A blockbuster night: student orchestra plays backup for Latin Grammy-winning singer at album-release concert

The students of the FIU Symphony Orchestra and concert choir intertwined reggaeton rhythms with classical instrumentation on Tuesday when they provided backup for Latin Grammy-winning artist Yandel.

It was part of a new collaboration between FIU's Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts and Warner Music Latina. The parties came together on campus to celebrate the release of Yandel’s latest album, ELYTE, and created, for one night only, The ELYTE Symphony, which saw students take center stage at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center concert hall for what was billed as Reggaetón Sinfónico.

The Puerto Rican singing sensation used the evening to express his gratitude by announcing the ELYTE scholarship to support the next generation of musicians.

“This is what we do,” said Karen S. Veloz, Wertheim school director. “It was a night where the worlds of symphonic music and reggaeton collided in a magnificent performance under the direction of Javier Mendoza and the music legend himself – Yandel. FIU music faculty challenged its students, and they embraced the challenge with passion and professionalism. I could not be prouder of them.”

For many of the students involved, the opportunity to perform with Yandel was a highlight of their young careers and an unforgettable experience.

“Performing live with Yandel has been one of the best experiences here at FIU,” said Catherin Meza, graduate student studying vocal performance. The entire process was an immersive educational time for students like Meza. They rehearsed for weeks leading up to the event and worked with music faculty and industry professionals from Warner Music Latina on the technical arrangements as well as the creative elements.

“During the dress rehearsal, we had the opportunity to interact with Yandel’s lead singer and she encouraged us to have to have fun and enjoy the moment,” Meza said. “As a musician, being versatile is extremely important and merging both classical training and reggaeton was so fun. I grew up listening to Yandel's music and I am grateful we were given this opportunity to perform with such a legend.”

On Tuesday night, The Wertheim was packed to capacity with an audience of 600 FIU students and professionals from the Latin music industry.

Behind the scenes, alumnus Cesar Toirac ’16 MS ’17 ensured the show’s success. Director of marketing services for Warner Music Group, he served as executive producer of the show and proved key to getting the event to FIU, where he remembered the talented, hard-working students of his alma mater.

“We wanted to make sure that [the event] was something that no one has ever done before,” Toirac said of the collaborative evening. “We actually wanted to make sure that every single piece of this production was being orchestrated by the FIU students.”

The partnership is part of FIU’s broader commitment to providing students with real-world experiences that prepare them for success after graduation. Whether they go on to become performers, educators or industry professionals, students benefit from engageing in high-level in events that offer insight into what it takes to succeed in the competitive world of music.

“This collaboration reinforces our efforts to ensure students learn by doing - where they can put theory into practice and enter their respective careers with confidence to thrive," said Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts. “Such moments are possible because of dedicated faculty, who create unique, experiential learning opportunities through establishing industry partnerships that support our core mission and create FIU memories they will cherish forever.”