New World Symphony

The best place in Miami.
Every season, the New World Symphony manages to include different a aspects of music to maximize the musical experience.
From the wall cast events to the pulse concerts, The NWS is definitely the place to be.

This is one of the best kept little secrets in Miami Michael Tillson Thomas has created a gem on Miami Beach This is a virtuoso philharmonic school that gives us the best in Classical Music
… AND you can sit out in the open air and enjoy the very best in concerts
What’s not to Love

This opera house is beyond, modern, trendy, excellent led lighting at night in the heart of Miami Beach Florida

When reviewing the New World Symphony, what are you evaluating? The mission of the excellent orchestral academy whose alumni have gone on to perform in prominent symphonic orchestras worldwide? Or perhaps it’s the excellent New World Symphony Orchestra who perform regularly. Maybe we’re talking about their various programs and shows held on campus. It could also be the modern, slick performing arts center that crowns the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall in Miami Beach.
The answer is: yes.
Of course, New World Symphony is all these things — and that’s one of the reasons New World is so special. Not only is it’s academy a great boon to Miami’s young but growing cultural scene, but the center itself is an attractive facility near a multitude of dining options for a bite before and after the show.
The New World Center venue is a gorgeous piece of architecture designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry (who has also famously designed such prominent structures as the Guggenheim Bilbao, Disney Music Hall in Los Angeles and the Experience Music Project in Seattle). I have heard that there were some acoustic issues inside, but I haven’t heard any artifacts or issues at performances we’ve attended. The performance hall is not huge, and features a peninsula stage surrounded by the audience, and so has a great, intimate feel.
The programming we’ve attended at the center has been universally excellent. These have included: Jazz performances featured in the Miami Beach Jazz Festival, Wallcasts (multimedia orchestral music programs viewable on the lawn and projected on their walls in rich surround sound), and unique Symphonic educational programming (wherein they play selections from various pieces while interspersing it with lectures on the art and it’s historical context to help with the appreciation).
Overall, I’d say if you have an interest in the arts, it’s well worth a visit — and doing so supports the growth of the cultural development of Miami.

I had fun at last week’s Tchaikovsky Wallcast. The acoustics were superb and I was glad to recognize a few of the selections. The place was so packed, my friend and I barely found seating. Parking was difficult too, as a result of the high attendance. We envied all the people sipping wine and eating hors d’oeuvres on their blankets. It’s a great dinner picnic idea! After the concert, the musicians and the conductor came out to the park to greet people, talk to them, and take pictures.
I was glad to see the bathroom situation was under control this time, despite the fact that attendance this time was about 10 times or more than what it was for the Bach concert. I was also contacted by one of the managers at NWS about this issue and was assured that it’s being taken care of. I am glad they reached out to me and are concerned with finding a resolution. That’s what I call great customer service!
I am hoping to come out Friday for their mini-​concert series, which are held indoors, but with the Ultra Music Festival and Winter Music Conference and the throngs of traffic, full parking garages and tourists, I may have to stay home. We shall see.

sure I’ve walked by this property multiple times, but yet to have graced its hall inside. music moves us all in one way or another, but live music, with instruments, somehow brings goosebumps to my skin and surprised tears in my eyes. i was lucky to experience a concert thanks to Unilocal miami culture club series. the hall was general admission and i was ridin solo so a great seat was easy to find. the concert was beautifully executed and i am amazed at the pure talent these people have. the series we went to came with 2 free bacardi cocktails after the show, which were lined up waiting for consumption, easy to drink more than one. not each show you pick has this perk. i was impressed and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. a solid solo friday night.
— parked next door at 17h street lot for dirt cheap
follow in fb and ig for updates on events and tickets (as with mostly all venues nowadays!)

What a great time we had Friday night! I really got a new appreciation for classical music and the way they narrated the history and struggle of Russia was pretty cool. They did a wonderful job of showing us how you could hear Russia’s pride and struggle through each note the composer wrote. Amazing experience and the free cocktails at the end was a wonderful night cap to a great evening!

