Nu Deco Ensemble education concert at the Arsht Center
Education & Outreach

Nu Deco Imagination.

Innovative, no-cost orchestral music programs for K-12 students across Miami-Dade County — concerts, in-school workshops, masterclasses, and our youth ensemble, Nu Deco NXT.

Build the Next Generation

Nu Deco Ensemble's educational programs are designed to nurture a passion for orchestral music in young people, with a goal of providing innovative orchestral music in a setting appropriate to their age and musical proficiency. These no-cost programs include a series of concerts for K-12 students; in-school workshops and masterclasses across Miami-Dade County for middle and high school students to learn from NDE artistic directors and musicians; and our youth ensemble for 7th–12th graders, Nu Deco NXT.

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NDE education concerts encourage imagination and creativity through musical topics such as rhythm, melody, musical genres and styles, and world music, and feature guest artist collaborations to explore all genres of music. Past guest artists have included Robert Glasper, JP Saxe, Masego, Anthony Hamilton, Tank and the Bangas, Wyclef Jean, Andrew Bird, and Emily King.

Digital Education

Videos & resource guides.

We are committed to engaging students in Miami-Dade and across the globe with high-quality performances. These educational videos and resources provide students with an opportunity to continue engaging with the orchestra.

Cinematically filmed live concert recordings — modified for K-12 learners — cover musical subjects including an in-depth look at the creative process behind our special collaborations with guest artists and living composers across genres.

Accompanying study guides explore musical concepts in greater detail with quizzes based on academic level. Guides fulfill the State of Florida's CPALMS Standards and NAfME National Music Standards. Questions or examples of your students using these resources? kristina@nu-deco.org.

Please note: these concerts and accompanying resources are intended for and available only to K-12 educators. An email affiliated with an educational institution is required to access performances.

Past Live Stream Performances

The Imagination archive.

Nu Deco Imagination

Across The Stars

ft. Wyclef Jean & Ledisi

From the cosmos to the club, from a century-old orchestral masterpiece to music written by Miami high school students last week — a celebration of how music travels across time, genre, and generation, featuring GRAMMY-nominated Ledisi and global icon Wyclef Jean.

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Nu Deco Imagination

The Sound of Celebration

ft. PJ Morton

A joyful, cross-genre journey exploring how people around the world use music to honor culture, family, holidays, and community — with original Nu Deco works, Courtney Bryan, reimagined Stevie Wonder, and side-by-side performances with Nu Deco NXT.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Final Bell: A Celebration of Sound & Story

Music as a bridge across generations, cultures, and styles — pairing youth and professionals (Final Bell, Abbey Road), classic and contemporary composers (West Side Story, PJ Morton, Kishi Bashi), and diverse musical traditions.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Musical Visions

ft. Estelle

A celebration of music's enduring power to connect and inspire. From classical to contemporary and popular — including original compositions by Miami-Dade high school students — this show illustrates music as a language that transcends time, cultures, and boundaries.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Harmony Unleashed

ft. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Emily King, and Durand Jones

An interactive K-12 performance LIVE from the Adrienne Arsht Center exploring harmony — from Rihanna to Ravel — with three special guests and a premiere of NXT original composition “Portrait,” written in partnership with O, Miami.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Journeys of Exploration and Connection

ft. Andrew Bird

A unique perspective on exploration — physical, cultural, and inner — through Leonard Bernstein, the Grateful Dead, and songs by multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Musical Heroes

ft. Will Liverman and St. Paul & The Broken Bones

Celebrating the resilience of the human spirit, triumph over adversity, and the transformative power of music — with Emmy-winning St. Paul & The Broken Bones, GRAMMY-winning Will Liverman, Tchaikovsky, and a symphonic reimagination of Tina Turner.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Symphonic Metamorphosis

ft. Derrick Hodge & Allen Stone

A journey through the evolution of music — jazz, R&B, and beyond — with soul/R&B artist Allen Stone, two-time GRAMMY-winning bassist Derrick Hodge, Paul Hindemith, and a symphonic reimagination of Ms. Lauryn Hill.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Life, Love, Literature

ft. Monsieur Periné

Three defining sources of inspiration — life, love, and literature — with Latin GRAMMY-winning Monsieur Periné, Sergei Prokofiev, an original ensemble work, and a symphonic reimagination of The Beatles.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Diversions

ft. Lawrence

How music elevates our lives through joy, humor, amusement, and awe — with soul-pop duo Lawrence, Jacques Ibert, Jessica Meyer, and symphonic reimaginations of Stevie Wonder.

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Nu Deco Imagination

The Magical Motif

ft. Wyclef Jean

A journey into one of the fundamental building blocks of music — the motif — with Wyclef Jean, George Gershwin, William Grant Still, Sam Hyken, and a symphonic reimagination of Michael Jackson.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Streams of Influence

Sources of musical influence from the Old and New World that have shaped American popular music — with George Gershwin, Jessie Montgomery, Nick Omiccioli, and a symphonic reimagination of Marvin Gaye.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Movers & Shakers

ft. Robert Glasper

A celebration of Black composers with GRAMMY/Emmy-winning Robert Glasper, Duke Ellington, Valerie Coleman, George Walker, and reimaginations of The Weeknd and James Brown.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Landscapes in Motion

ft. Madison Cunningham

From the prairies of America to the tundras of Iceland — GRAMMY-nominated Madison Cunningham, Dmitri Shostakovich, Valgeir Sigurðsson, and a symphonic reimagination of Pink Floyd.

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Nu Deco Imagination

The Evolution of Modern Music

ft. JP Saxe

Innovations from modern and contemporary composers — GRAMMY-nominated JP Saxe, Béla Bartók, Erich Korngold, and a symphonic reimagination of Radiohead.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Sacred Earth

ft. Masego

How music imitates and embodies our lives and environment — with Masego, a multimedia work by Chris Rogerson and National Geographic photographer Keith Ladzinski, Tchaikovsky, and reimagined Ray Charles.

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Nu Deco Imagination

A Crown Forgotten

ft. Anthony Hamilton

Celebrating African American composers with Anthony Hamilton and The Hamiltones, Carlos Simon, and symphonic reimaginations of Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, and the Isley Brothers.

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Nu Deco Imagination

From The New World

How different cultures have influenced the music of the New World — with Tank and the Bangas, Antonín Dvořák, Jessie Montgomery, Jessica Meyer, and a symphonic reimagination of Dr. Dre.

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Nu Deco Imagination

Musical Inspirations

How composers draw inspiration from the world around them — Leonard Bernstein, Valerie Coleman, Nina Simone, Anemoia, and reimagined Earth, Wind & Fire.

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Nu Deco Imagination

A Musical Journey

How surroundings and travel shape the music composers create — Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, The Beach Boys, and newly composed works by living composers.

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Nu Deco Imagination

The Magic of Melody

Through holiday classics, rock-inspired music, and newly composed works, this performance explores melody as the very essence of music.

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Nu Deco Imagination

The Rhythm of Life and Music

Signature and newly created works showing how rhythm is not just the foundation of all music but of life itself — across classical, jazz, and popular forms.

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