Frost School of Music and University of Miami Alumni Raquel Sofía, Carter Vail, Bacilos, Will Lee, Ashley Pezzotti, and Dawnn Lewis Join Lineup Set to Perform at the University’s Centennial Celebration Concert

The Free Concert Will Feature Special Appearances by University of Miami Alumni Athletes Yonder Alonso, Ray Bellamy, and Tamara James, With TV Host and Producer Jason Kennedy Serving as the Emcee for the Event

/EIN News/ -- CORAL GABLES, Fla., March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami announced the second set of distinguished alumni set to perform at the Centennial Celebration Concert on Tuesday, April 8: Raquel Sofía performing “Llorando En Una Bici;” Carter Vail performing “Harder to Kill;” Bacilos performing “Tabaco Y Chanel;” Will Lee performing Jaco Pastorius’ “Liberty City;” Ashley Pezzotti performing “September in the Rain (C);” and Dawnn Lewis leading everyone in a special happy birthday-themed medley. These artists will join the previously announced set of Frost School alumni performers: Bruce Hornsby performing “The Way it Is;” Jon Secada performing “Just Another Day;” Ben Folds performing “Theme from ‘Dr. Pyser;’” Pat Metheny performing a medley of “Have You Heard” and “Are You Going with Me;” Joshua Henry performing “The Room Where it Happens” from “Hamilton;” and Idarose performing “Glimpse of Us.” 

The concert will be emceed by University alumnus and renowned TV host and producer, Jason Kennedy, and feature special appearances by Miami Hurricanes greats, including Yonder Alonso, who played baseball with the Hurricanes and was the 2008 All-American First-Round MLB Draft Pick; Ray Bellamy, who played football with the Hurricanes and was the University’s first Black scholarship student-athlete; Lauryn Williams, who ran track for the Hurricanes and is a three-time Olympic medalist; Randal Hill, who played football with the Hurricanes and was the first-round NFL draft pick in 1991; and Tamara James, who played basketball for the Hurricanes and was the first-round WNBA draft pick in 2006.

Dean Shelton G. (“Shelly”) Berg of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami said, “It’s only fitting that we celebrate the University of Miami’s centennial with a stage full of Frost School of Music and other University of Miami alumni who’ve helped further establish the legacy of our school over the course over the last several decades. Together, they embody our strong alumni network–talented individuals who have honed their craft in our classrooms, studios, fields and tracks; achieved remarkable success; and made a lasting impact on the world. The power and prestige of the ‘U’ is widely known and recognized across the globe - and it’s come alive here in Miami tonight!”

Members of the Frost Band of the Hour, the University’s marching band, will open the concert, treating attendees to a pregame-like celebration featuring the University of Miami “Fanfare,” the Miami Hurricanes’ Fight Song, and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” During the concert, performers will be accompanied by Frost School of Music undergraduate students from the Frost Symphony Orchestra and graduate students from the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, along with four Frost School alumni, drummers Marko Marcinko and Steve Rucker, renowned studio guitarist Andrew Synowiec, and bassist Will Lee, who spent 33 years in Paul Shaffer and The World’s Most Dangerous Band on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” Dean Berg will conduct the student orchestra.

Free and open to the public, the Centennial Celebration Concert will take place at 7 p.m. on the Lakeside Patio at the University’s Coral Gables Campus. It will be followed by a celebratory fireworks display, helping to ring in the next century of excellence and innovation at the University of Miami.

The Centennial Celebration Concert will occur exactly 100 years from the day the University signed its charter in 1925 and prepared to welcome its first class of students in the fall of 1926. At the time of its founding, the University comprised three schools, including the Conservatory of Music, which was later renamed the Frost School of Music, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Evening Division. Now, a century later, the University includes 12 schools and colleges, serving more than 19,000 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 180 majors and programs, and boasts more than 200,000 alumni with degrees from the highly acclaimed institution.

Throughout 2025, the University and its schools, including the Frost School of Music, will continue to celebrate historic achievements from the past 100 years as they look ahead to the next century, with many of the festivities featuring students, alumni, faculty and staff members, donors, and other esteemed community members.

