April 2-15, 2023
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
A showcase of creativity, innovation and collaboration
Each spring, UCF brings its best and brightest artists to Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for a large-scale celebration of creativity. This year, UCF Celebrates the Arts turns the spotlight on the intersection of arts and technology, and showcases our students, faculty and alumni through dance, concerts, cabaret, lectures and discussions, film, chamber music, an expanded visual arts presence and more. Fantastic possibilities lie ahead at UCF Celebrates the Arts 2023!
Scheduled Events
Additional event information coming soon!
Schedule is subject to change.
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Sunday, April 2, 2023, 12:00 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
National Young Composers Challenge
Hear Central Florida's finest musicians perform music written by the next generation of star composers for stage and screen.
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Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 5:30 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Architecture Showcase
A presentation by guest architect Brooks + Scarpa, featuring a tour of Steinmetz Hall and presentations from architecture students at UCF, UF, and Valencia.
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Thursday, April 6, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Book Discussion: When the World Turned Upside Down
Over the past five years, the world has witnessed several "unimaginables" about which the author, Luis Martínez-Fernández, felt compelled to write.
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Thursday, April 6, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
UCF Symphony Orchestra: When in Rome
UCF musicians perform orchestral classics and excerpts from a new opera, conducted by Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s maestro.
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April 7 – April 8, 2023 • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
UCF Opera Presents Speed Dating Tonight!
Under the direction of Thomas Potter, UCF Opera performs Speed Dating Tonight! by Michael Ching.
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Friday, April 7, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
First Look and Discussion of War Unfolding
“War correspondence is ‘America’s great undiscovered literature.’” – Andrew Carroll
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Friday, April 7, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
Swingin’ and Singin’ with the Flying Horse Big Band
Join UCF’s chart-topping Flying Horse Big Band for an evening of music.
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 11:00 a.m. • DeVos Family Room
Theatre for Very Young Audiences: The Day I Danced with Dinosaurs
Get ready to party, because everyone knows dinosaurs love to dance!
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 5:00 p.m. • Seneff Arts Plaza
Creative Clash
Armed with markers, students and alumni from the UCF School of Visual Arts and Design race against the clock to create artwork in front of a crowd.
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 6:30 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Graphic Design & Experimental Animation Showcase
A showcase of works by graduating seniors in the Emerging Media BFA, Graphic Design and Experimental Animation tracks!
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Inspired: An Evening of Chamber Music for Strings, Piano and Clarinet
The UCF Pegasus String Quartet and faculty from the School of Performing Arts presents Inspired, a concert featuring works for piano, clarinet and strings.
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Saturday, April 8, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
National Choir Festival Concert
Artistic journeys start with education!
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Monday, April 10, 2023, 6:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
REALity of ARTificial Intelligence
What is AI, or Artificial Intelligence? What’s the connection between AI and art, and how does that challenge our values around creativity and content? It’s legal, but is it ethical?
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Monday, April 10, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
UCF Percussion Ensemble
This concert will feature performances by the UCF Percussion Ensemble and guest artist line upon line percussion in a thrilling and dynamic showcase of percussion music.
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Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Project Spotlight presents Race to Infinity
Project Spotlight presents Race to Infinity, a play that unpacks Sara's shaky upbringing in a Latin household and struggle to find her worth when faced with expectations that seem impossible to reach.
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Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
UCF New Music Ensemble presents /ˈhɑː.mə.foʊn/
The UCF New Music Ensemble and the UCF composition studio present an evening of world-premiere music exploring the ambiguity and richness of language. Guest ensemble line upon line percussion will join UCF’s finest contemporary performers for this unique and intriguing performance.
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Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 8:00 a.m. • Steinmetz Hall
Music for All UCF-Orlando Band Invitational presented by Excelcia Music Publishing
The Music for All UCF-Orlando Band Invitational is a unique opportunity for young musicians to improve their skills and gain valuable insights from experienced educators.
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Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
UCF Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band Concert
The University of Central Florida's top two auditioned ensembles, the Wind Ensemble and the Symphonic Band, present an evening of music by some of today’s most impactful composers.
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Thursday, April 13, 2023, 6:30 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Mind Matters: New Plays for Teens
During the 2022-23 school year, Theatre UCF, Orlando Repertory Theatre, UCF Department of Psychology and Orange County Public Schools teamed up with playwrights around the nation to create twelve new plays for high school students to explore mental health and wellness, supported by curriculum for use in the theatre classroom.
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Thursday, April 13, 2023, 6:30 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Knight to Shine: A Musical Theatre Showcase
The spotlight is on the graduating Musical Theatre students as they take the stage for an evening of cabaret style performances!
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Thursday, April 13, 2023, 7:30 p.m. • Steinmetz Hall
Faith, Hope and Love: UCF Choirs
UCF’s singers, including the UCF Chamber Singers, SoAl and TeBa choruses, University Singers, and UCF Community Choir, share faith, hope and love through song.
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Friday, April 14, 2023, 11:00 a.m. • Walt Disney Theater
Inclusive Knights Concert Series Featuring the UCF Concert Band
The UCF Concert Band provides an entertaining musical journey for people of all abilities and needs, introducing different creatures and animals, while music education students serve as guides to the experience.
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Friday, April 14, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • DeVos Family Room
Writers Go Wild!
Writers Go Wild showcases the work and talent of the Spring 2023 graduating students of UCF’s creative writing MFA graduate program.
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Friday, April 14, 2023, 7:00 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Film: The Biggest Dream
Experience the legacy of the Arecibo Observatory from the small island of Puerto Rico, past near-Earth asteroids, and to the deepest regions of space.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 9:30 a.m. • Lobbies and public spaces throughout the center
WONDERLAND: A Scavenger Hunt Adventure
Venture down the rabbit hole with us!
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 11:00 a.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Home of the Brave – Theatre for Young Audiences
The concept of home can mean a lot to different people: it can be a person, or family, it can be a house or location; and sometimes, it can feel like an unreachable desire in the heart of someone who just wants to belong somewhere.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 2:00 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
The Florida Prison Education Project
UCF’s Florida Prison Education Project hosts an art exhibition and one-hour panel discussion on the value of arts-based prison education.
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Saturday, April 15, 2023, 5:00 p.m. • Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater
Character Animation and Animation/Visual Effects Premieres
Enjoy a series of award-winning short, animated films from students in the graduate and undergraduate programs in the School of Visual Arts and Design.
Show Your Support
UCF Celebrates the Arts is committed to keeping all performances and exhibits free or low cost for the community. And with your help, we can do so every year.
About the Festival
UCF Celebrates the Arts, a festival showcasing creativity, innovation and collaboration from Orlando’s hometown university, occurs annually at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in April. The event is hosted by the UCF College of Arts and Humanities and features the faculty and students from the School of Performing Arts and the School of Visual Arts and Design, as well as work from the humanities departments and other units from around the university. Partnership, one of UCF’s long-standing values, is brought front-and-center at UCF Celebrates the Arts, with many events showcasing the collaborative nature of the university and demonstrating how UCF is both in and of the Central Florida community.
