FIU Is Gifted Ten Million Dollars For It’s Performing Arts Students, Including A New Center and Degree Programs.

Ailish Fontanez // Staff Writer

The Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts reopened revealing it’s new performing arts center earlier this month. This renovation was made after Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim donated ten million dollars- the largest gift ever given to a public university’s school of music. 

This gift will go with FIU’s new Horizon campaign, which aims to raise the university’s global identity and attract investments to raise scholarships. The goal is to aim for a better and more diverse FIU community within Miami.

“This is all part of creating FIU’s new brand. This gift will benefit the whole community, but especially the music students” Says Brian Schriner Dean of CARTA.

The new performing arts center will be doing just that, as students are to receive hands-on experience by putting on shows. The new events that will be held at the center allow for more alumni and guest speakers to come that will benefit all students, but especially those in CARTA.

It includes the raise of scholarships, for new and current students. These scholarships will benefit the three new degrees that are to come for music students: music business, music therapy, and musical theater. 

The music business program is a popular track at FIU that will be enhanced. This includes the addition of a student success center, master classes, guest lectures, and even competitions. 

The new musical theater program will combine the love of theater while taking similar classes to those of music students and is to be available sometime this year. The music therapy degree program will involve a hands-on approach on how music can be beneficial to health and is set to be available in 2024.

Not only will these new degrees bring in new students with a passion for music and performance, it will offer new jobs on campus for current students. Many more plans are to be announced from CARTA about upcoming renovations that will take place in the school of music and other departments.