2025 Luke Frazier
Luke Frazier is a conductor, music director and pianist who believes that the future of music depends on breaking down barriers between musicians and audiences. His philosophy is that the most important priority for a modern conductor is not only musical excellence, but also to create diverse and engaging programming that brings communities together through the joy of music. Luke believes that conductors are the bridge between the audience and the orchestra and what he programs and how it relates to the listeners, is the heartbeat of what keeps orchestral programming alive.
Luke began as Principal Pops Conductor with the Symphony of the Americas in the 2024-2025 season, and most recently, beginning in the 2025-2026 season, Frazier will take over as Artistic and Music Director.
In 2015, Frazier started the American Pops Orchestra (APO) to present a broad array of popular and classical music in innovative ways to bring new audiences into the orchestral world. APO has been featured in thirty national broadcasts on PBS with programs ranging in genre from classical to country, jazz to musical theatre. Artists like Renée Fleming, Patti LaBelle, Ariana DeBose, Joshua Bell, Josh Groban and so many more have joined the orchestra, sharing orchestral music with an audience of over sixty million viewers across the country, completely free of charge.
Creating opportunities for the next generation of music makers and music lovers is always a priority for Luke. Each year, Luke participates in tours to underserved elementary schools for free, and through monthly virtual streaming, has reached over 600k students across all 50 states. Luke is also passionate about finding outstanding college musicians-and providing meaningful paid experiences. He founded the Annual NextGen Vocal Competition, hosted annually by Lincoln Center, where winners earn cash prizes and career-boosting performance experiences. In partnership with the historic Winterthur Estate, Luke established the Ruth Wales DuPont Composition Competition for collegiate composers in both classical and popular music, providing coaching, cash prizes and professional recordings of finalists works. In honor of NATO’s 75th Anniversary, Luke founded the NATO Symphony Orchestra comprised of college musicians from all 32 NATO Countries who performed together at the Library of Congress for dignitaries both domestic and international. In partnership with the Hispanic Heritage foundation Luke provides performance opportunities for collegiate musicians in the nationally televised Hispanic Heritage Awards.
In addition to his work with Symphony of the Americas, APO and PBS, he maintains a busy schedule as a guest conductor and pianist. Luke is conducting an expanded concert series at Lincoln Center this coming season and he is the Artistic Director of Nouveau Productions. He appears regularly in venues from Lincoln Center to The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall to the Grammy Museum and has performed in such iconic American venues as Independence Hall, George Washington’s Mt. Vernon, the Supreme Court and The White House. Luke is proud to represent the United States of America with APO, which was designated an official Arts Envoy for the United States Department of State in 2023.
2020-2025 Pablo Mielgo
Pablo Mielgo, a conductor from Madrid, is a true world citizen with an entrepreneurial spirit and the mission to make music accessible to everyone. Appointed in 2020 as the new Artistic Director & Conductor of Symphony of the Americas, Pablo is also the Chief of the Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Balears (OSIB), based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Following his studies at the Royal Conservatory in his hometown of Madrid, the Reina Sofia School, and then the London Guildhall School of Music, Pablo has led orchestras around the world. Moreover, he has created a network of numerous musical friendships between Berlin and Qatar, Lucerne and Los Angeles, and with renowned musicians who are now enriching the landscape.
The 2021-2022 Concert season with Symphony of the Americas featured guest artists Juan Pablo Jofre from Argentina, Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana, and American soprano Rebecca Nelsen, living in Vienna. The Symphony welcomed renowned American soprano Karen Slack in February, 2022. In the 2022-2023 season, Pablo welcomed incredible artists including Liz Callaway celebrating Stephen Sondheim, Rafael Aguirre on guitar, and pianist Sergei Babayan. Pablo also introduced Nina Heidenreich – acclaimed violinist and most importantly his wife – to The Symphony family. During the 23-24 Season, world famous violinist Pinchas Zukerman & cellist Amanda Forsyth joined the stage. However Pablo’s favorite, and constant collaborators are the ladies and gentlemen of YOUR Symphony of the Americas. Pablo is a sought-after conductor who continues to conduct globally.
Some recent performances include the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra in the beautiful Cadillac Shanghai Concert Hall in April of 2024, Slowakische Philharmonie in Vienna, Austria, with Soprano Nadine Sierra, Orchestra Sinfonica in Palermo, Italy, with Andrea Roberto on guitar, and at the Volkstheater in Rostock, Germany, with Rafael Aguirre on guitar. Pablo has also recently collaborated with German cellist Alban Gehardt, American operatic soprano Ailyn Perez, Spanish violinist Leticia Moreno, Franco-Albanian pianist, Marie-Ange Sopiqoti-Nguci, and Russian violinist Sergei Krylov, to name a few.
