Home
HomeEventsTicketsBecome a FriendYoung Musicians CampBar

Upcoming Events

We invite our Friends to enjoy free concerts this summer given by our own Young Musicians.
Tuesday, July 2 and Thursday, July 18, 2013
6:30 pm Clarke Recital Hall (UM campus)
Advanced Classical Chamber Music

Wed, July 3 and Friday, July 19, 2013
6:30 pm Gusman Concert Hall (UM campus – 1314 Miller Drive)
Jazz Ensembles, Jazz Vocal, Chamber Music, and Musical Theater


Past Events

July 9, 2011 – Fifth Annual Simon Salz Memorial Concert– UM Clarke Recital Hall. We were honored to present to the South Florida community veteran jazz artist IRA SULLIVAN and vocalist WENDY PEDERSEN. This concert was opened by the Blue Money Jazz Sextet – a group made up of current and former campers!

June 26, 2010 - Fourth Annual Simon Salz Memorial Concert – UM Gusman Concert Hall. We were thrilled to present to the South Florida community – Latin Pop/Jazz Artist JON SECADA, joined by veteran jazz artist IRA SULLIVAN, and UM Frost School of Music Dean, SHELLY BERG. This sold out musical event helped provide scholarships to give our community’s talented, but financially needy young musicians the opportunity to attend summer camp at UM!

June 27, 2009 - Third Annual Simon Salz Memorial Concert – UM Gusman Concert Hall. This concert opened with guest artist, flutist Nestor Torres accompanied by pianist Sarah Salz, playing the Bach “Siciliane.” It was followed by the Honors Jazz Ensemble made up of students from the Young Musicians’ Camp. Then featured artists Latin/Jazz flutist Nestor Torres and Ira Sullivan presented a dynamite performance of Latin tunes and jazz standards with a back-up band featuring YM camp faculty Felix Gomez, piano, Ed Maina, woodwinds, Nicky Orta, bass and Latin/Jazz percussionists Carlomagno Araya and Hector Neciosup. Mr. Torres performed one of Simon Salz’s compositions, “Night Rain” in this sold-out event.

May 2, 2008 - Second Annual Simon Salz Memorial Concert – UM Gusman Concert Hall. This concert featured Dick Hyman, best known as composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist for the Woody Allen films "Zelig," "The Purple Rose of Cairo," "Broadway Danny Rose," "Stardust Memories," "Hannah and Her Sisters," "Radio Days," "Bullets Over Broadway," and more. He was joined by the new Dean of the Frost School of Music - Shelly Berg. This 2-piano duo recently released a cd of tunes from the concert: “Dick Hyman & Shelly Berg – Meeting of Minds.” (Victoria Company label). On it is a composition by Simon Salz titled “ Can You Really Hear Me?”

December 10, 2006 - First Annual Simon Salz Memorial Concert – UM Gusman Concert Hall. Established to honor the founder of the Young Musicians’ Camp and one of the most respected musicians and band-leaders in South Florida. This concert featured Ira Sullivan, with violinist/vocalist Nicole Yarling, California jazz guitarist Dave Feinman, and drummer Duffy Jackson. It also featured the young jazz piano prodigy, 12 yr old Tony Madruga and 11 yr old vocalist, Mitzi Salz.

May 25, 2005 Citibank - University of Miami/Coral Gables Branch. Our first fundraising concert featured guitarist Simon Salz, jazz artist Ira Sullivan, and jazz drummer Duffy Jackson. We also presented our talented campers performing both jazz and classical selections.

 

Ira SullivanNestor Torres

Ira Sullivan        Nestor Torres

Symphony

JazzKids
Young Musicians


Learning from a legend
http://everitas.univmiami.net/2009/07/17/learning-from-a-legend/#more-4507

The UM Frost School of Music Young Musicians Camp gives elementary to high school students a chance to learn from musical masters

The talented octet of teenage jazz musicians wasn’t quite getting the tempo of the song right, so their guest instructor interrupted the practice session to give them some advice.

