Years of Rising Excellence: 30th Anniversary of The Wertheim
For 30 years, The Wertheim Performing Arts Center has stood at the heart of FIU’s creative community—where music, theatre, and performance converge to inspire, challenge, and connect. Since opening its doors in 1996, The Wertheim has been a stage for world-class artists and an incubator for generations of emerging talent. Together, these moments have shaped a vibrant cultural legacy that extends far beyond campus. As we celebrate this milestone, we honor the past, embrace the present, and look ahead to the next act of artistic excellence.
Dean’s Message: Brian Schriner
Thirty years ago, the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center (The Wertheim) opened its doors at Florida International University. Established through the transformative generosity of Herbert and Nicole Wertheim, The Wertheim affirmed a simple but powerful belief: that the performing arts are essential to the educational, cultural, and civic life of our university and our community.
As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we are especially grateful to President Emeritus Dr. Modesto A. Maidique, whose vision for FIU helped shape a university where the arts are recognized as central to academic excellence, innovation, and community engagement. His leadership, together with the generosity and commitment of the Wertheim family, made a facility that has inspired generations of students, artists, educators, and audiences possible.
The opening of The Wertheim also marked the beginning of a new era for the performing arts at FIU. We proudly recognize Dr. Fred Kaufman, the Founding Director of the School of Music, and Dr. Therald Todd, then Chair of the Department of Theatre, whose leadership helped establish the artistic and academic foundation upon which our programs continue to thrive. Their commitment to excellence, innovation, and student success helped shape the identity of the performing arts at FIU and set a standard that continues to guide us today.
The Wertheim’s enduring investment in FIU reflects a deep commitment to expanding educational opportunity and enriching the cultural landscape of South Florida. Their generosity created more than a performance venue, it established a lasting home for artistic excellence, creative exploration, and student success. For three decades, their vision has empowered countless students to pursue their passions, inspired audiences through transformative artistic experiences, and strengthened FIU’s role as a cultural and educational leader in our region.
Today, The Wertheim stands as one of South Florida’s premier collegiate performing arts venues and serves as the artistic heart of FIU. For three decades, it has been a place where students discover their talents, faculty share their expertise, artists inspire audiences, and communities come together through the universal language of performance. For thirty years, The Wertheim has not only served FIU, but has also enriched the cultural life of South Florida by welcoming audiences, artists, educators, and community partners from across our region.
From its earliest productions to the thousands of performances, concerts, recitals, and events that have followed, The Wertheim has fostered creativity, collaboration, and discovery. Its stages have welcomed internationally renowned musicians, Grammy Award-winning artists, distinguished theatre professionals, innovative ensembles, and emerging voices from around the world. Equally important, thousands of FIU students have taken the stage, performed in ensembles, worked behind the scenes, managed productions, and experienced the transformative power of the arts within its walls. The Wertheim has served as a training ground for generations of students who have gone on to careers in music, theatre, arts administration, education, and creative industries across the globe.
The legacy of The Wertheim extends far beyond its performances. As home to the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts and the Department of Theatre, the center embodies FIU’s commitment to experiential learning and artistic excellence. Central to that success has been the extraordinary dedication of our music and theatre faculty and staff. For three decades, these gifted artists, educators, scholars, and mentors have inspired generations of students through their teaching, creative work, performances, and unwavering commitment to excellence. Their talent and dedication have elevated the reputation of our programs, enriched the cultural life of our community, and transformed the lives of countless students.
I am honored to have witnessed and supported the continued evolution of The Wertheim as part of the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts. Its success reflects the extraordinary dedication of our faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and community partners whose talent, passion, and commitment have shaped the center into the cultural destination it is today.
Over the past thirty years, The Wertheim has built traditions that enrich the cultural fabric of our university and our region. Through concerts, theatrical productions, masterclasses, educational outreach, and community partnerships, it has celebrated artistic heritage while embracing innovation and new forms of creative expression. As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding access to the arts, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and leveraging emerging technologies that will shape the future of performance and artistic engagement.
As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we do so with profound gratitude for the Wertheim family, whose vision and generosity made this remarkable center possible; for President Emeritus Dr. Modesto A. Maidique, whose leadership helped bring that vision to life; for Dr. Fred Kaufman and Dr. Therald Todd, whose foundational leadership shaped our programs; and for the faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and supporters who have contributed to The Wertheim’s success over the past three decades. Together, they have created a place where creativity thrives, talent is nurtured, and the transformative power of the arts changes lives every day.
With great pride in our past and even greater excitement for our future, I am confident that the next thirty years of The Wertheim will further elevate FIU’s role as a cultural leader, expand opportunities for our students, and continue to inspire audiences through the power of artistic expression.
In the Spirit of the Blue + Gold,
Brian Schriner
Dean
Thirty Years, in Brief
| ’94 |
Ground breaks Construction begins on the complex, designed by Miami firm Spillis, Candela & Partners. |
| ’99 |
The organ arrives The 26-ton, 4,226-pipe Sydell Ida Wertheim Concert Organ is installed. |
| ’22 |
A transformational gift The Wertheims’ $10M naming gift — the largest ever to a public-university music school in Florida. |
| ’96 |
The doors open The $14M center opens, launching with the Walt Disney World Brass Choir. |
| ’16 |
Twenty years FIU marks two decades of concerts, productions, forums, and ceremonies. |
| ’26 |
Thirty years The Wertheim celebrates three decades as a premier collegiate venue. |