A Feast of Concerts for Miami Music Week

The Complete List: Week of March 18th-24th

Author

Susan Bannon
March 07, 2024

This week brings a feast of musical offerings to enjoy, even if you’re not celebrating Miami Music Week by joining the throngs at Ultra. One of the world's finest chamber orchestras, London's Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, is coming to the Arsht Center with Violin virtuoso Joshua Bell. Seraphic Fire is presenting an evening of baroque work and the New Music Miami Festival is bringing innovative contemporary classical music to the Wolfsonian. Splitting the difference, Nu Deco Ensemble will be performing orchestral arrangements of electronic dance music as a fun tribute to Ultra.

Let's get planning...

If you haven't already, subscribe to get this list in your inbox every Sunday.

Ongoing Theater:

Zoetic Stage: Cabaret

The Kit Kat Club, that notorious jazz age den of iniquity, is open for business again, as Zoetic Stage brings Cabaret to the Carnival Studio Theater at the Arsht Center. Zoetic has turned this space into a soccer pitch and the inside of a young man's mind for past performances, so the club setting is sure to be an immersive good time, especially if you opt for the VIP table seating.

Performances through April 7th, Adrienne Arsht Center, $65-$85

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

The Lehman Trilogy

GableStage presents The Lehman Trilogy, an epic piece of storytelling that tracks three members of the Lehman family through 163 years of history, right up to the devastating collapse of their family firm, Lehman Brothers. Beginning in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1844, a Bavarian immigrant dreams of a better life. In 2008, his descendants unleash an unprecedented financial disaster. The story in between is both an intimate family saga and a colossal exposé of unquenchable capitalism.

Performances through April 21st, GableStage, $45

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

The Museum Plays - Final Performances

Miami New Drama, in collaboration with The Rubell Museum, presents an evening of new short plays inspired by artworks at The Rubell and performed in the museum. Thanks to hot tickets sales and rave reviews, this show has already been extended twice, but it looks like this really is your last weekend to see it. So if you want to go (and I highly recommend that you do), get your tickets asap.

Performances through March 24th, Rubell Museum, $46-$82

Neighborhood: Allapattah

Nearby Eats: Leku, Hometown BBQ, Pastis (Wynwood) | Drinks: Dante's Hifi, Higher Ground (both Wynwood)

Monday, March 18th

Cello + Dance: Richter, Rachmaninoff and Ravel

The musicians of the New World Symphony, the New World “Fellows”, aren’t professional musicians yet, but post-graduate students, using their time at New World to develop and stretch themselves creatively. Living in Miami, we get to enjoy the fruits of all this experimentation - like this concert, which is essentially a class project (albeit a class project by some insanely talented young cellists) inviting the dancers of Miami City Ballet and Dimensions Dance Theater of Miami to collaboratively explore the expressive possibilities of Richter, Rachmaninoff and Ravel.

7pm, New World Center, “Pay what you wish”

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Casa Tua, Joliet, Zaytinya | Drinks:  Water Lion at the Sagamore, Medium Cool

Tuesday, March 19th

Book Launch: Venezuela's Collapse

LnS Gallery welcomes author Carlos Lizarralde to discuss his new book, Venezuela's Collapse: The Long Story of How Things Fell Apart, exploring the unraveling of this once thriving democracy. Come take part in an insightful dialogue between the author and two guests: Venezuelan television host Erika de la Vega and Caracas Chronicles author Rafael Osío Cabrices. While you're there, you can get a look at Legacy: Carlos Alfonzo, an impressive retrospective of the late Cuban-American's work that's currently on view.

7:30pm, LnS Gallery, Free

Neighborhood: Between Coconut Grove & Coral Way

Nearby(ish) Eats: The Gibson Room (Coral Way) or Eva, Krüs Kitchen (both Coconut Grove) | Drinks: Regatta Grove, Level 6, Bodega (speakeasy, door at the back behind the counter)

Wednesday, March 20th

Seraphic Fire: The Fountains of Israel

Seraphic Fire, our stunningly-good vocal ensemble, welcomes guest conductor Ruben Valenzuela for a concert highlighting the work of German Baroque composer Johann Schein. Rarely performed, The Fountains of Israel is an uncommon example of German sacred madrigals. So if you're a fan of Baroque music, and especially if you've never heard Seraphic Fire, put this concert on your must-see list. (If you miss this one, you can also catch it at St. Philip's Episcopal on Friday and All Souls Episcopal on Sunday.) You can listen to a sampling of the pieces on the program - and buy tickets, of course! - at the link above.

