News

Judi Siegfried, dance faculty member in the Department of Theatre has been recognized as Tremaine’s “Teacher of the Year”. Siegfried was presented the award at the nationally known dance convention Tremaine in July, 2009. Siegfried has taught at Valencia, Rollins, and for over twenty years at UCF. “I am extremely honored to receive this award,”…

Kirk Gay has published a book of timpani etudes and solos for beginning to advanced players. The book, titled Pedal to the Kettle, addresses the demands of today’s emerging timpanists, bringing new, modern life to performing on this unique instrument. The etudes (written for 2 or 4 drums) are presented in a sequence that graduates…

UCF trumpet teacher, John Almeida, toured several Florida and North Carolina high schools during the end of the 2009 Spring semester. He performed as a guest trumpet soloist with several superb high-school-band wind ensembles including Lakewood Ranch High School, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Wind Symphony, and Central Davidson High School Wind Ensemble.

Jennifer Mueller, a graduate student in UCF’s College of Music, recently won first prize in the American Viola Society’s annual David Dalton Research Competition. Her paper is entitled, “Finding Emotion in Bartok’s Viola Concerto,” and investigates emotional responses to music as a way to analyze musical form. The paper will be published in the Journal…

Graduate student Trent Fucci will star as Prince Hal in The Arboretum’s Summerfest production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part One July 8th-12th. Fucci will have the opportunity to play the role of Prince Hal for the next three summers if the play is well received. Read more about Fucci’s career and future on stage.

Assistant Professors Mark Brotherton and Earl Weaver star in and direct this year’s first UCF summer show, “Greater Tuna.” Weaver will also direct “Cole!” later this summer.

Two UCF partners have received Disney’s Helping Kids Shine grants. The Orlando Repertory Theatre, home to the Masters of Fine Arts Program in Theatre for Young Audiences, received $10,800 to fund their ACT! Outreach Program. The Orlando Shakespeare Theater, host to third-year students in the Theatre Department’s Masters of Fine Arts program in Acting, received…

Baritone Thomas Potter will sing the role of Donner in Richard Wagner’s opera “Das Rheingold” with the Indianapolis Opera Company and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Mario Venzago. More information may be found at: www.indyopera.org.

At the UCF Music Department’s annual Honors Convocation, Jay Batzner presented the UCF Wind Ensemble Composition Competition Award to Brandon Clinton.

At the UCF Music Department’s annual Honors Convocation, department chair Johnny Pherigo presented the Presser Foundation Award to Allessandro Bonotto.