In her 2020 concert debut as Artistic Director of the Frost School of Music’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, NEA Jazz Master composer, arranger, bandleader, recipient of twelve Grammy nominations and five Grammy awards, Maria Schneider presents a program featuring three-time Grammy nominee saxophonist Donny McCaslin.
The highly anticipated performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, at the 600-seat UM Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Drive on the Coral Gables campus. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.frostmusiclive.com, by calling 305-284-2400, or via email fmtickets@miami.edu. Tickets begin at $30.
“We are truly excited to present Maria in concert with the HMI Orchestra to our audience.
She is brilliant and captivating, and working with the orchestra has been a true inspiration for our students,” said Stephen James Guerra, Managing Director of the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra. “This is a dream come true and the South Florida community is in for a real treat!”
Maria Schneider has been hailed by critics as “evocative, majestic, magical, heart-stoppingly gorgeous, and beyond categorization crossing musical genres with a focus on jazz and classical.” She and her orchestra became widely known starting in 1994 when they released their first recording, Evanescence. There, Schneider began to develop her personal way of writing for what would become her 18-member collective, made up of many of the finest musicians in jazz today, tailoring her compositions to distinctly highlight the uniquely creative voices of the group.
The Maria Schneider Orchestra has performed at festivals and concert halls worldwide. She herself has received numerous commissions and guest-conducting invites, working with over 85 groups from over 30 countries.
Three-time GRAMMY nominee Donny McCaslin is the leading saxophonist, composer, and musical pioneer of his generation, receiving wide commercial and critical acclaim in jazz, rock and electronica circles alike. With 12 albums to his name, McCaslin is best known for his collaboration and friendship with the late David Bowie, who tasked McCaslin to work hand-in-hand on his final album, Blackstar. Two and a half years after Blackstar’s release, McCaslin’s latest album, Blow, reveals a new definitive statement that fully realizes Bowie’s influence and McCaslin’s evolved artistic direction.
The Frost School of Music’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra (HMI Orchestra) is a highly-acclaimed ensemble comprised of a full orchestra (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion), plus a full jazz band (saxophones, trombones, trumpets), rhythm section instruments (piano, guitar, bass, drums) and world percussion. HMI is made up of writers, arrangers and musicians who play a multitude of musical styles, including classical, jazz, Latin, world music and others. They often work with artists and composers on the cutting edge of today’s music to create unique and contemporary blends of these genres.
