Panther performances to watch during the pandemic

If you're looking for virtual concerts to ward off cabin fever, look no further.

From Panther vocalists gracing us with the FIU alma mater song during virtual commencement to a concert featuring the FIU Jazz Big Band ensemble and a throwback performance by Grammy award winner and alumnus Tony Succar ’08, MA ’10, FIU offers a treasure trove of stellar performances packed with artists and musicians that will knock your socks off.

Here are just a few of our favorite Panther performances to keep you upbeat, uplifted and energized during the pandemic.

For more content, FIU's School of Music is sharing virtual Wertheim @Home Concerts every Satruday night on its Facebook page and through Youtube, featuring previous concerts recorded live. Tune in this Saturday at 8 p.m. to experience a concert celebrating the music of colonial Latin America. The school also rebroadcasts their student-run FIU Music Hour concert program on Tuesdays at 11 a.m., featuring concerts that aired live on the weekly radio program on WDNA 88.9FM.

In a special treat from the FIU School of Music, the school assembled a virtual choir made up of students and faculty who sang the FIU alma mater song. The song was played during the virtual commencement ceremonies on May 8, in honor of the graduates. 

The choral ensemble members were provided with the alma mater sheet music and a video file containing an audible click track and pitches. They also received guidance from newly appointed guest choral conductor Maria Guinand, as well as faculty and piano accompanists.

The group recorded and uploaded individual videos from their homes, which were then synchronized and combined into one single performance to create the choir that serenaded grads during virtual commencement. 

In this throwback performance, alumnus Tony Succar '08, MA '10 returned to his alma mater with his UNITY project team to dazzle the TEDxFIU 2012 stage. 

A few years aog, Succar created an album fusing Latin rhythm, pop and jazz into Michael Jackson's songs. The masterpiece received rave reviews, and reached No. 1 on Billboards’ Tropical Albums chart. 

Succar has returned to FIU a number of times since then to delight his Panther family with his performances, most recently during the President's 2019 Holiday Party. One of the virtual concerts rebroadcasted by the School of Music features a special concert with Succar and the Raices Jazz Orchestra.

In November of 2019, Succar won the Latin Grammy Award for Producer of the Year and also took Salsa Album of the Year for Más de mi.

In honor of Black History Month, the FIU Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Big Band performed this special concert in February of 2020 at The Wertheim Performing Arts Center on campus. 

The concert begins with two important orchestral works by African American composer, William Grant Still. One of these works, "In Memorian," was commissioned during World War II with the goal of honoring African American soldiers who died in the Civil War. The second of these major pieces and Still's most famous work, "Afro-American Symphony," was the first symphony composed by an African American that was performed by a major orchestra. 

The concert was recently rebroadcast as part of the 2020 virtual concert series.

This recent performance by the FIU Gospel choir feautures a number of powerful songs. The Gospel Choir is directed by FIU faculty member and Gospel artist Antonia N. Wilson. Membership is free and open to all FIU students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the greater Miami community.

The choir draws on the best talent from the Panther community and is dedicated to celebrating the joy of Gospel and giving thanks through traditional, contemporary and cross-over Gospel to educate and spread joy to audiences.

For a taste of classical music, check out this performance of Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 by the Wind Ensemble as well as special performances by the first place winners of the FIU Annual Concerto Competition 2020, from both the collegiate and high school divisions.

Collegiate Division winner and FIU performance major Gabriel Freeman performed Piano Concerto No. 2 by Franz Liszt in its entirety and high school division winner Angelina Ning, a student at American Heritage School, performed the first movement of Piano Concerto No. 3 by Sergei Prokofiev.

This performance originally took place in March of 2020 and was rebroadcast as part of the 2020 virtual concert series.

This performance aired in 2018 on the student-run radio show, FIU Music Hour. The show takes place every Tuesday from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., as a live performance and broadcast in the WDNA Jazz Gallery on historic Coral Way.

The program offers students hands-on experience in radio broadcasting, live performance and music management and production. The weekly show presents live-on-the-air performances by students, alumni and faculty at the School of Music. This performance featured the artist in residence group, the Amernet String Quartet. Check out some of the show's upcoming events.