FIU Music Festival: Arias and American Voices

Soprano Laura León returns to FIU for a recital that moves from operatic showpieces to American song traditions. FIU Music Festival: Arias and American Voices takes place Saturday, October 17 at the FIU Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center as part of the FIU Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts 2026-27 season. Presented in partnership with Friends of Chamber Music of Miami, the program pairs León with internationally acclaimed pianist Robert Koenig.

The evening begins with arias that highlight León’s coloratura range and dramatic presence before turning to music connected to America’s 250th anniversary. Selections by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Douglas Moore, Margaret Bonds and others bring together American opera, Broadway, spirituals and folk traditions.

León, an FIU alumna, has earned recognition for roles including the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and the four heroines in Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. Koenig, a Curtis Institute of Music graduate, has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Louvre.