BELLARMONIA
Miami is a unique blend of Hispanic, Hatian, and American traditions. Today you will hear a celebration of our city, its rhythm, its people and their passion, creativity, and perseverance. In the process, we will celebrate not only aspects of the general culture, but also the individuals who have shaped us.
PROGRAM
Twa Tanbou - Sydney Guillaume (b. 1982)
With Sydney’s blessing, I asked an alumnus of this very ensemble to voice this well-known Guillaume piece for SSAA. Vania Junco, a now graduate of the composition program at University of Miami’s Frost School of Music (just like Sydney!), accepted the challenge and arranged the version we present to you today. This SSAA version of Twa Tanbou will be available for purchase at www.sydneyguillaume.com later this year.
Building a team requires us to think "Beyond Ourselves." Each member must play his or her own part, but there is no room for self-absorbed glory; it ultimately brings the team down. True leaders put the team’s collective well-being before themselves. On his website, Sydney Guillaume states, "The text of Twa Tanbou uses this philosophy, applied to three drums: the big Boula, the smaller Tanbouren, and the little Kata drum, arguing that if everyone works together, there will be beautiful music!"
Click Here for complete text and English translation.
Desert Song - säje
As a treble ensemble, we are beyond inspired by the all-female group säje, who, in a rather short time, have taken over the pop/jazz vocal ensemble scene with GRAMMY nominations and wins. Beyond the awards, they inspire us to come together as one. The message of Desert Song empowers us to embrace the limitless potential in our female collaborators within Bellarmonía. With the right re-voicing, we believe it is possible to do any mixed choir music as a treble group. Like säje, we hear her calling, and we too have a voice; it is a treble voice...independent, capable, and highly successful.
Ave Maria - Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst penned Ave Maria in 1900 in honor of his own mother who died when he was a young boy. It is a double choir piece for women's voices that encourages us to uplift each other through life's highs and lows. No matter your personal religious choice, this traditional choral work reminds us that acknowledging the divine requires humility in order to think beyond ourselves.
Soy La Rumba - Adalberto Alvarez (1949-2021); arr. Lazaro Alonso (b. 2003)
Featuring junior Melissa Cruz
During the second half of the 19th century, several secular dance-oriented music styles were developed by Afro-Cuban workers in the poor neighborhoods of Havana and Matanzas. One of these different styles would later be referred to as "rumba," a word that also means "party." The rumba clave is a variation of the 3-2 son clave.
Although a different version of this choir performed this piece at the 2023 FMEA conference and the 2024 Southern ACDA Conference, we felt it was important to share it with a broader audience. It is a great example of afro-caribbean culture, and the city we call home. We are a choir of first and second generation hispanic immigrants, and we hope you are inspired to program a Latin American choral piece. This rhythmically dynamic choral arrangement was written by our alumnus Lazaro Alonso.
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Paul Simon; arr. Jacob Collier (b. 1994)
Featuring Kaitlynn "Solar" Abbott ('26), and Cecilia Diaz ('26), and Gabriella Marquez ('27).
Paul Simon's lyrics and melody transcend a self-centered society. This song has inspired, comforted and been a familiar friend to millions since it premiered in 1970. Jacob Collier's brilliant arrangement won a GRAMMY for Best Arrangement this year. Jacob is patiently expanding the musical mind of our society. He consistently imagines the music beyond the music, and this setting has taught us to connect our hearts to the original text. With this finale, we give our voices, ears, passion, energy and hearts to you...the person who stopped to listen. Set for SSAA+++ by alumnus Lazaro Alonso, we proudly present Jacob Collier's masterpiece to you, and we hope that it inspires you expand your perceived musical boundaries.
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Thank you to ACDA for the invitation to perform today. We are eternally grateful for our MAS Vocal parents and the MAS administration, Dr. Balsera, Mrs. Annie Diaz, and Mrs. Patricia Fleri for their tireless daily support. Finally, thank you to the incredible musicians that helped shape today’s program:
Mr. Ryan Ellis, Mrs. Deborah Mar, Mrs. Jeannine Stemmer, Mr. Shanpatrick Davis, Sydney Guillaume, Dr. Jason Max Ferdinand, Jacob Collier, Leslie Cartaya, Theodore Thorpe, Dr. Ed Calle, Dr. Ken Boos, Lazaro Alonso, and Vania Junco.
BIOGRAPHIES
Bellarmonía is the premiere SSAA ensemble at Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer, a performing arts magnet school located in western Miami-Dade County, Florida. This ensemble is entirely made up of Hispanic female students who are all first or second generation immigrants from Cuba, Central and South America. The school and the vocal program are predominantly Hispanic which parallels the community in which the school is situated. While students are exposed to a wide array of musical styles and time periods in their choral literature, the music of Miami is home for the vocal ensembles. Each time we travel to a new place we try to bring a piece of Miami with us by preparing repertoire in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Day by day, the MAS Vocal magnet strengthens both musically and as a family as we do our best to live into the following mission statement:
The MAS Vocal family consists of a united group of students, parents, alumni, teachers and administrators working toward our goal of building musical skills into performances that inspire our community, country and world. We provide a safe environment for expression using music from a variety of cultures, religions and time periods. In addition to being musically skilled, MAS Vocal students and alumni will be able to apply the value of hard work, community service, kindness and respect in their personal and professional lives.
In short, the goal is not to create professional musicians, but rather, kind, confident, passionate citizens who know what it is to be a part of something great, and who will reach for their full potential in any career they choose.
Cindy Ellis is a Cuban-American music educator and vocalist. As a jazz vocal soloist and alto with the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, Ellis frequently performs and teaches masterclasses to K-12 students throughout North America. Most recently, the JMAX Singers collaborated with Jacob Collier and Coldplay for NBC’s Saturday Night Live and were the headlining ensemble at the 2023 American Choral Directors Association National Conference in Cincinnati, OH. A native of Holguín, Cuba, Ellis immigrated to the United States in 2005. She earned her Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education/Jazz Voice from Florida International University and her Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Missouri. Ellis is one of two full-time choral directors at Miami Arts Studio (MAS), a 6-12th grade public performing arts magnet school in Miami, FL. Her treble ensemble, Bellarmonía, has performed at FMEA, Southern ACDA, and will be making their National ACDA debut this March in Dallas, TX. Mrs. Ellis serves as the Southern ACDA World Musics and Cultures Coordinator, is the 2025 Teacher of the year at Miami Arts Studio, and was a semi-finalist for the 2025 Music Educator GRAMMY Award.