Students from Florida International University’s Symphony Orchestra will perform in a tribute concert honoring Celia Cruz, known as the Queen of Salsa. The event, titled “Celia Sinfónica,” is described as the first of its kind and features symphonic arrangements of some of Cruz’s most famous songs, such as “La Vida Es Un Carnaval” and “Quimbara.” The concert will be held on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
The performance is organized by FIU’s Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts in collaboration with Celia Cruz Entertainment, Loud & Live, and FIU CasaCuba. Notable artists joining the student orchestra include Willy Chirino, Lena Burke, Albita, Lucrecia, Goyo, Lissette, and Brenda Navarrete. Javier José Mendoza, associate professor and director of orchestral studies at FIU, has been preparing students for this event and will conduct during the concert.
Mendoza praised the students’ dedication: “I’m very proud of them,” he said during a rehearsal. Adrian Ulloa, a music performance major from Miami who plays cello in the orchestra, shared his enthusiasm for participating: “I love it,” he said. “Miami is the heart of Latin music. This concert brings the beauty of classical music together with Latin culture and music. It’s a unique sound. This music is in our blood. It just makes me want to move [and dance].”
Singer Lucrecia Pérez-Saéz recently rehearsed with FIU students on campus and spoke positively about her experience: “Everything! It’s marvelous having contact with students, seeing their faces, their learning, their yearning [passion]… it’s vital,” she said. “I was happy to come and establish a connection with them and rehearse with them. I too was a music student once. When you have contact with students studying classical music and who are also nourishing themselves with our Latin music… I’m very proud to [be part of] this fusion and I’m proud to honor Celia.”
Taimy Balbuzano serves as assistant conductor for the tribute under Mendoza’s leadership while pursuing her master’s degree in orchestral conducting at FIU. Balbuzano reflected on her personal connection to Cruz’s legacy as someone who grew up in Cuba unaware of Cruz due to government censorship: “You could hear her music everywhere in Miami,” she recalled after arriving in Miami in the 1990s. She added that being involved in this concert is significant for her: “Being part of this concert is very meaningful to me,” Balbuzano said. “I’m glad to help celebrate her. It’s also very meaningful that FIU, which is in Miami, is celebrating Celia Cruz. She sang for the Hispanic world, and Miami has such a unique blend of cultures.”
This concert continues FIU’s efforts to provide diverse musical experiences for its students by blending popular genres with classical training. Last year, through a partnership with Warner Music Latina, members of the Symphony Orchestra performed live with reggaeton artist Yandel at an FIU-hosted event. They later collaborated again on Yandel’s album “Sinfónico (En Vivo),” which received a nomination for a 2026 GRAMMY Award; winners will be announced on February 1, 2026.
FIU students also participated in performing Rubén Blades’ “Maestra Vida” during the university’s 2025 Music Festival—a large-scale production merging orchestra musicians with voice and theatre students.
Mendoza explained that these experiences give students practical skills beyond traditional classical settings: “[These experiences] give them practical experience on how to function in a professional situation that is not a classical professional situation,” he said.
Francisco Castillo—an FIU student majoring in music business and production—emphasized how performing across genres has influenced his career goals: “It’s just amazing,” Castillo says. “Playing in this concert and also with Yandel…being able to explore other genres, it’s really fulfilling. I’m 100% sure that I’ll use what I’m learning now about fusion of genres and creating new sounds in my future as I compose music.”
FIU has maintained ties to Celia Cruz over several decades; she received an Honorary Doctorate from FIU in 1992 and the Celia Cruz Foundation remains active with university initiatives such as CasaCuba. Omer Pardillo-Cid—president of the foundation—said: “The music of Celia is timeless,” adding that seeing young people perform her work is moving because he worked closely with Cruz throughout his career.
In 2021, Pardillo-Cid oversaw donation of more than 200 original scores by Cruz to FIU so future generations could study her handwritten arrangements.
Lili Betancourt Space—executive director at FIU CasaCuba—noted how fitting it was for both organizations to celebrate Cruz together: “This project really embodies exactly the vision for CasaCuba,” Betancourt Space said. “Celia is so iconic in the Cuban American community, and she is truly international… Who better to be the ambassador for FIU and CasaCuba than Celia?”
