UApresents’ nationally recognized School Matinee Program brings the performing arts to 102 schools and more than 12,000 K-12 students. UApresents invites local schools to Centennial Hall to enjoy and learn through performances geared specifically for them. For everyone who attends, a School Matinee is a unique occasion to experience the power of the performing arts – to marvel at the confidence, talents and training of the artists on stage, to learn a little bit more about our place in our global community and to unlock creativity.

At the matinee, each student receives a souvenir bookmark and a “Spotlight” student guide including activities and additional information about the performance.

The UApresents School Matinee Program is made possible in part through the generous support of:

Educational Programs Sponsors:
• Robert and Nancy Clark
• Joan Brown Diamond Lead Charitable Trust



School Matinee Sponsors:
Series Sponsor: Texas Instruments


• Dr. Mary Jo Ghory
• Charles and Pat Pettis
• UA Council of Deans
• Clague A. Van Slyke III, Attorney at Law

School Matinee Brochure & Registration  [ Download (pdf) ]

Natalie MacMaster Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 10:30am

Fiery fiddler Natalie MacMaster plays with a ferocious energy. The Los Angeles Times describes her repertoire of traditional and contemporary Celtic music as “…a ball of fire, performing jigs and reels with unstoppable, foot-tapping energy and ballads with irresistible, keening passion.” With a talent that remains both raw and wondrously refined and backed by a band of which any top musician would be proud, MacMaster enchants crowds around the globe with her feverish fiddling and mesmerizing step-dancing.

Golden Dragon Acrobats present Cirque d’Or Monday, December 8, 2008 at 10:30am

Daring feats of athletic discipline and grace, brilliant costumes, theatrical spectacle, music and dance both ancient and contemporary — performance of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty. This 21-member troupe from China’s Hebei Province bedazzles audiences of all ages with timeless thrills, proving, as The Associated Press exults, “The impossible can be achieved, and once achieved, surpassed.” Twenty-five centuries of tradition propel this spectacularly colorful Chinese art form, and the Golden Dragon Acrobats have been its most popular U.S. ambassadors for three decades.

Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana “Fiesta Flamenca” Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 10:30am

“Unforgettably hot dancing burned this performance into memory,” raves The Washington Post. Flamenco Vivo bridges cultures around the world to push the boundaries of traditional flamenco, infusing it with fresh energy and excitement. Artistic Director and founder Carlota Santana conjures vibrant performances from an ever-expanding repertoire of new music, original dramatic works and a bold mixture of dance vocabularies, including Hispanic-American influences. It’s no wonder Dance Magazine named Santana “The Keeper of Flamenco.”

Afro-Cuban All Stars Monday, March 2, 2009 at 10:30am

All Stars leader Juan de Marcos González is one of the most important figures in Cuban music today. The driving force behind the Buena Vista Social Club, González has a mission to show the world the wealth, diversity and vitality of Cuban music. The All Stars pairs talented young musicians with established veterans. Their hard-driving big band sound covers the full spectrum of Latin music including danzón, bolero, mambo, salsa and rumba. González explains, “We have to use all the heritage of Cuban music to create a sound of the future.”

Joe Bonamassa “Blues in the Schools” Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:30am

One of the most talented and hardest-working of the new generation of blues singer/guitarists, Joe Bonamassa brings the blues to a new generation of fans, playing the old music as a way of passing the torch. Influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn, he began playing the guitar at age 4. At age 11 he toured with blues legend B.B. King and at age 14 he performed with John Lee Hooker. His school performance showcases the rich history of the American blues tradition and shows how “all the trials of life are contained in the blues.”