7:30pm, St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, $53

Neighborhood: Coral Way

Nearby(ish) Eats: The Gibson Room, LPM Miami (Brickell), Palma (Little Havana) | Drinks: The Gibson Room, Terras Rooftop (Little Havana)

New Music Miami ISCM Festival 2024

Expand your listening horizons by catching leading contemporary classical musicians at The Wolfsonian in the next installment of the New Music Miami ISCM Festival. Championing and presenting cutting-edge performers and compositions over its 27 years of existence, the festival includes pieces for soloists, chamber ensembles, and music with video and electronics.

7pm Pre-Concert Talk, 7:30-9pm Concert, The Wolfsonian-FIU, Free

Neighborhood: Miami Beach

An Evening with Dr. Elizabeth White & Dr. Joanna Sliwa

Books & Books presents an evening conversation with Dr. Elizabeth White and Dr. Joanna Sliwa about their extraordinary book, The Counterfeit Countess. The books recounts the astonishing story of Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg - a Jewish mathematician who saved thousands of lives in Nazi-occupied Poland by masquerading as a Polish aristocrat - drawing on Mehlberg’s own unpublished memoir. Dr. White recently retired from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, where she served as historian and Research Director, and also spent many years at the US Department of Justice working on investigations and prosecutions of Nazi criminals. Dr. Sliwa is a historian at the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany in New York. Rsvp required.

7pm, Books & Books Coral Gables, Free

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Thursday, March 21st

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell

Since its founding in 1958, London's Academy of St. Martin in the Fields has been arguably the world’s best chamber orchestra, renowned for its fresh, brilliant interpretations of orchestral music. Violin virtuoso Joshua Bell joined as music director in 2011, and this winning combination has produced a dazzling ensemble that retains the collegial spirit and flexibility of the original small, conductor-less chamber orchestra with playing that is marked by “glowing interpretations” (The Washington Post), and a “precision that is staggering from the first downbeat” (Palm Beach Daily News).

8pm, Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center, $50-$170

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Friday, March 22nd

Nu Deco Lounge: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

In honor of Ultra weekend, Nu Deco Ensemble brings its genre-spanning talents to orchestral arrangements of electronic dance music. This is the last of their wildly popular lounge concerts at The Citadel this season, so you don't want to miss it. Tickets are standing room only for this one - no VIP seating up front - so you may feel like you're at Ultra, but at least you won't have the traffic.

7pm & 9:30pm, The Citadel, $30

Neighborhood: El Portal

Nearby Eats: The Citadel food hall (obvs), Tigre, Rosie's | Drinks: Bar Kaiju, rooftop at The Citadel

Seraphic Fire: The Fountains of Israel

Seraphic Fire, our stunningly-good vocal ensemble, welcomes guest conductor Ruben Valenzuela for a concert highlighting the work of German Baroque composer Johann Schein. Rarely performed, The Fountains of Israel is an uncommon example of German sacred madrigals. So if you're a fan of Baroque music, and especially if you've never heard Seraphic Fire, put this concert on your must-see list. (If you miss this one, you can also catch it at All Souls Episcopal on Sunday.) You can listen to a sampling of the pieces on the program - and buy tickets, of course! - at the link above.

7:30pm, St. Philip's Episcopal Church, $53

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Grupo Niche: Pachanguero Tour

After 40 years, Grupo Niche has become one of the most legendary bands in Colombia, winning multiple Grammy's, most recently for Best Salsa Album in 2020. Their commitment to salsa music traditions, romantic ballads and amazing stage shows have earned them an ecstatic following that brings the energy to each concert, ready to dance and cheer. *Traffic note: Ultra and a Heat game are also happening downtown, so take the train if at all possible.

