Jorge Mejia to Debut IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK in Miami

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County will present AN EVENING OF MASTERPIECES AND A PIANO CONCERTO on April 26. Taking place in the acoustically superb Knight Concert Hall, Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated conductor, distinguished Professor of Music at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and Music Director of the Frost Symphony Orchestra Gerard Schwarz leads the 100-member Frost Symphony Orchestra in three outstanding works from the classical music repertoire: Maurice Ravel's "Alborada del gracioso" (The Jester's Morning Song), Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 and the evening's centerpiece featuring Latin Grammy-nominated composer and pianist Jorge Mejia joining the Frost School of Music's premier classical music ensemble,  Frost Symphony Orchestra to perform the highly anticipated US premiere of Mejia's If These Walls Could Talk, with the composer at the piano.

For guests with accessibility needs, the Arsht provides accessible seating and complimentary assistive listening devices for all performances, along with sign language interpretation, open captioning, and audio description at select shows to ensure an inclusive experience for all guests.

An Evening of Masterpieces and a Piano Concerto opens with Maurice Ravel's "Alborada del gracioso" (The Jester's Morning Song) from his piano suite Miroirs. In a single movement, the opulent orchestration opens with a zesty Spanish flair. Castanet-like rhythms, brilliant orchestral colors and razor-sharp wit bring to life the playful, mischievous character of the “gracioso,” or jester. Originally composed for piano, Ravel's orchestration of this work sparkles with sultry sounds reminiscent of the strummed guitars found in a traditional flamenco piece.

The evening continues with the highly anticipated US premiere of If These Walls Could Talk composed and performed by Miami resident, Frost School of Music alumnus, and Latin Grammy-nominated composer and pianist Jorge Mejia. Inspired by the 1920s Miami Beach apartment building Mejia called home, this evocative piano concerto transforms memory and place into sound. The work unfolds across three movements — "First Floor," "Second Floor" and "Rooftop" — each paired with a poignant story tracing the lives of three former inhabitants. The performance will feature brief narration by Mejia during the piece, with short visuals accompanying the narration. Following an acclaimed 2025 international tour across Europe and South America, the concerto now makes its domestic debut. Audiences will experience the profound emotional depth of a story as told through Mejia's masterfully expressive musical voice.

“This piece began as a very intimate idea — a piano, a building, a few imagined lives,” says Mejia. “To bring it home to Miami, alongside the world-class Frost Symphony Orchestra of my alma mater under the baton of legendary Maestro Gerard Schwarz, and to share it with my hometown audience at the Arsht, feels like a powerful full circle moment on many levels.”

“It is a great honor to present this remarkable work by Jorge Mejia to our wonderful Miami audience, and to bring the remarkably gifted Frost School of Music students to perform on the Arsht stage once again, showcasing the talent being honed at one of the top music schools in the world,” adds Schwarz. “Jorge is a powerful pianist and a thoughtful, imaginative composer. His music resonates deeply with our community while conveying a poignant musical appeal to listeners everywhere.”

Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 brings the evening to a close. Composed in the wake of Joseph Stalin's death in 1953, this work emerged as a defiant reclamation of Shostakovich's artistic voice after years of forced suppression. Spanning four intense movements, the symphony is a haunting reckoning with the past — a musical portrait of the fear and oppression of the era that ultimately finds triumph in a cathartic release. Powerful, dramatic and visceral, Symphony No. 10 stands as one of the great masterpieces of the 20th century.

*All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Ticket prices include fees. Visit ArshtCenter.org for up-to-date information.

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