In less than 100 years, the Greater Miami area has grown from a sprawling little town on the Miami River to a vibrant international, multicultural city with a population of nearly two million.

Miami holds the distinction of being the only city in the United States conceived by a woman. Clevelander Julia Tuttle arrived in Miami in 1891 with a vision of transforming the riverfront community into a city. She persisted in her attempt to persuade Henry M. Flagler to extend his East Coast Railroad to Miami, and by the mid-1890s, Flagler's railroad steamed into town, marking the first great step in Miami's evolution.

By the 1920s, Greater Miami was in the throes of a "boom." Thousands of tourists, investors, and developers began to discover the area's natural tropical beauty and investment potential. George E. Merrick, who had moved to Miami in 1899 with his family, was one of those determined to make his mark on the area which he had grown to love. In the early 1920s, he designed and built Coral Gables as the first fully-planned community in the nation.

More than 70 years later, Coral Gables is known as the "City Beautiful," for its striking blend of Spanish Mediterranean architecture and vibrant tropical beauty. The city is located ten miles from downtown Miami, where you can enjoy a myriad of activities year-round.

Cultural enthusiasts will be impressed at the number and variety of professional theatres, symphonies, dance companies, museums and cultural festivals in the area. Every year thousands enjoy performances by the New World Symphony (this country's only advanced training orchestra), the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, the Miami City Ballet and the Florida Grand Opera, to name a few. Many UM music students value the chance to play professionally with these and many other organizations, which employ students when the need arises.

Miami Beach, located within a half hour's drive from the University of Miami, is a mecca for art galleries, theatres, restaurants, and night clubs. At the South end, "SoBe", the SoHo of the South, is a neighborhood on the move. Renovated hotels in the Art Deco Historic District along Ocean Drive have captured national praise. International film crews frequent the area, capturing images of a revitalized South Beach for fashion catalogues, films, commercials, and television productions.

Whether you are a football, basketball or baseball fan, you'll have ample opportunities to watch your favorite South Florida teams play. The University of Miami is the home of the Hurricanes football team - national collegiate football champions in 1983, 1987, 1989 and 1991 - and baseball, basketball, tennis, swimming, diving, track/cross country, and crew teams. The Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins play home games in Pro Player Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility located in North Dade County; the Miami Heat plays its home games before enthusiastic fans in the Miami Arena, located only a few Metrorail stops from the University of Miami; as do the Florida Panthers, Miami's newest sport is professional hockey.

Greater Miami is endowed with 15 miles of sandy beaches and azure waters, offering numerous recreational opportunities outside of the classroom. Visitors from around the world enjoy the area for its boating, scuba diving, fishing, tennis, golf, and much more. Sightseeing excursions - both on and off the water - are available year-round, as are a host of attractions catering to every age and interest. Attractions such as Coral Gables' Venetian Pool (a unique Venetian-style lagoon carved out of coral roc k), the magnificent Villa Vizcaya, the Parrot Jungle and Gardens, the Miami Seaquarium, MetroZoo, Orchid Jungle, Planet Ocean, and many more, offer visitors and residents alike an abundance of things to see and do.

Come and discover for yourself what makes the University of Miami's Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music so special. We invite you to visit us. Friday is the best day for visiting during the school year when you will be able to attend music forums and meet our students and faculty.

Please call the Music Admission office two weeks prior your visit to schedule an appointment. An information session will be presented Monday through Friday the weeks of March 29 and April 5 at 10a.m. Appointments are not necessary. The sessions will be held in Clarke Recital Hall located in the L. Austin Weeks Center for Recording and Performance.

When you arrive on campus, please proceed to the University's Office of Public Safety to arrange for parking while you tour the campus. The Frost School of Music Admission Office is located in Room 110, Maurice Gusman Concert Hall.

We look forward to meeting you soon!

For more information via U.S. Mail, you may fill out a Request for Information.

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