I had such a wonderful evening with the New World Symphony! We had tickets courtesy of Unilocal Culture Month and saw the program focusing on Russian works. The building is gorgeous and is worth checking out if you are in the area regardless of whether or not you are seeing a show and the music was incredible. Having seen top orchestras across the country, the New World Symphony can certainly compete! The acoustics of venue were perfection and it was such an enjoyable experience.
My only complaint was that there was a narrator during the performance. While the introductions and historical context of the pieces was interesting, it was too drawn out and I would have preferred longer pieces instead of the set being more than 50% narrations. The narrator also had a tendency to exaggerate her expressions and dance on stage to the performance which I found distracting to the actual piece.
Overall though, I would extremely highly recommend this as a date night and I am incredibly impressed that an orchestra of this caliber is in Miami!

I went for the Russian experience courtesy of Unilocal as part of their culture month. This is a solid outing. The building has ridiculously impressive orchestra and its perfectly next to Lincoln road for the full evening experience. The talent is impressive as the fellows are all trained at top art institutions and alumni go to some of the top orchestras in the country (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, etc). The place sounds excellent. There were two complementary mixed drinks (premade rum drinks with ginger beer/​bitters or coca cola) afterwards and the orchestra members joined so you could meet them after the show.
My only complaint is the fact that its not just about the music. It has an educational component and there is a speaker who spends a great deal of time lecturing on the music. While interesting, I found it mostly boring and distracting from the excellent music.
I parked on the street off alton and I do not believe there is associated parking, however the 17^th street garage is nearby. There is plenty of seating but the venue mostly filled for this event.

Perfect acoustics, comfortable all around seating, absolutely gorgeous building inside and out. The purifying effect of filtration is evident in New World Symphony performances.
The young performers are inspiring and have a positive influence on the future of art form. I have enjoyed numerous performances here year around and I have been beyond impressed and touched each time. I buy tickets for performances at the NWS for my friends for many occasions. Some performances are quiet, and thoughtful, others are stirring and powerful, but all are masterpieces in their own unique way. I have spoken to many performers during intermission and after the performance and I am impressed by their inclusive thinking and entrepreneurial courage in addition to superlative musical performance. This place makes me proud to be South Floridian-​so beautiful and majestic in every way.

Truly this is building is one of frank ghery’s greatest. He had to work within stringent local codes but still managed to be himself when he designed this music hall. It’s a modern cathedral to the public and celebrates music performance in a way I’ve never seen before. Worth a trip just to see it when you’re in SoBe.

From the Frank Gehry designed building to the world class musicians, conductors and special guests to the best free events (Wallcasts) all wrapped up in a beautiful bow (Lincoln Road), the New World Symphony and the New World Center are a must whether you live in or are visiting Miami.
The FREE late fall/​early winter Wallcasts under the balmy and breezy Miami sky are perfect whether you’re on a date or with the kids.

Beautiful place. They not only have concerts inside the building, but they also show movies and some of their concerts outside!
For anyone on a budget bring your picnic items and a special someone and it’s the perfect date night. The concerts are also reasonably priced and they have constant events once the season picks up around September.
When they do have concerts you might see a few of the members from the orchestra hanging out after the show. The fellows are extremely nice & you can pick up conversations with them.

The NWS is absolutely gorgeous in side and out. The concert hall is engineered for perfect sound and the symphony itself is just magical. I am huge fan of pretty much any and music, to be lucky enough to catch a symphony at an affordable price, makes me proud to be a Miamian.