In February of 2023, Pablo led the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra in a gala performance with world-renown soprano Nadine Sierra at the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, Pablo Casals Symphony Hall. On April 3, 2023, Pablo had the distinct honor of conducting and leading a Gala Benefit concert for the “Projecte Home Balears,” chaired by S.M. The Queen Dona Sofia of Spain, with Queen Sofia in attendance, held at the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Mallorca in Palma. For the past 10 years, Pablo has been an active leader within the United Nations to promote international peace and understanding through cultural exchanges, using the value of music in a society without borders. He has elevated the message of using music, the universal language of the world which can be “spoken” and understood, in peace and harmony.
He has been conductor for the United Nations Human Rights concerts beginning in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and the recent Human Rights concert on December 10, 2023 in Geneva. Pablo is one of only 52 people world-wide, part of its “Great Creators” body of artists, who through art and music, help to foster debate at the highest level to inspire tolerance and understanding between Nations and cultures.
During the summer of 2023, Mielgo went on world tour with two exceptional sopranos; Nadine Sierra and Pretty Yende. Yende, who sang at the Coronation of King Charles in May 2023, was the first African soloist ever invited to perform at a British Coronation. Mielgo conducted orchestras in The Balearic Islands, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, Budapest, Hungary, and Italy. Additional guest musicians and vocalists included cellist Kian Soltani, promising young pianists Dmitry Shishkin, and Davit Khrikul, and soprano Olena Tokarm and tenor Xabier Anduaga. Pablo Mielgo has assisted conductors such as James Conlon, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Daniel Barenboim and Claudio Abbado.
Mielgo regularly conducts on the great stages of Europe such as the Wiener Musikverein, the USA such as Carnegie Hall New York, Latin America and the Middle East. Since 2005 he has been the musical and artistic director of the SaludArte Foundation, which aims to bring about social change through music. Pablo is especially dedicated to the promotion of young talents. Since 2011, he has served as co-artistic director of the Medellin Philharmonic Academy, striving to give young artists access to musical education.
1987-2020 James Brooks-Bruzzese - Founder
James Brooks-Bruzzese founded Symphony of the Americas in 1987 and served as artistic director and conductor for 32 years. He retired in 2020 and on November 13, 2020, The Symphony presented a special tribute, “Merci Maestro,” which highlighted his extraordinary contributions to classical music.
Born in Panama, Brooks-Bruzzese arrived in the U.S. in the late 1950s, embarking on a distinguished conducting career in opera and orchestral classical music. He founded the Florida Chamber Orchestra in the 1980s, which led to his founding of the Florida Music Festival and its outgrowth, the Symphony of the Americas. Florida Chamber Orchestra is not associated with the Symphony of the Americas. The Sinfonia Virtuosi and Chorus of Florida was founded by Brooks in the 1980s which eventually became Symphony of the Americas.
The Symphony continues its commitment to serving South Florida’s multicultural population with diverse programming – a cultural crossroads of music, ranging from classical to Broadway. The 2021-2022 concert season featured guest artists including: award-winning bandoneon player and composer from Argentina Juan Pablo Jofre, acclaimed Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana, American born soprano Rebecca Nelsen, and renowned soprano Karen Slack.
At the start of the 34th Season Symphony Serenades, a newly-reimagined recital series, made its debut at the Broward Center for Performing Arts Mary Porter Ballroom in the Huizenga Pavilion.
Symphony of the Americas is a Broward County Major Cultural institution continuing to present the finest classical and crossover repertoire to South Florida audiences at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. The Symphony’s concert series has performed at the Amaturo Theater, at the Broward Center, since the theater’s inaugural concert in 1991, at which German powerhouse pianist, Michael Ponti performed with Symphony of the Americas.
The Symphony of the Americas musical legacy has also been captured on PBS, and more than 30 compact disc recordings.
Since its inception, The Symphony has collaborated closely with local non-profit organizations and municipalities to present outreach concerts and educational programs. The Symphony has also served as a cultural bridge to audiences in Latin America and Europe through the internationally renowned Summerfest Series.
The six-week cultural exchange program traditionally featured musicians and soloists from acclaimed orchestras throughout Europe, including Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Opera Orchestra of Bulgaria, Mission Symphony Orchestra of Switzerland, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and others, performing several styles of classical and popular music for strings, all joined in a cultural exchange by principal musicians of our own Symphony of the Americas. Summerfest featured soloists and musicians from the Hungarian Virtuosi, Budapest Chamber Orchestra, Cappella Istropolitana, Mont Blanc Chamber Orchestra of France, Mission Chamber Orchestra of Rome and Czech Moravian Virtuosi.