At Seraphic Fire, music education is not separate from our mission. It is central to who we are.
While audiences across Miami, Coral Gables, Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Miami Beach, and Naples know Seraphic Fire as one of the best vocal ensembles in the country and Florida’s only GRAMMY-nominated professional choir, some of the organization’s most meaningful work happens far beyond the concert stage. It happens inside classrooms, rehearsal spaces, community centers, and school auditoriums across South Florida.
This past season, Seraphic Fire’s education and outreach initiatives reached thousands of students through workshops, mentorship programs, concerts, masterclasses, and immersive performance experiences designed to inspire creativity, confidence, and connection through music.
A Growing Impact Across South Florida
During the 2025-2026 school year, Seraphic Fire’s education initiatives continued to expand in both reach and impact.
The organization’s in-school workshops reached more than 1,400 students during each workshop cycle, introducing elementary school students to music ranging from Broadway and folk songs to contemporary popular music. Workshop songs this year included Lean on Me, Stand By Me, Happy, and One Still Wearing You, creating interactive experiences that encouraged students to sing, move, listen, and participate together.
At the high school level, Seraphic Fire continued its annual masterclass program, most recently bringing nearly 50 students from Robert Morgan Senior High School and Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School together at Florida International University to rehearse and perform alongside Seraphic Fire artists.
The organization’s Choral Education Residency program also concluded its second year working with Comstock Elementary and Kendale Lakes Elementary schools. This year’s culminating concert featured 111 students performing on stage together, many of whom were experiencing a professional concert environment for the first time.
Meanwhile, Seraphic Fire’s High School Professional Choral Institute continues to grow, with 60 students from schools across South Florida preparing to participate in this summer’s intensive vocal training program focused on collegiate and professional-level ensemble singing.
These programs represent far more than music instruction. They create opportunities for students to discover confidence, discipline, teamwork, and self-expression through the arts.
Much of this success is guided by Seraphic Fire Director of Education Suzanne Floyd, whose leadership, mentorship, and dedication continue to shape the organization’s education initiatives across South Florida. Through her work with students, teachers, schools, and families, Suzanne has helped expand programs that introduce thousands of young people to the power of music, creativity, and live artistic collaboration each year.
This commitment to education and community engagement is one of the reasons Seraphic Fire was named the 2025 Miami Herald Miami-Dade Favorite Nonprofit, chosen from more than 10,000 nonprofit organizations across the county. While audiences often first discover Seraphic Fire through live performances, programs like these demonstrate the deeper mission behind the music: creating access, opportunity, and meaningful artistic experiences for students and families throughout South Florida.
The Moments That Matter Most
Sometimes the impact of arts education cannot be measured in attendance numbers or statistics.
This season, a third-grade student with severe ADHD participated in Seraphic Fire’s education residency program after previously struggling in traditional school environments. According to faculty, the student had never attended a field trip because there were concerns about his ability to participate appropriately in a large public setting.
But after spending the year working with Seraphic Fire artists, he desperately wanted to perform in the culminating student concert.
His mother agreed to let him attend.
She sat in the audience crying as she watched her son perform on stage alongside more than 100 fellow students and Seraphic Fire artists. Later, when a member of the Seraphic Fire education team visited the school again, the student ran up smiling, gave a hug, and quietly said, “Thank you.”
Those moments are the reason these programs matter.
Building the Future Through Music
Seraphic Fire’s commitment to mentorship continues at every level of music education.
Through the Ensemble Artist Program, university singers from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the University of Miami Frost School of Music performed alongside Seraphic Fire artists and the Seraphic Fire Period Orchestra this season, gaining invaluable professional experience inside one of the nation’s leading vocal ensembles.
Programs like StudentAccess continue to introduce college students and young adults to live classical music by offering free and discounted tickets throughout the season.
Together, these programs help develop future musicians, audiences, educators, advocates, and arts leaders.
Help Us Continue This Work
As Seraphic Fire approaches the close of its fiscal year on May 31, community support remains critically important.
The organization is currently in the middle of a $50,000 Matching Gift Challenge, meaning every contribution made before the end of the fiscal year will have double the impact in supporting concerts, arts education, and community outreach initiatives across South Florida.
Every dollar truly matters.
Your support helps fund:
In-school music education workshops
Transportation for student performances
Mentorship opportunities
Professional artist residencies
Concert access for students and families
Life-changing musical experiences for thousands of young people
At a time when arts education programs continue to disappear from many schools, Seraphic Fire remains deeply committed to providing high-quality music education opportunities for students throughout South Florida.
If you believe in the transformative power of music, we invite you to support this mission.
To make a gift or learn more, visit seraphicfire.org/support or call our friendly and helpful staff at 305.285.9060.
Together, we can continue building a future filled with music, creativity, opportunity, and hope.
