The Frost School of Music and the University of Miami will commemorate their shared 100th anniversary on Tuesday, April 8, with a spectacular concert featuring a multi-generational array of stellar Frost School alumni.
The highlight of a landmark day of festivities, the Centennial Celebration Concert will feature a decade-spanning line-up of legendary Frost School artists performing their most famous songs. Singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby will perform his 80s classic “The Way It Is;” legendary jazz guitarist Pat Metheny will play a medley of "Are You Going With Me" and “Have You Heard;” Broadway and “Hamilton” star Joshua Henry will sing “The Room Where It Happens;” Miami-raised pop and jazz singer Jon Secada will perform his bi-cultural hit “Just Another Day;” boundary-breaking singer-songwriter Ben Folds will perform “Theme from ‘Dr. Pyser’;” and Idarose will perform “Glimpse of Us,” the monster 2022 hit she co-wrote for pop-electro artist Joji. More alumni performers and details will be announced in the weeks to come.
The concert will be hosted by famed entertainment and sports journalist and TV personality Jason Kennedy, a 2004 University of Miami School of Communication graduate. The Fort Lauderdale native leaped to national visibility in 2005 when he became an entertainment reporter for E! News, where he hosted for 16 years. Kennedy is currently a regular host for the PGA Tour, and a contributor to Access Hollywood and E! News. A ‘Cane enthusiast close to his South Florida roots, Kennedy was awarded the 2020 South Florida Communicator of the Year Award from the University.
The Centennial Celebration Concert is free and open to the public, and takes place at 7 p.m. on the Lakeside Patio at the University of Miami’s Coral Gables Campus. Thousands of students and Canes enthusiasts are expected to join the party, with thousands more attendees from the University’s global network of over 200,000 alumni joining virtually.
The Concert takes place exactly 100 years from the day the University of Miami signed its charter in 1925, as it prepared to welcome its first class in the fall of 1926. The Conservatory of Music, later renamed the Frost School of Music, was one of just two schools comprising the new institution.
“From the beginning, music has been integral to the University of Miami’s identity,” said Dean Shelton G. “Shelly” Berg, who organized the concert and a day of events for Frost School alumni, donors, and supporters. “Today, the Frost School of Music continues to exemplify the promise and prestige of a University of Miami education.”
“The Frost School of Music and University of Miami boast a powerful, invaluable alumni network,” Berg continued. “That’s part of the promise and immeasurable benefit of attending school here, and it’s why so many of these incredible alumni, from across multiple generations, will be with us to commemorate the centennial milestone on April 8 and help us celebrate the bright and bold future we’re establishing together.”
A centerpiece of the Frost School’s celebration will be a gala luncheon to honor more than 144 alumni with Frost School Centennial Medals. The first Centennial Medals were previously presented to 21 alumni at the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Knight Center for Music Innovation, with the honorees including Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Lee Levin, Dawnn Lewis, Carmen Lundy, and Jon Secada. Together, they exemplify the uniquely dynamic spirit of innovation and excellence that has made the Frost School one of the world’s leading music schools.
“Setting a new standard for what makes a great music school has long been a hallmark of the Frost School of Music,” said Berg. “Our legacy is shaped by those who have made outstanding contributions to the school and the music world. As we prepare to embark on our next century, it’s our pleasure to be able to bestow Frost School Centennial Medals on more than 160 alumni who’ve amplified the Frost School’s efforts to create, cultivate, and enhance the future of music today and into the future.”
The festivities on April 8 are just the beginning, as the Frost School of Music and the University of Miami will continue to celebrate their historic achievements – and look forward to an even brighter future - through 2025.
The Centennial Celebration kicks off at 5 p.m. with the Canes Carnival, featuring rides, games, and music, on the Foote Green. Attendees can also enjoy the Centennial Block Party from 5 to 9 p.m. along the Lakeside Patio and Westbrook Walkway, with complimentary food stations on Miller Drive from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The celebration is organized by the University’s Centennial Honorary Committee, composed of alumni, students, faculty and staff, and trustees.
All events are free and open to the public. More information can be found on the University’s centennial website at 100.miami.edu.
