Frost Graduate Studies

10/28/2026

Meet Indigo Knecht, a student in the DMA composition program here at Frost! Indigo's research centers around the sonification of coral reefs, with the goal of inspiring and education others about the power of coral reef conservation through the power of music. Read on to learn more! 🪸

10/25/2026

🎹🌴Tonight is a concert you won't want to miss, featuring Frost graduate students at the podium and in the orchestra. Graduate conducting students Walker Klauda, Linus Ip, and Victor Shlyakhtenko will lead the Henry Mancini Institute Repertory Orchestra in masterworks by Borodin, Beethoven, Debussy and Brahms. Come to Gusman Hall at 7:30 to enjoy an amazing concert and support emerging conductors!🎹🌴

Frost Orchestral Studies Program Graduate Conductors presents a concert of orchestral masterworks. SUN / OCT 25, 2026 / 7:30 PM Gusman Concert Hall FREE Set a reminder here. Read program and notes here.

10/13/2026

🌴Shining on the opera stage. Rehearsing by the lake. Performing innovative works. Shaping the future of the music industry. Conducting cutting edge research in music therapy and music technology. Sounds like your kind of grad program? All of this and so much more is possible at Frost.
Applications are open for all graduate programs at Frost - apply by December 1st!
Learn more here: https://admissions.frost.miami.edu/graduate/index.html

10/06/2026

Meet Stacey Swanson and Rey Sunglao, two Frost Graduate students who serve on the council for the University of Miami Graduate School Student Association!

09/29/2026

🌴Taylor Wright, MM '25, kept busy during his time at Frost. He studied music therapy, was the first Frost student to win the prestigious 3 Minute Thesis competition, conducted original research, and worked as a teaching assistant. Now, he is taking all he learned and applying it to real world success.

Taylor is now employed as a full-time music therapist, working at UHealth Department of Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Care here in South Florida. His favorite part is working with his amazing colleagues, and "being able to see all that I learned in classes and textbooks being so applicable to real-life work. Its incredible to see music play such a significant role in people's lives and wellbeing"
Taylor is also back on campus twice a week as an assistant professor, teaching the Functional Piano Skills class to music therapy students - a class he once took! Congratulations on all your success, Taylor! 🎹

09/23/2026

Did you know you can catch Frost graduate students performing every week? Whether it is conducting the Chamber Singers, performing a recital, or playing in the Henry Mancini Orchestra, Frost students are ready to shine! Check out some upcoming performances below: https://frost-music-live.miami.edu/calendar/index.html

09/23/2026

https://frost-music-live.miami.edu/calendar/index.html
Did you know you can catch Frost graduate students performing every week? Whether it is conducting the Chamber Singers, performing a recital, or playing in the Henry Mancini Orchestra, Frost students are ready to shine! Check out some upcoming performances below:

Welcome to Frost Music Live, your main source for music entertainment, sponsored by the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in Coral Gables. Find upcoming events, concerts, and lectures.

09/16/2026

Only at Frost does a practice "room" look this gorgeous! We love hearing students play and practice around campus in spots like these🌴🌴

09/14/2026

Dr. Kate Reid knows what its like to be a graduate student at Frost. She got her MM in Jazz Performance in 1996 and my DMA in Jazz Performance in 2002. Now, as program director of Jazz Vocal Performance, Dr. Reid gets to mentor the next generation of jazz performers and pedagogues.

"The word that comes to mind when I came back to UM and stepped in to the position of Program Director of Jazz Vocal Performance and took the baton from my mentor, Larry Lapin, is 'surreal'. I feel the great responsibility of course to lead this group of students and guide the JV program but it is also a privilege to even have the opportunity to develop the curriculum, recruit students and provide an educational experience for vocal musicians with this art form as the teaching tool. It's really fun and exciting and a ton of work! "

Dr. Reid, what are you most excited about this semester?

"I'm looking forward to all of our concerts but specifically the February concert with pianist and vocalist, Laila Biali and the spring tour with one of our JV groups, Frost Extensions.

"Personally, I'm excited about the new album project I'm working on celebrating several women composers from all different styles and genres, through a jazz lens. I was just in Los Angeles last weekend recording rhythm section tracks for one of the songs on the record"

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!