From Miami’s only outdoor, digital lights exhibit to an original performance by Miami City Ballet to kick off a three-week concert series in the park, Holiday Festival at Downtown Doral is Miami’s newest family-friendly arts experience this holiday season. Holiday Festival is presented by the Downtown Doral Culture and Arts Foundation (DDCAF) and will run from Friday, December 3^rd through Thursday, December 23^rd in Downtown Doral, located off NW 87^th Ave and NW 53^rd Street Doral, Fla.

“Holiday Fest will bring to life Miami’s family-friendly, outdoor music and dance performances as well as art experiences exclusive to Downtown Doral,” said Ana-Marie Codina Barlick, CEO of Codina Partners, master developer of Downtown Doral. “The Doral LIVE performance series captures the diversity of our community through music and dance, featuring Miami City Ballet’s RADIANCE and world-renown musical artists like Arturo Sandoval and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. We invite everyone in Miami this December to stop by our community, see the LUX Doral art exhibits, and enjoy a performance under the stars.”

Holiday Fest is anchored by Doral LIVE, a three-week concert series in Downtown Doral Park. Doral LIVE includes a dozen performances featuring a diverse roster of national touring artists and beloved South Florida cultural organizations, starting with Miami City Ballet’s RADIANCE.

The opening weekend of the performance series concludes on Sunday, December 5^th with The Joey Alexander Trio. The second weekend features a recital by Puerto Rican soprano Ana María Martínez, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Wild And Swingin’ Holiday Party!, Jazz impresario Arturo Sandoval, and an evening with Cuban-American soprano Elizabeth Caballero and pianist Shelly Berg. The final weekend opens with a performance by beloved Miami instrumental ensemble Nu Deco followed by Flamenco Intimo, a Flamenco suite created by Siudy Garrido with original music by composer/guitarist Jose Luis de La Paz. The weekend continues with a performance by world renowned vocal play ensemble Naturally 7, A Creole Christmas with Etienne Charles, and a special evening of holiday music with bluegrass legend Chris Thile and Aoife O’Donovan.

Doral LIVE is curated and produced by the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland.

TICKETING AND PACKAGES

Multi-show packages for Doral LIVE are on sale now—3-show and 5-show packages are available, along with special pricing for families. Single tickets will be available to the public beginning September 27^th. Prices range from $37-$67 per ticket depending on the performance but are subject to increase based on demand. More information is available at www.LUXDoral.com/holiday-festival.

Holiday Festival at Downtown Doral line up and details below.

All events subject to change.

Miami City Ballet’s RADIANCE

Friday, December 3^rd and Saturday, December 4^th at 7:30 PM

Miami City Ballet’s extraordinary dancers shine in a dazzling program of five works featuring the sparkling show-stopper Rubies, the awe-inspiring pas de deux from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® starring the Sugarplum Fairy, and more.

 

Joey Alexander Trio

Sunday, December 5^th at 7:00 PM

The youngest jazz musician ever nominated for a Grammy Award. “There has never been anyone … who could play like that at his age.” – Wynton Marsalis

Ana María Martínez

Thursday, December 9^th at 7:30 PM

One of the foremost sopranos of her time, with an international career that spans the world’s most important opera houses and concert halls.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party

Friday, December 10^th at 8:00 PM

For 28 years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s unique take on American swing and jazz music has thrilled audiences around the world, while their unique and spirited “Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party” has become an eagerly anticipated annual family event.

Arturo Sandoval

Saturday, December 11^th at 8:00 PM

A Cuban Jazz legend and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Sandoval has received 10 Grammy Awards, 6 Billboard Awards, and an Emmy Award for the original score he composed for the HBO movie about his life “For Love or Country.”

Elizabeth Caballero

Sunday, December 12^th at 7:00 PM

The New York Times describes Elizabeth Caballero as a “plush-toned, expressive soprano” and The Wall Street Journal exclaims that “Ms. Caballero is a find: her opulent soprano rings freely and lyrically throughout her range.” An evening of Jazz with acclaimed pianist Shelly Berg.

Nu Deco

Wednesday, December 15^th at 7:30 PM

The New York Times has hailed Nu Deco Ensemble as a “Chamber orchestra for the 21st century”, Billboard has announced them as “Sonically Spellbinding” and Saratoga Living exclaimed them as “fiery, captivating and refreshingly original.”

Siudy Flamenco: Flamenco Intimo

Thursday, December 16^th at 7:30 PM

Flamenco Intimo presents a journey through the diversity of colors, sensations, and emotions of a pure-rooted Flamenco, while at the same time remaining open to the present, a proper reading of the different styles of Flamenco dancing.

Naturally 7

Friday, December 17^th at 8:00 PM

Naturally 7 is more than a tightly orchestrated collection of great singers. They transform their voices into actual human instruments, effortlessly producing music of any genre. Their vocal choreography is so perfectly interwoven that they compelled the musical maestro himself, Quincy Jones, to declare them “The best a cappella group in the world!”

