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Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County will present Piano Slam 2025 in the Arsht Knight Concert Hall on Wednesday, Apr. 23, at 7:30 p.m., in celebration of National Poetry Month.
Although admission to Piano Slam 2025 is free, First-Access Passes are necessary for admittance, which provide guests with early access to general admission seating. Passes are reserved online at arshtcenter.org or by calling the Arsht box office at 305- 949-6722.
In the spirit of live competition shows like America’s Got Talent, finalists in the wildly popular Piano Slam poetry competition will vie slam style for $1,000 prizes on the Arsht stage after beating out hundreds of their middle and high school competitors.
Finalists undergo rigorous performance training from spoken word coaches and participate in extensive rehearsals with theater professionals, preparing diligently for their stage debut in this dynamic, cross-genre music and poetry extravaganza.
“I believe when I got to the performance, the potential inside me was unlocked. I felt like a professional…as a young performer it was mind-blowing to be a part of something so grand,” said Piano Slam 2017 alumnus Ayeisha Kirkland, now a graduate student at American University in Washington, DC.
Finalists will perform alongside renowned international pianists Jeroen van Veen and Mike Del Ferro, accompanied by synth player/music arranger Anthony “Smurfio” Laurencio, and directed by the award-winning actor/director/playwright Teo Castellanos. This year’s theme is “Music of My Past…Sounds of the Future.”
“I’m very excited to return to directing Piano Slam after a seven-year hiatus, not only create a new show but more importantly to participate in the kind of experience for blooming artist that is only possible when young people are coached, mentored and perform alongside professional musicians, poets, a choreographer and a director,” Castellanos said.
The judges panel includes presidential poet laureate Richard Blanco, Haitian American poet Mecca “Grimo” Marcelin, Miami-Dade poet laureate Caridad Moro-Gronlier and Miami Book Fair executive director Lissette Mendez. Scores are tabulated live, and winners will be announced at the end of the night.
The countywide Piano Slam Poetry Competition is an extension of Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion’s Piano Slam in Schools initiative, a unique and transformative STEAM performance program for youth developed in 2009 with curriculum specialists at Miami-Dade County Public Schools to enhance core subject learning in roughly a dozen schools annually.
The program provides schools with creative writing workshops and live piano duo concerts, partially underwritten by The Arsht. Participating schools also benefit from experiential learning science field trips provided by Dranoff.
“Piano Slam is more than just a concert or program. It’s a platform — a space where students like me are seen, heard, and given the opportunity to share their stories,” said Piano Slam 2020 alumnus Brenis Bostick, a senior at the University of Miami.
Dranoff 2 Piano Fusion is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating community by fusing 2 piano repertoire with music of many genres and cultures through concerts, collaborations and education. For more information, visit www.Dranoff2Piano.org.
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