Music Expresses Life
Apr 17, 2026
Starting: 7:30 PM
Original compositions shaped by personal experience take center stage in a concert led by Grammy Award–winning composer and conductor Maria Schneider.
The Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra performs new works by composers from Stephen Guerra’s Studio Jazz Writing Program, each piece reflecting a pivotal life moment filtered through the composer’s individual musical voice. Framed by the idea that music expresses life in ways no algorithm can duplicate, the program highlights storytelling through sound, blending craft, vulnerability and imagination.
Under Schneider’s direction, the orchestra brings together a full symphonic complement with jazz winds, rhythm section and world percussion, reflecting the genre-fluid spirit of the Henry Mancini Institute at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Known for its stylistic range, the ensemble regularly performs classical, jazz, Latin and film-inspired works, and serves as the resident orchestra for the JazzRoots series at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
Presented at Gusman Concert Hall, this performance spotlights emerging composers while showcasing the expansive palette and collaborative energy that define the Mancini Institute experience.