Etienne Charles: Creole Christmas

Saturday, December 18^th at 8:00 PM

Hailed by The New York Times as “an auteur” and by JazzTimes as “A daring improviser who delivers with heart wrenching lyricism,” NPR’s All Things Considered calls Etienne, “a great young trumpeter…his records filter calypso, reggae and other Afro-Caribbean music into a modern jazz conception.”

Chris Thile and Aoife O’Donovan

Sunday, December 19^th at 7:00 PM

Called “a vocalist of unerring instinct” by the New York Times, Aoife O’Donovan is one of the most sought-after vocalists and songwriters of her generation. Multiple Grammy Award-winner and MacArthur Fellow Chris Thile, a member of Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek, is a mandolin virtuoso, composer and vocalist.

 

The Downtown Doral Arts and Culture Foundation is committed to providing a safe environment for artists and patrons. COVID protocols will be determined according to CDC and local health authority guidelines for outdoor events, and will be communicated prior to the Festival’s opening.

For more information on the Holiday Festival at Downtown Doral, visit luxdoral.com/holidayfestival or follow @luxdoral on Facebook and Instagram.

To learn more on Downtown Dora, follow @downtowndoral on Facebook and @downtowndorallife on Instagram or go to www.downtowndoral.com.

 

Background Information: Doral LIVE artist bios

MIAMI CITY BALLET’S RADIANCE

Friday, December 3^rd and Saturday, December 4^th at 7:30 PM

One of the nation’s most acclaimed dance companies in a dazzling program filled with fan favorites and new works. MCB’s extraordinary dancers perform beloved George Balanchine classics: the sparkling show-stopper Rubies, the joyous Allegro Brillante and the awe-inspiring pas de deux from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, starring the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier. Plus, Christopher Wheeldon’s melting After the Rain Pas De Deux and the world premiere of La Follia from rising choreographer Durante Verzola.

“Miami City Ballet, a jubilant and endearing company, refreshes the eyes and the spirit.” The New York Times

JOEY ALEXANDER TRIO

Sunday, December 5^th at 7:30 PM

A funny thing happened to Joey Alexander over the past five years, a whirlwind period during which he became the most brilliantly precocious talent in jazz history—that is, a renowned festival and concert-hall headliner; the youngest musician ever nominated for a Grammy Award in a jazz category; and a media favorite who’s earned a profile on 60 Minutes, a front-page profile in the New York Times and other premier coverage. Early on in Alexander’s ascent, the trumpeter and Jazz at Lincoln Center leader Wynton Marsalis said that “there has never been anyone … who could play like that at his age.” Now far beyond the “jazz prodigy” hoopla, Alexander channels what he sees, hears,
and feels throughout his life and travels into his astonishing melodic gift and natural aptitude for spontaneous collaboration.

Ana María Martínez

Thursday, December 9^th at 7:30 PM

Grammy Award winner Ana María Martínez is considered to be one of the foremost sopranos of her time, with an international career that spans the world’s most important opera houses and concert halls.

Her repertoire encompasses opera’s most intriguing and diverse leading ladies, and she engages her audiences season after season with signature roles, spellbinding debuts, and a myriad of captivating recordings. Born in Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican mother and a Cuban father, Ana María spent her formative years in Puerto Rico and New York City.  She graduated from The Juilliard School with both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees.  An alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Martínez won the Pepita Embil Award at the 1995 Operalia II, first prize in the 1994 Eleanor McCollum Auditions and Awards from Houston Grand Opera, and in the 1993 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions she was a first-place district and first place regional winner and national finalist. She is the recipient of the National Association of Latina Leaders’ Groundbreaking Latina in Music award.

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY’s WILD AND SWINGIN’ HOLIDAY PARTY

Friday, December 10^th at 8:00 PM

For 28 years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s unique take on American swing and jazz music has thrilled audiences around the world, while their unique and spirited “Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party” has become an eagerly anticipated annual family event. Singer and band leader Scotty Morris says, “If you’re going to go to a holiday show with your family, this is the one! It really does offer something for everyone.” Drawing on a rich catalogue of holiday classics and Christmas originals from the band’s two full length holiday albums, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy brings its world-renowned live show, and fun and quirky take on the holidays, to you.

ARTURO SANDOVAL

Saturday, December 11^th at 8:00 PM

A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Arturo Sandoval was born in Artemisa, a small town in the outskirts of Havana, Cuba, on November 6, 1949, just two years after Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American Jazz. Sandoval began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world. He has since evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a renowned classical artist, pianist, and composer. He is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time, and has been seen by millions at the Oscars, at the Grammy Awards, and the Billboard Awards. Sandoval has been awarded 10 Grammy Awards and nominated 19 times; he has also received 6 Billboard Awards and an Emmy Award. The latter for his composing work on the entire underscore of the HBO movie based on his life, “For Love or Country” that starred Andy Garcia as Arturo.

