University of Miami Frost School of Music students were well represented in DownBeat magazine’s 39th Annual Student Music Awards, with fifteen winners and outstanding performance awards bestowed on undergraduate and graduate soloists, ensembles, composers and engineers.
The Frost School led in the Blues/Pop/Rock genre, with small instrumental group Funk Ensemble named the Undergraduate College Winner and Fusion Ensemble the Graduate College Winner. The Jake Shapiro Group also won an Outstanding Performance award in the Graduate College category for the group.
Among the top winners was the Evan Hyde Group of the Graduate College Small Jazz Combo category, along with Jake Shapiro for his small ensemble arrangement “I’ll Be Seeing You” in the Graduate College category.
In other soloist categories, jazz saxophonist David Leon was recognized with an Outstanding Performance award in the Undergraduate Jazz Soloist category, and Veronica O’Brien won an Outstanding Performance award in the Undergraduate Vocal Jazz Soloist category.
Small Jazz Combos the David Leon Trio and the Jake Shapiro Trio won Outstanding Performance awards in the Undergraduate and Graduate College categories, respectively.
Representing large ensembles, Frost “Extensions” was given an Outstanding Performance award in the Large Vocal Jazz Ensemble Graduate College category and Rafael Piccolotto De Lima Large Ensemble earned an Outstanding Performance award in the Latin Group Graduate College category.
Two Frost School of Music students also earned DownBeat jazz arrangement awards. Rafael Piccolotto de Lima, earned an Outstanding Arrangement award in the Studio Orchestra category for “Spanish Suite,” and Andrew Stermer was awarded a Graduate College Outstanding Arrangement award in the Big Band category for “Infant Eyes”.
Last but not least, Evan Hyde was recognized for his original composition, “Depredation” in the Small Ensemble Graduate College category, and Russ Spiegel earned a Graduate Outstanding Recording award in the Engineered Studio Recording category.
