Frost School partners with top music foundation on major scholarship – University of Miami News
The Frost School of Music hosted the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation® in its annual scholarship award ceremony on Wednesday night, announcing the first-ever sponsorship of a $120,000 Gifted Tuition Scholarship between the two institutions and awarding it to vocalist and songwriter Irenda Arano Diaz. The reception event at the Knight Center for Music Innovation celebrated the award of $1.3 million in scholarships from the charitable music and education group for 50 Latin music students from around the world to attend some of the world’s leading music schools.
Multiple Frost School alumni and students were featured in the event, another indication of the growing relationship between the Frost School and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Miami-based Latin Recording Academy, producer of the annual Latin GRAMMY® Awards. The Frost School first hosted the Foundation’s scholarship award ceremony last fall.
“We’re here because of a shared belief between the Frost School of Music and the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation — that access to music education transforms lives,” said Serona Elton, the Frost School’s interim vice dean and director of the Music Industry Program, as she welcomed the audience of sponsors, Latin music industry figures including famed artists Erika Ender, Dayme Arocena, and Gloria “Goyo” Martinez, and excited family members of the scholarship winners. “At the Frost School of Music, we are committed not only to excellence in music education but also to expanding access, ensuring that gifted students from all backgrounds can grow, learn, and thrive.”
The partnership between the two institutions is part of a multi-pronged, three-year strategy devised by the Frost School’s marketing and communications department to expand efforts to elevate the school’s reputation as one of the top music schools in the world.
Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, the executive director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation and an alumna of the University of Miami, applauded the collaboration. “Partnering with an institution as prestigious as the Frost School of Music allows us to not only provide important financial support through our scholarships, but also to connect our recipients with world-class faculty, resources, and opportunities that can shape their careers right here in Miami,” Egusquiza said. “This deepening relationship means we can continue identifying, nurturing, and launching exceptional young talent globally. As a UM alum, I am proud of the growing relationship.”
An evening highlight was a performance by Latin GRAMMY® and GRAMMY® nominated artist Elena Rose with a vibrant ensemble of current and former scholarship winners. On hand was her musical director, Frost Online alumnus Danny Flores, who is also the music supervisor of the Latin GRAMMY Person of the Year gala. The event’s musical director was Frost School triple graduate Carlos “Carlitos” López, a Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY-winning producer, composer, and conductor. The ensemble included two Frost School students, jazz trombonist and composer Izzi Guzman and flutist Rodrigo Rodriguez, winners of one-time Tuition Assistance Scholarships of $12,500 and $10,000 to continue their studies here.
Diaz is a powerful example of how the Foundation’s scholarships can change lives. “I was born loving music,” said the 18-year-old. “My dream is to become a songwriter.” Diaz, whose father is a factory manager and mother a homemaker, asked for singing and piano lessons when she was six, and wrote her first song at age eight. Diaz stopped taking piano lessons soon afterwards and taught herself to play and compose with the help of books and YouTube videos. She said the Gifted Tuition Scholarship to the Frost School, which covers tuition costs for a four-year bachelor’s degree and wrap-around services, is crucial to her aspirations.
“I am deeply grateful to everybody at this university who decided to give me this scholarship,” said Diaz. “Beyond my saying that it’s meaningful because I know I will learn things and be better when I come out of this, my winning this scholarship was a validation for me. It made me realize that I can do things and people will notice.”
Diaz, who begins her studies in the Modern Artist Development & Entrepreneurship (M.A.D.E.) program next week, was particularly drawn to the Frost School’s unique method of teaching both musical and career skills.
“I chose M.A.D.E. because I thought it was a good combination of learning about the industry and still keeping the essence of being an artist,” Diaz said. “Both are equally important.”
Diaz was featured singing beloved singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade’s “Hasta La Raiz” (To the Root), drawing enthusiastic applause for her shimmering, heartfelt rendition of the song.
Rose, a warm, ethereal presence in a floating white gown, praised the awestruck young musicians who accompanied her on her latest single, “Cosita Linda” (Pretty Little Thing.) “I never had the chance to study, but now I’m your student,” said Rose, a successful songwriter for top artists before becoming a star herself. “It’s so moving for me to share a moment like this with people as talented as you.”
In an interview after the performance, Rose expressed deep appreciation for the work of the Foundation and the support of the Frost School and other sponsors. “We need people who want to bring good things to the world at this time,” she said. Scholarships like the ones awarded Wednesday provided crucial reinforcement for these young musicians with what she called unique and powerful talents. “For them, this scholarship means that yes, this is what my life is going to be, I’m going to be able to keep going,” Rose said. “Things like this only happen to people who have a purpose. I’m excited for Irenda to realize she’s an artist.”
Although Rose never attended college, she knew of the Frost School through working with Flores and other alumni. “I’m a student of life,” she said. “But it’s a gift to see that there are amazing people who came out of the Frost School of Music who are my teachers now.”
For her part, Diaz hopes that she will be able to give back someday. “Music for me is like medicine,” she said. “Songwriting to me is such a beautiful thing to give to society.”
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