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9th Annual UCF-Orlando Jazz Festival set March 24-25

The ninth annual UCF-Orlando Jazz Festival on March 24-25 at the University of Central Florida campus will showcase the talent of renowned jazz musicians and local high school jazz bands.

Coming in from New York City, Peter Bernstein and his jazz trio open the festival on March 24. Guitarist Bernstein has worked with jazz legends Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz, Lou Donaldson and others.

Saturday evening’s concert features the Leroy Jones Quintet. Other featured groups include the UCF Jazz Professors with Per Danielsson, Marty Morell, Bobby Koelble, Michael Wilkinson, Dan Miller, Jeff Rupert and Richard Drexler. UCF artist-in-residence trumpeter Dan Miller will open for Jones.

The Flying Horse Big Band will kick off the high school component of the festival on Saturday morning with workshops.

High school jazz bands representing schools from both Florida coasts will be performing Saturday. Student jazz musicians from Melbourne, Viera, Gulf Coast, North Port, and Palm Beach Central High Schools will have the opportunity to share the stage with the guest artists. By joining the line up of prestigious jazz performers, the student musicians will gain lessons in showmanship and inspiration to pursue further music education and careers in jazz.

“We bring to UCF only the best in jazz performance,” said Jeff Rupert, director of jazz studies at UCF. “The Peter Bernstein Trio will bring the best of New York jazz to Orlando, and we also have performing quintet leader, Leroy Jones, the ‘keeper of the flame’ for traditional New Orleans Jazz. We are happy to have the opportunity to feature them here at UCF for their first Central Florida appearance!”

The performances will be 8 p.m. in the Nicholson School of Communication Auditorium (Room 101). Tickets are $10, $5 for nonUCF students, and UCF students attend free with UCF ID.