8:30pm, Knight Concert Hall at the Arsht Center, $45-$115

Neighborhood: Downtown Arts & Entertainment District

Nearby Eats: Bunbury, Mangrove (inside Jrk!), Tâm Tâm | Drinks: The Roystone, Night Swim

Saturday, March 23rd

By Ear: A Journey into Musical Perception

Why do some songs make us cry? Why does Bach give you goosebumps? New World Symphony presents this one-night-only concert-meets-podcast, a multisensory, interactive journey toward understanding the power of music and our unique perceptions of a shared experience. Armed with a blend of classical favorites by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and John Williams and stimulating fusions by Jaco Wong and Jens Ibsen, conductor Edwin Outwater and neuroscientist Indre Viskontas unravel the mind-blowing mysteries of soundwaves and the brain, transforming the way you experience music.

8pm, New World Center, $30-$65

Neighborhood: Lincoln Road

Nearby Eats: Joliet, Casa Tua, Zaytinya | Drinks: MILA, Water Lion at the Sagamore

Lásló von Dohnányi: Artificial Radiance

Andrew Reed Gallery celebrates the opening of Artificial Radiance, a solo show of new work by London-based artist László von Dohnányi. Each piece has a historical religious painting as its reference point (the one above uses Raphael’s Sistine Madonna) and explores the blending of religious and technological iconography to convey the divine. Also opening March 23rd at Andrew Reed will be Sam Creasey: NIMBY, the first solo show for London-based Creasey in the U.S.

Opening Reception 6-8pm, Andrew Reed Gallery, Free

Neighborhood: Allapattah

Nearby Eats: Hometown BBQ, Leku, Pastis (Wynwood) | Drinks: Dante's Hifi, Higher Ground (both Wynwood)

The Allan Harris Band

Celebrating the release of his latest album, Live at Blue Llama, Allan Harris brings his talented jazz ensemble to the Moss Center. Harris is known for his signature fusion of soulful jazz and genre-spanning repertoire, sourced from over forty years in the business. All About Jazz says: “Harris croons in a style reminiscent of Nat King Cole and Al Jarreau. He is a real storyteller.” 

8:30pm, Moss Center, $35

Neighborhood: Cutler Bay

Nearby Eats: Not much! Grab dinner at Platea on your way down there and have some rooftop cocktails at Mamey on 3rd or La Terrazza on your way back.

City Reads Key Biscayne: Identity

City Reads is a series of short play readings with professional actors presented by City Theatre Miami in various locations around town. This performance, at the Key Biscayne Community Center, features four "fast and funny" short plays selected around the theme of identity. The program notes also state the plays are specifically picked out for Key Biscayne, but I'm pretty sure they'll let you in even if you don't live on the Key (or own a golfcart). Stick around after the readings for a lively audience discussion.

6pm, Key Biscayne Community Center, Free

Neighborhood: Key Biscayne

Nearby Eats: Vinya Wine & Market, Novecento | Drinks: Gramps Getaway, Cantina Beach or RUMBAR at the Ritz

Sunday, March 24th

Candlelight Concert: Fleetwood Mac

Fever brings its internationally popular candlelight concerts to Miami, with a series of performances that bring together local working musicians, interesting venues, and a LOT of candles. This one features a string quartet playing selections from Fleetwood Mac's catalog at the Coral Gables Congregational Church, which has great acoustics.

7pm and 9pm, Coral Gables Congregational Church, $37-$63

Neighborhood: Coral Gables

Seraphic Fire: The Fountains of Israel

Seraphic Fire, our stunningly-good vocal ensemble, welcomes guest conductor Ruben Valenzuela for a concert highlighting the work of German Baroque composer Johann Schein. Rarely performed, The Fountains of Israel is an uncommon example of German sacred madrigals. So if you're a fan of Baroque music, and especially if you've never heard Seraphic Fire, put this concert on your must-see list. You can listen to a sampling of the pieces on the program - and buy tickets, of course! - at the link above.

4pm, All Souls Episcopal Church, $53

Neighborhood: Mid Beach

Thanks for reading! If you know a friend that would like this newsletter, please forward it.

If someone forwarded it to you, you can subscribe here.

Any feedback? Or tips on events or restaurants? I'd love to hear from you! Hit reply and it will come directly to me, or just email me directly at [email protected].

Reply

or to participate.