On April 8, the Frost School of Music will honor 144 alumni artists, leaders, and visionaries with Frost School Centennial Medals. The first Centennial Medals were presented to 21 Frost School alumni, including Steve Bailey, Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Asiya Korepanova, Lee Levin, Dawnn Lewis, Carmen Lundy, Pat Metheny, Jon Secada, and Veronica Swift in November 2023. The next set of medalists include Frost School alumni Julio Reyes Copello, Joshua Henry, Bruce Hornsby, Alexis “Idarose” Kesselman, Will Lee, Carlos “Carlitos” López, Natalia Ramirez, Raquel Sofía, Andrew Synowiec, and Carter Vail, among many others.

Many of these featured medalists will participate in special panels, master classes, and showcases held throughout the afternoon of April 8 for the benefit of students, faculty members, alumni, and others who gathered at the Frost School of Music to celebrate the centennial milestone and acknowledge the promise that comes with being a Frost-built student. Featured events for the day include a Q+A session on building a solo career as a classical pianist with Lindsay Garrison and Asiya Korepanova; a panel on life as a professional musician featuring Bjorn Holmvik of the Oslo Philharmonic and Mason Soria of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and roundtable on the keys to achieving success in vocal artistry featuring Sandra Lopez Neill, Elizabeth Caballero, and Joshua Henry, among others.

Added Berg, “It’s a rare opportunity to be able to take a holistic look at the sheer number of people who’ve shaped the course of an industry and the future of music, and to have so many of them return to the place where it all began. That’s the beauty, power, and promise of being ‘Frost Built.’ Here at the Frost School of Music, we pride ourselves in providing students with a world-class education that will enable them to actively seize and shape their futures. The alumni we invited to be here to celebrate with us are real-world examples of the beneficial impact of our multi-disciplinary education and the access students receive to award-winning faculty in the classroom and the world-renown alumni who regularly return here to share their guidance and inspiration with us.”

Students who attend the Frost School of Music benefit from its “THIS AND” approach to education thanks to the priority it places on combining traditional concentrations with cutting-edge programs that equip students with the artistic, technological, promotional, and entrepreneurial skills needed for success in today's world. Referred to as the Frost Method®, this unique approach enables students to become well-rounded musicians and industry professionals. Around the world, Frost School alumni are known as being “Frost Built,” a term that’s become synonymous with the music artist, educator, researcher, or industry professional of the future who is ready to realize their professional passions, establish themselves as a leader, and make real contributions to society thanks to their multidisciplinary education.

About the University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private research university and academic health system with a distinct geographic capacity to connect institutions, individuals, and ideas across the hemisphere and around the world. With more than $413 million in research and sponsored program expenditures annually, the University of Miami is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).

The University’s vibrant and diverse academic community comprises 12 schools and colleges serving more than 19,000 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 180 majors and programs. Located within one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the world, the University is building new bridges across geographic, cultural, and intellectual borders, bringing a passion for scholarly excellence, a spirit of innovation, a respect for including and elevating diverse voices, and a commitment to tackling the challenges facing our world.

About the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami
Established in 1926, the highly acclaimed Frost School of Music at the University of Miami is one of the top music schools in the world. In addition to being recently recognized as a top music business school by Billboard magazine, the Frost School is listed as a top music school by Downbeat Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, InTune Magazine, Musical America Worldwide, Niche, College Factual, and U.S. News and World Report, among others. Students choose to attend the school for its innovative and dynamic curriculum; real-world opportunities in the U.S. and abroad; award-winning, highly regarded faculty; access to local Latin music record labels, festivals, and artists; and its state-of-the-art campus in Miami, one of the top music cities in the world.

More information on the Frost School is available at frost.miami.edu.

Attachments

• Dawnn Lewis
• Bacilos

Megan Ondrizek
                    University of Miami
                    3052843667
                    m.ondrizek@umiami.edu
                    
                    Emily Bruno
                    H+M Communications
                    9737383033
                    frostschoolofmusic@hm-com.com