Three concerts remain in the Community Arts Program's 2026 Summer Concert Series, with award-winning musicians performing on Thursday evenings through Aug. 20 inside a 1923 sanctuary across Anastasia Avenue from the Biltmore Hotel.
The series launched Thursday, June 11, when Empire Wild, a genre-bending duo of Juilliard-trained cellists Mitchell Lyon and Ken Kubota, played to a full house. Writing in Coral Gables Magazine, contributor Yousra Benkirane described the opening night mood: "The music was impressive, but never stiff. It made the cello feel unexpectedly fun."
Lyon and Kubota, who met as undergraduates at Juilliard and won the Ambassador Prize at the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, moved through classical, jazz, folk and pop during their set, including a rendition of "Fly Me to the Moon" inside the church's high-ceilinged sanctuary.
Remaining concert schedule
The remaining lineup, according to City of Coral Gables event listings:
Thursday, July 23, 7:30 p.m. — Guitarist Leonela Alejandro, grand prize winner of the 2024 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition. Guitarist René Izquierdo has called her "a great player … bold and unique as a musician and a person."
Thursday, Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m. — Pianist Clayton Stephenson, the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and a Gilmore Young Artist. Gramophone magazine has described him as "not just a remarkable virtuoso, but a poet, a dramatist, and a master storyteller."
Thursday, Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m. — Jazz vocalist Kate Kortum, winner of the 2025 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Jazz Journal praised her interpretive skills for making familiar music sound fresh.
All performances take place at Coral Gables Congregational Church, also known as Gables UCC, at 3010 De Soto Blvd. The church, built in 1923, sits directly across Anastasia Avenue from the Biltmore Hotel, its pale yellow stucco walls and white tower visible from the street.
How to attend
Advance tickets range from $35 to $50 and cost $5 more at the door on concert nights, according to Jazz Blues Florida. Free parking is included. Residents can confirm pricing and purchase tickets at communityartsprogram.org/tickets or by calling 305-448-7421, ext. 120.
Upcoming community events
Thursday, July 23 — Leonela Alejandro, CAP Summer Concert Series, 7:30 p.m., Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 De Soto Blvd.
Thursday, Aug. 6 — Clayton Stephenson, CAP Summer Concert Series, 7:30 p.m., Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 De Soto Blvd.
Thursday, Aug. 20 — Kate Kortum, CAP Summer Concert Series, 7:30 p.m., Coral Gables Congregational Church, 3010 De Soto Blvd.
