By Coral Gables Gazette staff
As the sun sets over Andalusia Avenue this Saturday, Coral Gables’ Sanctuary of the Arts will once again transform into a haven for classical music lovers. At 7:30 p.m., the acclaimed venue hosts “ECHOES,” a summer concert presented by Fine Arts of Miami that blends Zarzuela, opera, and Musica di Camera in a program that invites audiences to listen, reflect—and remember.
This latest installment in Fine Arts of Miami’s concert series is a curated journey through sound and sentiment, exploring how classical compositions can evoke time, place, and emotional resonance. Whether in the lyrical elegance of Mozart or the nostalgic sweep of Ernesto Lecuona, each selection is tied by a single theme: the echo. Literal and metaphorical, historic and intimate, the evening is designed to be—as organizers describe it—“a celebration of music and memory, where every note is a whisper from the past, echoing into the future.”
Tickets range from $28 to $43 and are available online. The performance takes place in Sanctuary’s 314-seat concert hall, located at 410 Andalusia Avenue, in the heart of Coral Gables.
A chorus of voices, an ensemble of echoes
“ECHOES” brings together a distinguished cast of performers, including Gabriel La Salette Menendez, Beatriz Marie Menendez, Solange Merdinian, Roxana Triana, Alex Leon, and Marcela Martinez, supported by Avelino J. Gonzalez Roman and a roster of instrumental talent: Israel Mendez, Fabiana Escalona, Mariana Fermin, Kenny Aponte, and Marian Castro, among others. Each artist contributes to a soundscape designed to evoke cultural memory across languages and borders.
Zarzuela, the Spanish lyric-dramatic genre, shares the spotlight with Italian opera and the intimacy of chamber music. By mixing stylistic forms and emotional registers, the concert weaves a narrative that spans centuries yet feels deeply personal.
This is not a greatest-hits retrospective, but a program shaped by artistic intention. Fine Arts of Miami describes the program as a curated conversation between past and present, performer and listener—designed to resonate across time and style.
A venue with a mission
Since its official grand opening in April 2022, Sanctuary of the Arts has rapidly become one of Coral Gables’ most vital cultural institutions. Located in the historic First Church of Christ Scientist campus, the venue spans three landmark-designated properties and includes two professional-size studios, classroom space, and its jewel-box concert hall.
The organization was founded with a mission to incubate interdisciplinary artistic excellence across music, dance, and literature. In just over two years, it has hosted more than 60 performances—an impressive figure for a relatively new institution. Its programming reflects both classical rigor and contemporary engagement, offering a platform for both established artists and emerging talent.
“ECHOES” is the third concert in Fine Arts of Miami’s 2025 season, continuing its partnership with Sanctuary in presenting works that stretch beyond standard repertoire. The setting is part of the appeal: intimate, acoustically warm, and steeped in architectural character.
For concertgoers, the setting offers a rare kind of cultural evening—one that feels both grand and grounded. The concert hall’s size, acoustics, and historic character create an immersive environment that heightens the emotional resonance of the music.
If you go…
ECHOES: A program of Zarzuela, Opera, and Musica di Camera
Presented by Fine Arts of Miami
📍 Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Ave., Coral Gables
🗓 Saturday, August 9
🕢 7:30 p.m.
🎟 Tickets: $28–$43, including fees
Available online or at the door (subject to availability)
Parking is available nearby, and Freebee on-demand rides are encouraged for those exploring the city’s cultural corridor.
Whether you come for the melodies of Lecuona or the motifs of Mozart, this Saturday’s concert offers a space to pause and listen—to the echoes of composers past, to the artists of today, and perhaps, to something within.
