Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon is one of many musicians who will perform during Festival Miami.

Once again this fall, the community is invited to partake in all that Festival Miami has to offer, from world premieres and symphonic concerts to chamber music presentations and jazz performances. Expect the extraordinary and prepare to be amazed at Festival Miami 2010.

The 2010 season is scheduled to commence on October 8 and conclude on October 30. Frost School of Music Dean Shelton Berg’s vision for the 27th season of Festival Miami presents 20 concerts over a four-week period, with each performance falling under one of four themes: Great Performances, Jazz and Beyond, Creative American Music, and Music of the Americas.

Festival Miami, the annual music festival that opens the South Florida arts season, provides superior and diverse musical programming while expanding academic opportunities and cultural enrichment to all of South Florida and its visitors.

The festival has set a precedent over the last 26 years by providing a month-long series that contains a blend of artistically and culturally diverse music and educational opportunities. It offers 20 to 30 concerts each season, providing for people of all ages and income levels the chance to be enriched by live musical performances.

Read the full story

The Frost School of Music Piano Preparatory Program is now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 academic year. Courses include group piano (for children 5 years of age and older), private piano lessons, music theory, ensemble, jazz group piano, and guitar. For more information, call 786-853-4041 or e-mail keyboardforkids@miami.edu. Additional information about the program can be found at www.umpianoprep.org.

A scene from the UM-produced film One Water, which makes its television premiere on August 2 on the Discovery Networks' Planet Green channel.

Will the world’s supply of drinking water run out? Top experts and a variety of leaders, including the 14th Dalai Lama and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., address the global water crisis in the University of Miami-produced film One Water.

Narrated by actor Martin Sheen, the film makes its television premiere tonight, August 2 at 9 p.m. E.D.T. on the Discovery Networks’ Planet Green channel.

Written and co-directed by Sanjeev Chatterjee, vice dean of UM’s School of Communication, One Water (www.onewater.org) is part of Planet Green’s “Blue August” special, a month-long lineup of compelling water-themed programming hosted by Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau.

The film will also be broadcast at 12 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3; and at 1 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 7 on the Planet Green Channel. In the Miami area, Comcast offers Planet Green on channel 113. DIRECTV: channel 286, also available in HD. DISH Network: channel 194, and AT&T U-verse: channel 465 or 1465 in HD.

Filmed in 15 countries, One Water explores the human relationship with water on a global scale: how people from India to Ecuador, Hungary to Kenya, and China to the United States struggle to obtain water for their most basic needs, while the more fortunate squander this precious resource as they fight for control of water resources. The award-winning film also highlights how the water crisis is becoming more aggravated by population growth and climate change and compromises the future of all life on the planet. To view a clip of the film, click here.

Read the full story

After an extensive development and testing phase, the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music has launched its redesigned website, which now features a variety of new and enhanced features, such as complete listings of concerts, master classes, and recitals at all of the school’s performance venues; expanded faculty profiles; and videos of students sharing their academic and musical experiences.

The site, which can be viewed here, is also searchable, an attribute the previous site did not have.

In addition, each of the school’s 12 musical programs is featured on the homepage their own accordion section that includes a short video of faculty members describing the program and engaged in the teaching process with students. Among the other features of the site:

• A page with descriptions of each of the Frost School’s major musical ensembles.
• Faculty and student resource Web pages that provide at-a-glance information, Frost School of Music forms, and links to University resources.
• News stories and news archives that offer more extensive information about student, faculty, and school-wide initiatives.
• Feature stories, an improved About Us section, and better navigation.

Frost School Dean Shelton “Shelly” Berg says the site can be an effective recruiting tool for potential new students, many of whom explore their college choices by visiting the school’s website.

“Prospective students will find the new Frost School of Music website more robust, visually appealing, and easier to navigate,” says Dean Berg. “The content is highly engaging and truly reflects the vibrancy of our faculty and our incredible top-tier programs.”

The Frost Concert Jazz Band was a DownBeat Graduate College Winner in the prestigious Large Jazz Ensemble category.

The University of Miami Frost School of Music ensembles and individual students won 12 awards in the 33rd Annual DownBeat magazine Student Music Awards, a record number for the Department of Studio Music and Jazz. National winners were announced in the June issue, which is currently on newsstands. A wide range of categories are represented, demonstrating the breadth of the jazz program at the Frost School of Music.

The Frost Concert Jazz Band, directed by Dante Luciani, was the DownBeat Graduate College Winner in the prestigious Large Jazz Ensemble category; the Frost Salsa Orchestra, directed by Alberto De La Reguera, was a repeat DownBeat Graduate College Winner in the Latin Group category. The Frost Funk/Fusion Ensemble, directed by Stephen Rucker, was the DownBeat Graduate College Winner in the Blues/Pop/Rock Group category; and the Frost Studio Jazz Band, directed by Stephen Guerra, received the DownBeat Graduate College Outstanding Performance Award.

Read the full story