Arturo Sandoval reaches beyond the scope of mere effort. His struggles while in Cuba and since his defection have given him more energy and strength, urging him to accomplish and surpass his childhood dreams. Filled with a virtuoso capability, he desires nothing more than to share his gift with others who feel the same intense adoration for music as he does. One frequently speaks of Arturo Sandoval’s virtuoso technical ability or his specialty in high notes, but he who has seen him on the piano, lyrically improvising a ballad, or has had the opportunity to enjoy the diversity of his music, through his compositions from the most straight ahead jazz, Latin jazz or classical, knows that Arturo Sandoval is a prominent musician, and one recognizes that Arturo is one of the most brilliant, multifaceted and renowned musicians of our time.

ELIZABETH CABALLERO

Sunday, December 12 at 7:00 PM

The New York Times describes Elizabeth Caballero as a “plush-toned, expressive soprano” and The Wall Street Journal exclaims that “Ms. Caballero is a find: her opulent soprano rings freely and lyrically throughout her range.” Ms. Caballero’s dramatically compelling interpretation of her signature role, Violetta in La traviata, led to recent engagements to perform the role for houses across the country, such as The Metropolitan Opera, Opera Carolina, Opera de Costa Rica, Florentine Opera, Madison Opera, Pacific Symphony, and the Orlando Philharmonic. Ms. Caballero recently made a series of house debuts including her Staatsoper Stuttgart début as Mimi in La bohème, her début with The Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City as Desdemona in Otello, and her Madrid début at Teatro de la Zarzuela singing the title role of the European Premiere of Cecilia Valdés based on the Cuban novel of the same name.  She also performed Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Florida Grand Opera, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly with Inland Northwest Opera and Nashville Opera, Mimì in La bohème with Austin Opera, and returned to the Metropolitan Opera for their production of La Traviata.

Ms. Caballero is accompanied by Grammy nominee and Steinway piano artist Shelly Berg¸ artistic advisor for Jazz Roots at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, musical director of The Jazz Cruise, and the Dean of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

NU DECO

Wednesday December 15 at 7:30 PM

“Nu Deco Ensemble has proven that any genre can work in the arena of classical music.” – Billboard Magazine

Miami’s 21st century orchestra, Nu Deco Ensemble, makes their Doral debut with a one-night musical experience! Called a “chamber orchestra for the 21st century” by the New York Times, Nu Deco’s performances have featured collaborations with artists including Wyclef Jean, Larkin Poe, Macy Gray, Jacob Collier, and Ben Folds; reimagined orchestral suites of the music of Daft Punk, Queen, Outkast, and Aretha Franklin; and new music from some of today’s most exciting living composers. This performance will include music from Bach to Outkast, and a whole lot more in between. You won’t want to miss this musical night under the stars so be sure to snag those tickets today!

SIUDY FLAMENCO: FLAMENCO INTIMO

Thursday, December 16^th at 7:30 PM

Flamenco Intimo, is a Flamenco suite created by Siudy Garrido with original music by composer/guitarist Jose Luis de La Paz.  Flamenco Intimo presents a journey through the diversity of colors, sensations, and emotions of a pure-rooted Flamenco, while at the same time remaining open to the present, a proper reading of the different styles of Flamenco dancing. Siudy, along with company 6 dancers, appear interspersed with stirring musical solos that take the audience on a journey into the intimate emotions in the music over the classic Flamenco rhythms known as Seguidilla, Alegrías and Solea. Siudy Garrido Flamenco Company is known for collaborations with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Flamenco superstars Farruquito and Antonio Canales.

Siudy Garrido Flamenco Company contributes to the evolution of Flamenco art in America and presents a contemporary vision of Flamenco. The company is comprised of eight flamenco ballet dancers and an ensemble of virtuoso musicians led by the artistic vision of dancer and choreographer, Siudy Garrido.

The company was founded in Caracas, Venezuela in 2000 and relocated to North Miami in 2015. The company has been seen on the stages of The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Place Das Arts in Montreal, Forum Imperial in Acapulco, Mexico, and the Benedict Tent in Aspen, Colorado among others. It has participated in festivals such as The North Sea Curaçao Jazz Festival and Philanthropic summit in Palma Mallorca, Spain – Play for Good. The company’s repertoire features multidisciplinary collaborations with visual artists, dancers, musicians, designers, filmmakers, and composers. Most prominent collaborators include: Gustavo Dudamel, Juan Parrilla, Antonio Canales, Farruquito, West Side Story’s George Akram, South Florida Symphony’s Sebrina María Alfonso, Master Percussionist Adolfo Herrera, Huascar Barradas and Argentina Lopez.