Courtesy of Benjamin Baum, my boss and symphony sponsor, I got to experience the symphony from the inside this weekend. Most people by now know about the wall cast on the lawn outside, which is fantastic. The parking garage next door was packed with people bringing lawn chairs and picnic baskets for a free concert. After all, there are some things to do in South Beach that are free and totally non-​douchey!
The venue is so clean you could literally eat off the floor (not that you’d ever do that). It is also small enough that no matter where you sit, they are all great seats. The acoustics are amazing, I literally cried during a cello solo (very Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman) and got goose bumps during the grand finale.
Logistics:
The parking garage next door has a walkway on the 3^rd floor right into the symphony building, very convenient. Flat rate is $ 15, no discount for Miami Beach locals. Be prepared for long lines as everyone leaves at the same time.
There aren’t enough bars. Everyone is trying to get something to drink during the 30 minute intermission, so you stand in line for 20 minutes, then you have another 5 minutes to guzzle it down because no drinks are allowed inside.
Be respectful and dress clean. Most of the patrons are older locals, all dressed very proper. Some gentlemen wear dinner jackets, some wear button downs with sweaters thrown over the shoulders, very Hampton’s preppy. The older ladies dress very tastefully in glittery tops and evening bags. Some of the few younger people wear jeans (boo) so there is no official dress code.
It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces, simply enjoying the young talented orchestra. Expect standing ovations at the end because these young artists are truly special.

So far, so good. I’ve only been here for PULSE, which is the monthly classical concert — slash — cocktail social event that involves three sets (with the third set being the last known, but the real highlight of it).
If I was just going for the first two sets, I wouldn’t be impressed. It’s a little too casual for my liking — there’s people walking and milling around while the concert is going on, and some using their phones, others talking to people next to them, and all while trying to act like they’re all that just because they have a fancy drink in hand.
Don’t get me wrong… it’s a beautiful building, and an innovative concept that seems to be working in drawing the crowds — and with a great program with interesting and relatively unknown pieces (explanations of each piece usually shown on the upper walls). Just because of these things, I think they merit some praise.
And let me explain why the highlight is the little-​known last set — it’s intimate, small, and up-​close personal in a different small space (first come, first serve very limited seating). It is here where I can know how many people came to PULSE to really enjoy the music since most others would have left or just mill out and continue chatting about out in the main lobby. You’re sitting in this high chair while they’re playing the main highlights from the entire show. This is what makes PULSE worth it — for the music-​lovers out there.

Movies on the park? yes! count me in! Every wednesday the New World Center plays free movies on the lawn and you are welcome to join.
Bring some chairs, a blanket, some drinks and finger food, you are guaranteed a good time.
This time of year the weather still cooperates, nice breeze which keeps it totally comfortable… do bring OFF… those mosquitoes can be cruel!

Wallcast Concert is a great experience!!! What a treat this is… and FREE!!! While the concert is live on the inside, you can hang outside in the lawn with your own chairs, picnic and a blanket sharing this great cultural experience. Wallcast Concerts start at 7:30pm, make sure you make time to arrive early, the area fills up pretty fast! People of all ages come to this cultural event.

This place hosts the movie in the park nights on Wednesday’s and it gets 5 stars for that. It’s been a great, cheap, romantic date for me and my wife who live in the beach. I’ve invited people and they’ve loved it and wanna come more often. It’s great when people can understand that the locals are important too.
I saw Rocky on ³⁄₂₈ and had a blast!

Wow!
Start with the terrace outside: a modern version of a palace garden. On said garden your eyes can be delighted by the wallcasts — outdoor display of movies, abstract art and symphony performances. Walking in, you’re treated to the Eye-​Gasm that a Gehry designed building is: futuristic curves, clean white lines and a lot of technology. For example, even the «posters» advertising future shows are LCD moving displays. Excellent acoustics and comfortable chairs.
I stopped by with a friend for the $ 2.50 mini concerts she found out about. I’ll confess: Im not a fan of classical music. I’m the one cracking up that the conductor looks like he’s having spasms or that playing the violin looks like they’re grinding flies (seem to think that was from a Bugs Bunny episode when I was little ;) Then there’s the ADD of sitting cellphone less for an extended amount of time. That’s why last night’s mini-​concert was perfect. It lasted a little over 30 minutes, and the conductor gave a mini history lesson on the background of the piece and the intent of the composer. Finally it was pleasant seeing how each of the movements of the conductor have a logic to them, and enjoying the beautiful (I’ll admit it) harmony of such diverse instruments and artistic talent!