Benefactor Duda Establishes Yonetani String Scholarship
February 02, 2013 Judith (Judy) Duda recently established the Endowed Ayako Yonetani String Scholarship, an endowment for violin and viola students. This is the first endowed scholarship honoring an active faculty member in the music department. Among her numerous leadership roles in the Central Florida community, Duda is a member of the Dean’s...
Jeff Moore honored by Percussive Arts Society
January 31, 2013 In October, Jeff Moore was elected to the Board of Directors of the Percussive Arts Society. His election was announced at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Austin, Texas where he adjudicated the Marching Percussion Collegiate and High School Ensemble competition. Additionally, Moore’s latest steel drum band arrangements (Alfred...
Drum Roll . . . UCF's 200,000th Alumnus
January 24, 2013 The University of Central Florida will reach a milestone during commencement ceremonies this week when the 200,000th alumnus receives a degree. Wendell Raulerson II will receive the distinction when he receives his Bachelor of Music during the 9 a.m. Thursday ceremony for students from the College of Arts & Humanities....
Musical Theatre Alum Wins First in National Singing Competition
January 11, 2013 Kelli Rose Sleigh (B.F.A. Musical Theatre, 2009) recently competed in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Central Florida Chapter Musical Theater Competition. Sleigh competed in the Advanced Musical Theater division, which required contestants to prepare six songs of varying styles and eras. Sleigh placed first in her division and...
UCF Flute Studio Finalists Prepare for State Competition
December 06, 2012 The UCF Flute Studio under the direction of Nora Lee Garcia, D.M.A. is proud to present the finalists who will compete at the Florida Flute Convention in January 2013. The Florida Flute Convention is hosted by the Florida Flute Association, a state-wide non-profit organization, and includes various concerts, competitions, scholarships,...
Potter to Star in Florida Opera Theatre's "Gianni Schicchi"
November 19, 2012 UCF Opera director, Thomas Potter, will practice what he preaches when he sings the title role in Puccini’s comic opera, GIANNI SCHICCHI with the Florida Opera Theatre – December 8 and 9, 2012. Joining Professor Potter on stage will be several UCF voice students (both current and recent graduates). Potter says “It is a special honor...
UCF Theatre Alumni Present New York Showcase
November 06, 2012 Alumni from the UCF Theatre Department are presenting a theatrical showcase on Wednesday, November 7 and Friday, November 9 at Shetler Studios in New York City. The event, which has been two years in the making, will feature fourteen theatre and film professionals who boast a wide range of style,...
Theatre Student Organization Hosts One-Act Festival
October 30, 2012 On November 8-11, University of Central Florida’s Project Spotlight will be hosting its semi-annual One-Act Festival. This festival allows students the chance to produce, act in, and direct one-act plays. Project Spotlight is an organization completely governed and overseen by students. The One-Act Festival (OAF) gives those interested in participating...
Student Opera Club Surprises with Flash Mob in Union
October 25, 2012 Students enjoying “Music Monday” in the Student Union heard more than the familiar sounds of the Union’s piano, thanks to the Student Opera Club. About 15 members of the club surprised unsuspecting students with a flash mob, performing their rendition of “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici”, from the opera “La Traviata.”...
Yonetani Performs with Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra
October 24, 2012 Ayako Yonetani recently performed as a special soloist with the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra on October 14 at the Bob Carr Auditorium. The music director for the evening was Andrew Lane. Pieces played included works from Verdi, Saint-Saens, Rimsky-Korsakov, and more. Yonetani is also scheduled to play for a special...
Theatre Alum Sidonie Smith Among "I'm A Star" Finalists
September 13, 2012 Theatre UCF Alum Sidonie Smith (M.F.A. Musical Theatre) is one of the 14 finalists in composer-lyricist Scott Alan and Youtube sensation Michael Buckley’s “I’m A Star Contest”. The contest winner will record vocals for a brand-new song by Alan for his upcoming live album. The winner will also have the...
Theatre UCF Students Create Promo for Upcoming Season
August 27, 2012 Theatre students Michael Dritto and Samantha Salerno created a promotional video about Theatre UCF’s 2012-13 season. It premiered at an annual reception for theatre patrons and aired again for theatre students at an all-department assembly on the first day of fall classes. The video not only informs the public about...
Voice Undergraduate Awarded National Scholarship
July 17, 2012 Amber Farish, an undergraduate student of UCF’s Voice program, has been awarded a $2000 Scholarship for the 2012/13 academic year by Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc. The award, in honor of Phyllis Dobbins Holt, was awarded to only three students in the country. From SAI: “There were many outstanding applications...
UCF Students and Alumni at Aspen Music Festival
July 16, 2012 Rachelle Jenkins, a 2011 UCF graduate with a BM in Horn Performance, is featured at the 2012 Aspen Music Festival on a Student Spotlight Banner. Rachelle is in her third season at the Aspen Music Festival and holds a New Horizon Fellowship, the most prestigious student award given at the...
Potter to Teach and Perform in Europe
June 19, 2012 UCF Opera director Thomas Potter travels to Germany to teach at Music Theater Bavaria this summer to teach voice, German diction, the International Phonetic Alphabet, and to assist in the directing of several opera scenes. Additionally, Professor Potter will be singing a 90 minute guest artist recital in the Blaue Quelle Performance Hall in...
2012 Music Scholarship Winners and ΠΚΛ Inductees
May 04, 2012 The UCF Music Department recognizes the 2012 Special Music Scholarship winners and Pi Kappa Lambda inductees. Pi Kappa Lambda is an honors society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of music in higher education. 2012 Performance Excellence Award Winner Joshua Herrington 2012 Presser Foundation Scholarship Winner Nick Buonanni 2012...
Theatre UCF Summer Season is Sexy, Mysterious
April 09, 2012 Each summer, Theatre UCF brings three productions to its stages. In 2012, the University of Central Florida program is presenting No Sex Please, We’re British; Deathtrap; and Spike Heels. No Sex Please, We’re British is a comedy by Anthony Marriott and Alistair Foot. A straight-laced newlywed couple innocently order Scandinavian...
Yonetani Performs with Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo in First American Tour
April 02, 2012 Ayako Yonetani will perform with the Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo as they present their first American tour. As a part of a celebration for the Japan-U.S. Cherry Blossom Centennial, the group will play at the Verizon Hall in Philadelphia on April 27, National Gallery in Washington, Harvard University’s Sander’s Theater in...
Yonetani Performs at Japanese Embassy in Panama
March 27, 2012 Ayako Yonetani recently performed in Panama at an event commemorating the one-year anniversary of Japan’s Tsunami/Earthquake. Yonetani played the famous Bach Chaconne from Solo Partita No. 2. The Japanese Embassy hosted the event on March 9, 2011 at the Museo del Canal. Guests included the Vice President of Panama, the...
Koelble’s Relentless Curiosity About Music
March 20, 2012 As you take the steps down into the belly of Tanqueray’s, an underground bar in Downtown Orlando, you come across a smoky jazz haven adorned with Christmas lights and a wall of mirrors that makes the cramped venue appear twice as big. Cast in a shroud of blue and red...