Frost Graduate Studies

08/29/2026

🎺🎻This week we are highlighting Justin Kinchen, a double master's student in Violin Performance and Studio Jazz Writing! Justin is a double Cane who also received a double bachelors degree in violin performance and jazz trumpet. 🎻🎺

How do you balance being a double major at the graduate level?

"One of the biggest keys for me has been the "2 before 12" motto. I always try to get at least 2 hours of good practice in, normally one hour on each instrument, before noon. As long as I do that and get a good workout in, I feel equipped for the day. The degrees have required a lot of dedication, though. I've been up for 36 hours at a time working on my projects and orchestral obligations, but it's a labor of love. I do it because I enjoy making progress and improving as a musician."

What inspired you to study to Frost?

"No institution has been as willing as Frost to open doors to a multi-instrumentalist like me. It's exceedingly rare at the undergrad level (and even more so at the grad level) for a school to allow a student to study and perform multiple instruments at a high level.

As a musician at the intersection of jazz and classical, the music we perform in the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra is right up my alley. Now that I am a writer for the orchestra, I get to really understand all that goes on in making these concerts a reality. I've also been nurtured by my faculty mentors while I've been here. Maestro Schwarz, Dean Berg, Maria Schneider, Scott Flavin, Stephen Guerra, and Brian Lynch have all been instrumental in my development, so I've relished the opportunity to work more with them these past few years"

What are you most looking forward to this school year?

"After seven years of work, I'm really looking forward to making my large orchestral master's project recording of some of my work during my time studying here. I'm also very excited for one last big season with the Frost Symphony Orchestra!"

Congratulations, Justin!

08/26/2026

Dr. Hongxi Li, a Frost grad who won the Presser Graduate Music Award in 2025, was recently featured below in a wonderful article highlighting her musical journey and doctoral project. Read below to learn more about Dr. Li's inventive project that featured technology, projection, audience participation, and the works of composer Chen Yi. Congrats, Dr. Li!

Presser Graduate Music Award recipient Dr. Hongxi Li reimagines the traditional piano recital through an innovative, multimedia performance.

08/22/2026

🌴Welcome back, grad Canes! As the sun sets on the first week of the fall semester, we are so excited for all the great music making to come. Spotted warming up some three part harmonies by the lake are Jafet Bucaram, Maddie Noga and Julie Baldwin, three students studying Jazz voice. Stay tuned to the Frost Graduate Studies page throughout the year for more snapshots, musical tidbits, events, and more! 🌴

05/05/2026

With the 2025-2026 year coming to a close, it is time to bid farewell to our amazing Dean of the Frost School, Shelton G. "Shelly" Berg. Dean Berg has served as Dean of Frost since 2007 and has forever transformed Frost with his leadership. As Dean Berg steps down from this position and prepares to move onto the next exciting, music-filled chapter of his life, he has a special message for Frost Graduate Studies: check it out in the video below. Thank you, Dean Berg!

04/15/2026

📸Views from an outdoor practice spot, a between-classes walk, and studying at the Weeks Music Library - no matter where you are on campus, Frost has something beautiful to offer!

04/08/2026

Meet Jade Espina-Killian, a doctoral student studying Vocal Performance and Pedagogy! As a performer and pedagogue, Jade was drawn to Frost for the strong interdisciplinary opportunities offered by this rigorous program. Let's learn more about Jade's journey at Frost!

* What has been a performance highlight so far during your time here as a VPED student?

I’ve really enjoyed performing with Frost Chorale and Chamber Singers. It has been an incredible privilege to work with Dr. Brady and Dr. Masters and to learn from their leadership, as well as from the outstanding doctoral conducting students.

This semester, I’m especially excited to be conducting Chamber Singers on Thursday, April 23 from 1:15–1:45 p.m., alongside Victor Bento. We will be performing three works by female composers: Hymne au soleil by Lili Boulanger, Kyrie from Mass in A Minor by Imogen Holst, and Nox from Elaine Hagenberg’s Illuminare." Come join us!"

What about a teaching highlight?

