As he winds down nearly two decades leading the Frost School of Music, dean Shelton G. Berg has been honored with a series of tributes to his transformative impact, most notably a gala musical celebration at the Knight Center for Music Innovation in March. He received a warm farewell at the annual Winter Wonderful gala, was named to Downbeat magazine’s Jazz Education Hall of Fame, and was given the Arsht Education Champion Award at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County's 20th anniversary gala.
Last Friday, Berg received a proclamation from Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago proclaiming April 25, 2026, to be Dean Shelton G. “Shelly” Berg Day in Coral Gables. Known as the “City Beautiful,” the century-old community’s history is closely tied to that of the University of Miami and the Frost School and contains some of Miami-Dade County’s most iconic structures, including the famed Biltmore Hotel, a National Historic Landmark.
The proclamation cited Berg’s achievements in making the Frost School a groundbreaking new model of music education that has prepared thousands of students for success; for raising more than $175 million in donations during his tenure for scholarships and to build the Knight Center for Music Innovation and the Patricia Louise Frost Music Studios; and establishing the Henry Mancini Institute, the Stamps Scholars Program, and the Donna E. Shalala MusicReach youth outreach program at the Frost School.
The proclamation also cited Berg’s six GRAMMY nominations, groundbreaking artistic collaborations, performances on stages across the globe, and a musical career that embodies “the excellence and dedication he has inspired in Frost School students.”