Naturally 7

Friday, December 17^th at 8:00 PM

Certain experiences burn themselves in your memory from the very first encounter. The jaw-dropping audio pyrotechnics that Naturally 7 put on display every night absolutely belong in that category. “A capella group” so vastly underplays what they create onstage that they had to coin a phrase – “Vocal Play” – to more accurately depict what they do. Naturally 7 is more than a tightly orchestrated collection of great singers. They transform their voices into actual human instruments, effortlessly producing music of any genre. Their vocal choreography is so perfectly interwoven that they compelled the musical maestro himself, Quincy Jones, to declare them “The best a cappella group in the world!” Their sonic mastery was on full display in a series of unforgettable performances on “The World’s Best” TV show, which premiered on CBS immediately following Super Bowl LIII. Hosted by comedian and “Car Karaoke” collaborator, James Corden, Naturally 7 reigned supreme as the world’s “Best Group” and cemented their singular status among the planet’s musical elite.

This was only icing on the cake of a still-vibrant 20-year career, which includes 3 world tours – nearly 500 shows – with the incomparable Michael Bublé, shared billing with global phenomenon Coldplay – including a sold-out show at the Barclays Center – and owned the spotlight in a pair of national Cheerios commercials. In addition to Bublé, Naturally 7 has shared the stage with numerous icons, including Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Sarah Connor, Lionel Richie, Ludacris, The Roots, and more. Counted among their world-famous fans are President Barack Obama, Will.I.Am., Ellen DeGeneres, Craig Ferguson, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jay Leno, Allan Titchmarsh, Mo’Nique, Jools Holland, and Arsenio Hall, along with countless others.

With the release of their latest project, 20/20, Naturally 7 comes full circle, adding a fresh spin on 20 fan favorites, hand selected by fans the world over. This, their eleventh studio album, celebrates their 20th anniversary in the music industry, giving music lovers all they could hope for, and then some. For the members of Naturally 7 – “Ricky“ Lee Ricardo Cort, Rod Eldridge, Kelvin “Kelz“ Mitchell, Sean Simmonds, Dwight Stewart, Roger Thomas, and Warren Thomas – it’s a privilege to do what they love and bring so much joy to the hearts of their fans each and every night.  It’s exactly what you would expect. When something is pure magic, it’s destined to withstand the test of time. Naturally…

ETIENNE CHARLES: CREOLE CHRISMAS

Saturday, December 18^th at 8:00 PM

Jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles adds a new twist to the holidays with music from his dynamic Creole Christmas album. Featuring classic selections from the Caribbean, American, and European holiday songbooks, Charles and his ensemble celebrate the Christmas season with unique interpretations of pieces from Charles’ diverse musical roots. Charles shines a new light on tunes such as Mighty Spoiler’s hilarious classic “Father Christmas,” “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” “Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Chocolate,” Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas,” and two Lionel Belasco waltzes: “Juliana” and “Roses of Caracas Waltz.”

Hailed by The New York Times as “an auteur” and by JazzTimes as “A daring improviser who delivers with heart wrenching lyricism,” NPR’s All Things Considered calls Etienne, “a great young trumpeter…his records filter calypso, reggae and other Afro-Caribbean music into a modern jazz conception.” Critics and audiences alike continue to praise the Trinidadian’s exciting performances, thrilling compositions, and his charismatic onstage presence. Etienne is a Guggenheim Fellow in the Creative Arts, Associate Professor of Studio Music and Jazz at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, and has been written into the US Congressional Record for his musical contributions to Trinidad & Tobago and the World.

CHRIS THILE AND AOIFE O’DONOVAN

Sunday, December 19^th at 7:00 PM

MacArthur Fellow and Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter Chris Thile, who the Guardian calls “that rare being: an all-round musician who can settle into any style, from bluegrass to classical,” and NPR calls a “genre-defying musical genius,” is a founding member of the critically acclaimed bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek. For four years, Thile hosted public radio favorite Live from Here with Chris Thile (formerly known as A Prairie Home Companion). With his broad outlook, Thile creates a distinctly American canon and a new musical aesthetic for performers and audiences alike, giving the listener “one joyous arc, with the linear melody and vertical harmony blurring into a single web of gossamer beauty” (New York Times).

Grammy award-winning artist Aoife O’Donovan operates in a thrilling musical world beyond genre. Deemed “a vocalist of unerring instinct” by The New York Times, she has released two critically acclaimed and boundary-blurring solo albums including In the Magic Hour, which Rolling Stone hailed for its “Impressionistic, atmospheric songs [that] relay their narratives against gorgeous pastoral backdrops.” O’Donovan spent the Winter and Spring of 2021 in the studio with acclaimed producer Joe Henry (Bonnie Raitt, Rhiannon Giddens) recording her third full-length solo album which will be released in 2022.