New UCF Music Director of Orchestras
June 16, 2015 Chung Park joins the University of Central Florida Music faculty as the new Director of Orchestras, where he will be conducting the orchestra and teaching string music education. Park is no stranger to higher education, having worked at Appalachian State University, Idaho State University and the University of Miami. His...
Shafer Cast in Lifetime's Devious Maids
June 05, 2015 John Shafer has been cast in the third season of Lifetime’s critically-acclaimed hit series “Devious Maids.” Executive produced by Marc Cherry and Eva Longoria, Devious Maids follows five maids with ambitions and dreams of their own while working for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. Shafer will play the...
Yonetani Performs at Košice Music Festival
June 04, 2015 Last month, Ayako Yonetani performed the Brahms violin concerto with the Slovak State Filharmonia of Košice, conducted by Maestro Leos Svarovsky, during the 60th Košice Music Festival. Yonetani first performed with the Košice Filharmonia twenty years ago during the 40th Košice Music Festival and has been invited to perform once...
Flying Horse Big Band to Perform at UCF Celebrates the Arts 2015
April 08, 2015 On April 11, the Flying Horse Big Band will perform “Shakespeare Swings!” a cabaret-style production giving Shakespeare’s works a jazzy twist with vocals coordinated by the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. The performance is part of the 5-day UCF Celebrates the Arts 2015 festival. The festival will showcase studio art, music, theatre,...
UCF Music Student Competing at the Chicago Brass Festival
March 02, 2015 UCF Sophomore, Joshua Toler (Music Performance, Trumpet), has been accepted to the final round of the Chicago Brass Festival Solo Competition held March 13-14 at Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago. Solo finalists were selected from an international recorded preliminary round and will compete in a live final round performance on Saturday...
UCF Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band to Feature at the UCF Celebrates the Arts 2015 Festival
March 02, 2015 The UCF Wind Ensemble and UCF Symphonic Band will be featured April 12 in the UCF Celebrates the Arts 2015 festival. The bands’ 3 p.m. program is called Light & Space, and will include stellar songs in keeping with the theme of the festival’s opening night music and narrative of...
Boyd Receives Kennedy Center Medallion
February 06, 2015 Each year, the eight Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival regions honor individuals or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of theatre and who have significantly dedicated their time, artistry and enthusiasm to the development of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Most importantly,...
A Concert Abroad: Professors Perform in Denmark
January 27, 2015 On February 18, Dr. Yun-Ling Hsu, Assistant Professor in Piano, and Dr. JoAnne Stephenson, Associate Professor, present a collaborative recital of all-American music at the SMKS Concert Series in Odense, Denmark. Dr. Hsu will be performing the seldomly heard Gershwin Piano Solos by Earl Wild, the legendary American pianist. Dr....
Jazz Professors Perform Nationally
January 22, 2015 On January 19, The Jazz Professors performed with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra for a tribute to Stan Getz at the Plaza ‘LIVE’ Orlando, including the rarely performed album Focus. The performance included original music and classics recorded and performed by Stan Getz. In December, Jeff Rupert, Director of Jazz Studies...
Theatre Alumna Reprises Off-Broadway Role
December 09, 2014 Michelle Knight, ’02, stars as Snow White in the Off-Broadway production of “DISENCHANTED!” — a not-for-the-kiddies musical comedy that’s anything but Grimm. Forget the princesses you think you know. Fairy tales will never be the same! The show runs for a limited engagement Nov. 26 through Jan. 25 at the...
Percussion Professor Tours with Intercollegiate Quartet
September 29, 2014 Thad Anderson recently toured the Midwest with a piano and percussion quartet called Ensemble P4. The group is made up of faculty from Stetson University, Bethune-Cookman University, and UCF. The quartet made stops at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Chicago, Northern Illinois University, Joliet College,...
St. Claire's Work Published in Contemporary Play Anthology
September 16, 2014 A new anthology, Scenes and Monologues of Spiritual Experience from the Best Contemporary Plays, features the work of Sybil St. Claire. Her contribution, Wake Me When It’s Over, was inspired by her idiosyncratic Irish Catholic upbringing and the practice of three-day wakes. The play humorously and tenderly explores spirituality through...
UCF Flute Professor Performs at International Flute Convention
September 10, 2014 Nora Lee García was recently invited to perform at the 4th International Flute Convention in Seville, Spain. García was one of only five guest artists from the United States. The roster of international performers included Emmanuel Pahud, William Bennett, Davide Formisano and Alexa Still. Garcia performed a full recital with...
Koons Honored by International Clarinet Association
August 29, 2014 On August 2, Keith Koons was honored for his service to the International Clarinet Association. He was presented with a plaque of appreciation by President John Cipolla during an awards ceremony at the ICA international conference ClarinetFest®.hosted by Louisiana State University. Koons served from 2008-2010 as President-elect, 2010-2012 as President,...
Music Faculty Perform and Lecture in Austria
August 19, 2014 This July, John Almeida and Lyman Brodie, UCF Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, performed throughout Austria as invited members of the European Brass Ensemble. Under the direction of Maestro Thomas Clamor, the ensemble is comprised of virtuosic brass and percussion instrumentalists from 17 countries. Almeida and Brodie were joined...
Tobias Elected 2nd VP of National Band Association
July 29, 2014 Scott Tobias has been elected 2nd Vice President of the National Band Association. The National Band Association is the largest band directors’ professional organization in the world, with members working in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities throughout the U.S. The association promotes the musical and educational...
Lighting the Way for Some Pretty Hefty Stars
June 12, 2014 Charles "Chip" Perry’s summertime work is not just in the spotlight – it is the spotlight. The assistant professor of lighting and sound design for the University of Central Florida’s Theatre department is spending his summer months as lighting director for several World Wrestling Entertainment television production shows. His shows average...
UCF Theatre Graduate Helps Others Recover From Substance Abuse
April 29, 2014 John DeLisa is grateful for a lot of things the past few years, but foremost is that he survived – and will graduate Thursday morning at UCF with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in musical theatre. Drugs and alcohol coupled with a bipolar diagnosis led to his hospitalization before he...
Jeff Rupert Named Pegasus Professor
April 22, 2014 Jeff Rupert has been recognized as a Pegasus Professor, the most prestigious faculty award at UCF. The honor recognizes extraordinary contributions to the UCF community through teaching, research, and service. The award was formally presented by President John Hitt at the annual Founder’s Day Convocation on April 2. Pegasus Professors...
Writes of Spring Puts Young Students' Words Into Play
April 16, 2014 The 2014 Writes of Spring, a collaborative writing and theatrical production involving the UCF Theatre for Young Audiences, will be presented April 22-23 at the Orlando Repertory Theatre (REP). The 11th annual event is a writing contest designed to support literacy and promote creative expression. Each year The REP accepts...