The UCF Symphony, conducted by Dr. Laszlo Marosi, will perform its 10th annual Symphony Under the Stars concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 17,  at the UCF Reflecting Pond.

The program comprises two pieces, Delibes’ Coppélia Suite and Franck’s Symphony in D-Minor, played without intermission. Dancers from Theatre UCF will join for the first piece. They will perform a movement piece with kites in the Reflecting Pond.

A team of creative directors from the Theatre Department has been working with community professionals, graduate students, alumni, dancers, and designers to create what they call a “Site-Specific Theatrical Event: Chance Choreography with Performance Objects.”

The choreography includes 20 performers including professionals and students who will incorporate dance puppetry and objects in their performance. Vandy Wood and Julia Listengarten, theatre faculty and members of the creative team, are thrilled to collaborate across the disciplines on many production levels. “We are excited about the opportunity to integrate a visual performance in the live symphony concert. This creative process challenged us in many unexpected ways, but, most specifically, in how we develop a shared vocabulary across disciplinary boundaries and between different communities.”

Marosi, director of Instrumental Ensembles, said he is excited to be partnering with the Theatre Department. “I try to come up with different ideas for the event. And this year, I conducted Theatre’s production of The Music Man, and now they are participating in our event.”

The annual concert occurs outside for two reasons. The first, Marosi said, is lack of an on-campus performance hall big enough to accommodate the symphony and patrons. The second is that “this symphony exists for the community. We provide a break at the end of the semester for all UCF students. The students in the orchestra get to play beautiful music for all of their classmates and friends, and everyone walking by can see, and hear, that UCF has a symphony orchestra.”

“It’s a very challenging program,” says Marosi, “and not all the performers are music majors. There is a wide range of majors represented in the orchestra.”

Guests are invited to bring chairs, blankets, and picnic baskets. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be held in the Pegasus Ballroom in the Student Union. Parking on the UCF campus will be free for patrons from 7-10 p.m. (Visitors parking in 24-hour reserved spots will be ticketed.)

This event is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board. For more information, contact cabarts@ucf.edu or call 407-823-3294.