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.

Experience the UCF woodwind ensembles, from clarinets to saxophones, in a journey through musical eras with a rich and dynamic repertoire.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

An electrifying performance featuring the U.S. premiere of a piece by Brazilian composer Ney Rosauro, performed alongside the UCF choir.This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025. Registration Link: https://cah.ucf.edu/events/celebrates/ Registration Info: Purchas 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.

This is a young person's concert to provide a safe and welcoming place for people who are looking for ways to access live music that may not normally be able to do so. We will offer support for members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities, persons on the autism spectrum, persons with cognitive disabilities, family members, as well as the Central Florida Community at large.Go into outer space in an entertaining musical program with the UCF Concert Band, as music education students serve as guides to the experience. The musicians and staff understand that people may need to get up, move about, or leave during the performance. Balloons, visual representations, and opportunities to move will be provided to support the enjoyment of music. Patrons are encouraged to bring hearing protection, fidget toys, manipulatives, cushions and support objects to the concert. This program is open to any and all members of the community to experience and enjoy.This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025. Registration Link: http://Arts.ucf.edu/celebrates Registration Info: For more information.

The tribute consists of intertwined cello performances by UCF Professor David Bjella and multimedia presentations by UCF historian Luis Martinez-Fernandez. Professor Martinez-Fernandez will lecture on the life and extraordinary accomplishments of cellist Pablo Casals (1876-1973), widely recognized among the 20th century's greatest musicians. Casals was also a renowned composer, conductor, teacher, and international humanitarian. He recognized Johan Sebastian Bach as his greatest influence and played his works for over two hours every morning. "I need Bach at the beginning of the day almost more than I need food and water," he once said. Professor Bjella, who studied cello under one of Casals' disciples, will perform Bach's works including the preludes to Suite #1 and Suite #5 for Cello and Casals' "Song of the Birds."This event is a part of UFC Celebrates the Arts 2025! Registration Link: http://Arts.ucf.edu/celebrates Registration Info: For more information.

Project Spotlight, UCF's only student developmental theatre organization, presents an original and thrilling murder mystery play by UCF student Joseph Fields.Ten strangers arrive at the Mirage Hotel, seeking refuge from the blizzard raging outside. Some come for comfort and relaxation, others come for dangerous liaisons. The evening quickly turns violent when the strangers discover that their sworn enemy is also in the hotel. Suddenly, secrets and intrigue are uncovered, revealing that the strangers are more connected than they first believed.All of this comes to a head when their enemy turns up as dead as a doornail. The guest must now put aside their differences and works together to find the killer. Ultimately, discovering more about themselves and each other throughout the process.This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025. Registration Link: https://cah.ucf.edu/events/celebrates/ Registration Info: Purchase tickets here

Middle and high school bands from across the state of Florida are invited to perform and receive feedback from a panel of nationally recognized educator-clinicians in Steinmetz Hall or the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theatre. Each band will have the opportunity to participate in individual clinic sessions with a clinician, who will provide personalized recommendations. This unique opportunity for young musicians improves their skills and provides valuable insights from experienced educators.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.

Pegasus String Quartet Returns to Dr. Phillips Center for the 4th Year!Join UCF's Pegasus String Quartet, under the direction of Ayako Yonetani, for an unforgettable evening of chamber music as the Pegasus String Quartet, UCF's premier graduate string ensemble, returns to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for the fourth consecutive year.Program Highlights:In the first half, we'll present String Quartet No. 1 by Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, known for his innovative fusion of traditional European forms with Brazilian folk elements. This will be followed by one of Mozart's most celebrated quartets, the String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465, commonly known as the "Dissonance" Quartet. Mozart's exploration of harmonic ambiguity and bold sonorities in this piece offers a fascinating contrast to Villa-Lobos' vibrant and dynamic style.The second half features a collaboration with two esteemed guest artists: David Bjella, UCF faculty member, and Tyler Pacheco, professor at Valencia College. Together, we will perform Verklarte Nacht ("Transfigured Night") by Arnold Schoenberg. Inspired by Richard Dehmel's poem of the same name, this lush, deeply expressive string sextet marks Schoenberg's early mastery before his development of the 12-tone technique. It's a tonal work rich in chromaticism, influenced by the German Romanticism of Brahms and Wagner, and characterized by its intricate harmonic language.Throughout the program, we explore a common theme: pushing boundaries. Each piece challenges traditional notions of tonality, rhythm, and style, offering fresh perspectives within the chamber music repertoire.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 Body's Voice" is a fun and heartfelt show where Luca Vullo and his mother, Angela Gabriele, bring Italy's silent language to life. Often referred to as the "Ambassador of Italian gestures," Luca has over a decade of experience teaching masterclasses on this subject at more than 70 international universities. His unique expertise allows him to compare Italian gestures with those of other cultures and explore the potential for intercultural misunderstandings.This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025. Registration Link: https://cah.ucf.edu/events/celebrates/ Registration Info: For more information.

The University of Central Florida's top two auditioned ensembles, the UCF Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, present an evening of firsts, including the premieres of important and impactful works and collaborations with guest artists and ensembles. The program includes the consortium premiere of a new concerto for trumpet and symphonic band, by Juan Vasquez, featuring UCF Associate Professor of Trumpet Jesse Cook, Ph.D., and the world premieres of "D[RAM]EDY" for solo piano and wind ensemble, written by faculty composer, Alexander Burtzos and featuring world-renowned solo artist, Jenny Lin, and also of a new setting of Leonard Bernstein's monumental "Chichester Psalms" for orchestral winds, percussion, mixed choir, and soloists, with the UCF choirs performing alongside our wind ensemble.This event is a part of UCF Celebrates the Arts 2025. Registration Link: http://Arts.ucf.edu/celebrates Registration Info: https://www.drphillipscenter.org/events/tickets/2025/ucf-premieres-and-collaborations/