Nu Deco NXT Spring Intensive Concert 2026

• MachineJennifer Higdon
• Slow Burn: Reflections on the River of GrassNXT Writer’s Cohort
• Waldorf SuiteNXT Composer in Residence, Isaiah Saranow
• Night on Bald MountainModest Mussorgsky (arr. Rimsky-Korsakov)
• Collective Composition “Master Doc”Nu Deco NXT Class of 2026
• Rihanna Re-ImaginedFerret / Hyken / Lebos / Lopez / Matthews

Nu Deco NXT

Nu Deco NXT is a free youth ensemble for Miami-Dade musicians in grades 7–12, offering year-round experiences such as side-by-side performances at the Adrienne Arsht Center, full ensemble rehearsals, composition labs, and career exploration. Spearheaded by Nu Deco Ensemble Co-Founders Sam Hyken and Jacomo Bairos, and led by NXT Director Michelle Skinner, Nu Deco NXT serves as a vital and accessible platform for developing the next generation of resilient and versatile musicians.

Isaiah Saranow — Composer in Residence

Composer and violinist Isaiah Saranow began his musical journey strumming out-of-tune renditions of Beatles songs on his dad’s guitars. After taking up the violin at age six, he discovered his love of classical music and improvisation and started writing his first compositions. Since then, Isaiah has received commissions and premieres from various artists and ensembles, such as pianist Maria Parrini, Nu Deco NXT, and the YoungArts program, where he was a Winner with Distinction and a Presidential Scholar finalist. His work is eclectic and stylistically variable, often aiming to synthesize his love of classical music history with extra-canonical influences, like folklore, literature, and philosophy. Isaiah currently attends the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Composition, and studies privately with eminent composer and pedagogue Bruce Adolphe.

Liam Lawless — Visual Artist

Liam Lawless is a Miami-based photographer whose work captures candid and fleeting moments that resonate through the present. Drawn to whatever is in front of him, he uses photography as a means to document his place in time, favoring film for its rich colors, depth, and organic feel that conveys an authentic intensity.

This body of work focuses on the rapid growth and development of Miami, centering on the construction of a massive 94-story skyscraper in Downtown. Lawless photographs not only the towering structure but also the systems and people supporting it, capturing construction sites as self-contained communities where workers collaborate toward a shared goal. Through his lens, Lawless highlights their composure, bravery, and expertise.

Lawless’s collaboration with musician Isaiah Saranow brought a new dimension to the project. Having long admired Saranow’s talent, he was intrigued by the challenge of combining music with photography. The collaboration was both ambitious and exciting, resulting in a work that merges visual and auditory storytelling into a cohesive, compelling experience.

Nu Deco NXT Writer’s Cohort

Each season, four Nu Deco NXT students are selected to compose a collaborative composition to be premiered live at the Spring Intensive concert. This year’s cohort consists of students Arturo Estevez (class of 2027), Moises Barroeta (class of 2027), Sofia Bonacossa (class of 2027), and Webber Druckerman (class of 2028).

Throughout the season, the students have been hard at work, with the help of professional Nu Deco musicians, composing Slow Burn: Reflections on the River of Grass, a piece influenced by the robust and evolving landscape of the Florida Everglades. The project was guided by Nu Deco Program Assistant and composer Simón Martínez, who played a special role in mentoring the students and helping synthesize the cohort’s musical ideas into a unified work.