FGCU Bower School of Music & the Arts

swipe to see the first visitor of our new sculpture garden🙂

Reminder that this is tomorrow!🥳

News from Michael Baron’s Piano Studio:

It is with tremendous pride and great excitement that we share wonderful news with the Florida Gulf Coast University community and the Bower School of Music & the Arts.

One of our exceptional piano students, Quang Vo, a student of Dr. Michael Baron, the Myra & Van Williams Distinguished Professor of Music, has been awarded First Prize in the Young Artist Division at the 2026 Samson François International Piano Competition in France. This remarkable accomplishment is a significant international honor and represents an important milestone not only for Quang, but also for the Bower School of Music & the Arts and Florida Gulf Coast University.

Quang was one of only 25 pianists from around the world selected to compete in the finals of this prestigious competition held near Nice, France. The finalists represented France, Japan, Ireland, Ukraine, South Korea, China, Great Britain, Germany, Turkey, the United States, Finland, Poland, and Taiwan. To emerge as the First Prize winner from such an extraordinary international field is a testament to Quang's exceptional artistry, musical intelligence, technical mastery, and years of unwavering dedication.

Adding to this extraordinary achievement, one of the international jurors from the Netherlands remarked that the decision to award Quang First Prize was "an easy one" for the jury. Such enthusiastic praise from an esteemed panel of internationally respected artists and educators is a powerful affirmation of Quang's remarkable musical maturity and compelling performances throughout the competition.

For the FGCU community, this accomplishment represents far more than an individual competition victory. It demonstrates that students from the Bower School of Music & the Arts can compete successfully—and triumph—on the international stage alongside the finest young pianists from the world's leading conservatories and universities. It reflects the exceptional talent of our students, the dedication of our faculty, and the culture of artistic excellence that continues to distinguish our music program.

Quang's success also brings international recognition to Florida Gulf Coast University and further enhances the growing reputation of the Bower School of Music & the Arts as a destination where gifted young musicians can develop into world-class artists.

Please join us in congratulating Quang Vo on this extraordinary accomplishment. Through his artistry, humility, and unwavering commitment to excellence, Quang has represented Florida Gulf Coast University, the Bower School of Music & the Arts, and our entire university community with distinction, grace, and the highest level of musical achievement.

more scenes from the sculpture ll class!

Photo Credit: Steve Hughart

Barry Cavin, FGCU Professor of Theatre and Producing Artistic Director of Ghostbird Theatre Company, has received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to produce a play to be co-written by Mr. Cavin and a collective of artificial intelligence responses.

The play will confront the perplexing choices that visual and performing artists encounter as human created works of art and performance are being replaced by non-human systems. It will address the collective fear and compelling awe we share as we stand at a new technological threshold and witness the potential emergence of what Carl Bosch described over a century ago as “…a grim enemy for reasons we do not yet comprehend.”

The show is titled The Prompt, and it will be produced at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, Florida on December 11th through the 12th at 7 PM both evenings.

TL;DR: Prof. Barry Cavin received a $25,000 grant to produce a play co-written by himself and Artificial Intelligence.

Beautiful feature about our amazing alum Armando Rivera!

“He’s one of those special students that comes only once in a while that you can tell right away they’re going to make it in the craft…” - Prof. Anne Carncross

Check out the article by clicking the link below!!⬇️

Award-winning alum making waves in Boston theater community From FGCU theatre student to award-winning Boston director, Armando Rivera builds community through performance.

Have you been missing the Bower School of Music & the Arts? Well, we’re only month away from of End of Camp Concert!🥳

This concert is free and open to the public- we would even encourage the public to show up😉

Check out this amazing FGCU360 Article about Lucas J. Century’s work!

We so are fortunate to have such remarkable artistic contributions on our campus.

Thank you to FGCU Marketing Team for helping tell these stories and showcasing the people, places, and accomplishments that make FGCU special💙💚

Etched in history: Artist’s legacy at FGCU tied to national history Discover artist Luc Century’s iconic craftsmanship, first seen on the Vietnam Memorial, across FGCU’s campus.