central Florida Symphony Orchestra performs symphonic music inspired by the landscape and culture of our planet, as well as orchestral composition inspired by our celestial surroundings. Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 2, composed between 1901 and 1902, is deeply intertwined with the Finnish landscape and culture; the symphony's pastoral themes evoke the serene and rugged Finnish countryside, with its vast forests and tranquil lakes. Grammy Award-winning composer, Jessie Montgomery, composed her reflective Hymn for Everyone in 2021, and described the piece as a "catharsis," inspired by a melody that came to her unexpectedly during a hike. Roger Zare's fascination with astronomy inspired him to compose NEOWISE about the comet which became visible to the naked eye in July 2020.This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025. Registration Link: http://Arts.ucf.edu/celebrates Registration Info: For more information.