Nestor
Nestor Torres gives advice to members of the Young Musicians' Camp Honors Jazz Ensemble.

“When you’re playing this, there should be contrast,” he said, motioning with his hands in an attempt to get his young pupils to feel the rhythm of the song. “You have this raw energy that is captivating, if you let it come through.”

And with that, the group took it from the top, this time playing the piece Latin What with more intensity, as their teacher, world-renowned jazz flautist Nestor Torres, performed along with them.

It’s not every day teenagers get to learn from a musical legend. But last Tuesday at the University of Miami, a group of young jazz musicians, one of them only 14 years old, not only got coached by Torres, they also performed with the Puerto
Rican-born flautist in a concert the next night.

It was all part of the UM Frost School of Music Young Musicians’ Camp, an annual summer workshop where beginning and experienced elementary through high school music students polish their musical skills, whether they sing or play the trumpet or trombone, violin or viola.

“Any child who loves music can come here,” said camp director Sarah Neham Salz, noting that this year’s enrollment of 300 students (the largest camp ever) included students from Canada, Italy, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.

Salz works year-round to fund the UM Young Musicians Camp, writing grants to local and state agencies and private individuals. The University of Miami Citizens Board helped fund this year’s camp.

Instructional programs, some of which are taught by Frost School faculty members, are offered in guitar, piano, strings, wind, percussion, orchestra, jazz, voice, and musical theater. Students who want to participate in the camp’s Honors Chamber Music, Jazz, and Musical Theater Ensembles must audition.

“I learned a lot, like what’s needed to be a musician and what it’s like [to perform] in the music world,” said 14-year-old drummer Emily Maddox, a member of the Honors Jazz Ensemble with which Torres worked and performed.

Maddox, a student at The Sagemont School in Broward County who got her first drum set when she was 10, was taking part in her third UM Young Musicians Camp.
Nestor Torres practices with the Young Musicians campers, who would later perform with the famous flautist at the Third Annual Simon Salz Memorial Concert.

Nestor Torres practices with the Young Musicians campers, who would later perform with the famous flautist at the Third Annual Simon Salz Memorial Concert.

Nestor Torress
Nestor Torres practices with the Young Musicians campers, who would later perform with the famous flautist at the Third Annual Simon Salz Memorial Concert.

Salz founded the camp ten years ago with her late husband, Simon Salz, a guitarist, band leader, composer, and music teacher who studied at UM and performed with the New World Symphony, Florida Philharmonic, and other orchestras.

The couple met in 1976 at a jazz show at the Unitarian Church in South Miami. “He was playing, and I was in the audience,” said Sarah Salz, a classical pianist who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Frost School.

But the idea for the camp actually began several years ago before they met, when as a junior high school student, Simon Salz attended the prestigious Chautauqua Music Camp in New York, getting the opportunity to hear legendary jazz pianist George Shearing perform.

“It was so inspirational for him and motivated him for the rest of his life to become a professional musician,” Salz said. “When he got older, he wanted to give kids the same opportunities he had. He believed that children have unlimited potential, and when you put them in the richest environment from the beginning, it allows them to develop to their fullest potential.”

When her husband passed away four years ago, the widow started the Simon Salz Memorial concert, which funds scholarships that help students attend the camp. The third annual concert was held Wednesday at UM’s Gusman Concert Hall, and featured Torres performing with the Honors Jazz Ensemble and a group of professionals that included jazz multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan.

Sarah is already planning for next year’s camp, making a list of guest artists she will invite. Torres had performed with her husband on several occasions, and when she invited the famous flautist to make a guest appearance at this year’s gathering, he agreed.

She is also applying for more grants, though the bad economy has made fundraising a challenge.

“The students and instructors absolutely love being here, and the Frost School setting makes it the best possible environment,” she said. “I simply can’t let [the camp] die.”