ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Celebrates the Arts 2016 β a free festival of music, performances and visual displays β combines an abundance of arts and talent that would weigh down an actual marquee.
The festival, which is all open to the public, reprises its second season April 8-16 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando with an extended program of student and faculty presentations and collaborations.
Two more days of events have been added to this yearβs festival, which will feature offerings from more than 1,000 university students and 100 faculty members and include some collaborative programs with outside partners.
The festival will showcase the talents of the universityβs artists and practitioners in theatre, dance, orchestra, choirs, big band, chamber music, cabaret, concert bands, opera, visual arts, studio art, gaming, animation, photography and film.
Thereβs even a concert that organizers think may be the first of its kind: a presentation geared exclusively for expectant parents. (An ambulance will be on hand if needed to respond to any pregnant women who mayΒ go into labor!)
Collaborative music performances by ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ students will be under the direction of visiting composers Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, and more than 150 other films), and Patrick Doyle (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sense and Sensibility, Bridget Jonesβs Diary, and more than 45 other films, including several movie adaptations of Shakespeare works).
βThe festival allows us to show the breadth and depth of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ arts in one location,β said Jeff Moore, director of the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ School of Performing Arts and artistic director of the festival. βLast year someone said to me: βWe know ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ is big, but an event like this brings it home.β This demonstrates the quality of programs we have at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½.β
The festival also will provide an opportunity for high school arts students to attend workshops led by ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ faculty and perform at the new Dr. Phillips Centerβs state-of-the-art venue in downtown Orlando.
The full schedule is available on the website.