"I’ve loved teaching Lyric Diction for Singing Italian and Lyric Diction for Singing English this semester. These courses focus on pronunciation for singing, the International Phonetic Alphabet, and stylistic conventions specific to each language. As a singer, I’ve always loved studying languages, and it’s incredibly rewarding to help young singers feel more confident and connected to the languages we use most often in our repertoire."

What is something you are looking forward to this summer?

"This summer, I’m excited to return for my third year as faculty with the Young Artist Vocal Program at Boston University Tanglewood Institute. This six-week program supports talented young singers pursuing advanced study and performance, and I have the privilege of teaching voice lessons, Italian diction, and directing opera scenes. A fun personal highlight: my husband and I were married at Tanglewood last summer, so it’s a very special place for us!" ⭐️

04/01/2026

🏆Congratulations to these stellar Frost student researchers, who won awards at the University of Miami Graduate Research Symposium! The honorees included Crsitina Morales, PhD student in Music Education, Yingxi Liu, DMA student in Vocal Performance, Stacey Swanson, PhD student in Music Education, and Victor Bento, DMA Student in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy. 🎉

Check out their research projects below:

Poster Presentation - Arts & Humanities:
Winner: Cristina Morales - Tracking the Tide: Florida Middle School Chorus Enrollment Trends (2017-2024)
Runner Up: Yingxi Liu - The Reported Vocal Changes of Young Female Classical Singers During the Menstrual Cycle

Oral Presentation - Arts & Humanities:
Winner: Stacey Swanson - Who Played That? College Music Education Students' Accuracy in Detecting AI-Generated Piano Performance
Runner Up: Victor Bento - Reintroducing the Songs of Elizabeth Turner (d. 1756) in Voice Training Today: Modern Performers Edition and Pedagogical Guide

03/17/2026

The annual Frost Research Showcase is a chance for student and faculty researchers to share their research process and findings with colleagues, classmates, faculty, and community members. Check out just a few of these incredible graduate student researchers showing off their hard work!

Featured:
Yingxi Liu, doctoral student in Vocal Performance
Cristina Morales, doctoral student in Music Education
Rey Sunglao, doctoral student in Music Education
Elizabeth Stamerra, master's student in Music Therapy
Jacob Batchelder, doctoral student in Jazz Composition
Anish Ghosh, master's student in Music Engineering
Juan Chaves, doctoral student in Jazz Composition

03/04/2026

Maddie Noga is a first year master's student studying Jazz Pedagogy! She studies jazz voice with Dr. Kate Reid, and also plays and teaches viola with Frost Preparatory Academy. With a background in music education, Maddie shared that her favorite thing about studying at Frost is the unique flexibility her program allows her to tailor her educational curriculum to her specific interests.

Maddie shared that this semester she is most excited for her Jazz Cultures class with Dr. David Ake and Advanced Vocal Pedagogy with Dr. Adam Lloyd, in which students dive deep into vocal anatomy and physiology and teaching techniques. She is also looking forward to performances with Jazz Vocal Ensemble 1 and working with the Frost Summer Experience youth camps.

Thanks for giving us a glimpse into the life of a Jazz Pedagogy student, Maddie!

02/25/2026

Graduate students shine in Frost Opera Theater's production of Cosi fan tutte! The production of Mozart's iconic comedy opera, which has been reimagined onboard a cruise ship, features many graduate students onstage. Plus, the stellar pit orchestra of Frost Symphony Orchestra players is conducted by doctoral student Yun Xuan Cao!

Caitlin Turner, a second year master's student in vocal performance playing the role of Despina in Thursday's performance, says she is most excited "for audiences to see all the fun we get to have on stage, and for all of the costume changes and disguises I get to wear."

When asked to describe Cosi fan tutte in three words, Julia Woodring, a DMA student in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy playing Fiordiligi, chose "Playful, ambiguous, human."

Want to experience the fun for yourself? Catch these amazing graduate students in performances on Thursday, February 26th and Saturday, February 28th! https://events.miami.edu/event/cosi-fan-tutte-by-wa-mozart-frost-opera-theater-frost-symphony-orchestra