Faith, music, and community take center stage at the Arsht Gospel Choir Invitational
By Jonel Juste | Artburst
February 10, 2026 at 4:24 PM EST
Beyond the structure of a competition, the Arsht Gospel Choir Invitational is rooted in something deeper. It emerges from a long tradition of gospel music as a communal language in South Florida, one that binds churches, schools, families, and generations.
For the Adrienne Arsht Center, the event extends a gospel programming that began with 15 years of Free Gospel Sundays, evolving into a broader vision.
Jenita Nakamura, senior director of education and community engagement at the Adrienne Arsht Center, says that the move to creating an invitational competition was a way to “reimagine our gospel programming” while continuing to work with gospel groups.
On Saturday, Feb. 14, the Arsht Gospel Choir Invitational returns for its second edition to Knight Concert Hall, bringing together five choirs from across South Florida.
The winners of the 2025 Arsht Gospel Choir Invitational, Gamaliel Fleurantin & Community Sounds, with Arsht President and CEO Johann Zietsman, right. (1024x683, AR: 1.499267935578331)
The event will feature the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir, Florida Memorial University Ambassador Chorale, Holy Cross Lutheran Praise Choir, Mt. Pisgah Mass Choir, and Renewed Choir. Audience members help choose which choir wins a $5,000 cash prize. The winning choir also gets to perform in June at the Arsht’s Gospel Fest Miami.
What began as a local initiative has drawn interest from beyond Miami-Dade County, signaling the reach of gospel as both music and movement. “Enthusiasm about the Invitational has grown since the first year,” according to Nakamura. “Not only are people in our local community excited about it, but we have also received submissions from choirs further away that want to compete.”
In South Florida, gospel music has long served as a gathering point. It carries memory, faith, and resilience across decades. The Invitational sits alongside other Arsht initiatives, including “Gospel On The Road” pop-up concerts and Gospel Fest Miami Weekend, offering multiple points of connection throughout the year.
The youngest voices of the event will come from the Holy Cross Lutheran Praise Choir, made up of students in grades three through eight. (1024x590, AR: 1.735593220338983)
This year’s lineup reflects that breadth. Two university choirs perform alongside three church and school-based ensembles, creating an intentionally intergenerational stage. According to Nakamura, in the invitational’s grand finale all of the choirs in competition come together. “So we’ll see children as young as 10 share the stage with the elders in our community,” says Nakamura.
For the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Gospel Choir based in Tallahassee, the stage represents both opportunity and responsibility. Tahj Merriex, the choir’s president and a graduating senior, describes participation as an act of representation. “For our students, it is both an artistic milestone and a duty to serve as ambassadors.”
Preparation, he explains, was intentional rather than performative. Under the direction of Malachi Gibbs, the choir selected music that honors traditional gospel while allowing room for musical range and innovation.
At Miami Gardens’ Florida Memorial University, the Ambassador Chorale approaches the Invitational with a similar sense of purpose. Directed by Argarita Johnson-Palavicini, D.M.A., the ensemble serves as the university’s premier vocal group and the Arsht stage offers a rare moment of visibility. “As a small, private HBCU, chances like this let us be seen and heard on a larger stage,” says Palavicini. “It gives us the chance to share not just our sound, but our story.”
The Florida Memorial University Ambassador Chorale’s sound blends Black and Hispanic gospel traditions, reflecting the heritages of its singers. (1024x548, AR: 1.8686131386861313)
She described the chorale’s preparation as both spiritual and musical. “Our choir has prepared for this invitational first through prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit,” she says. The group’s sound blends Black and Hispanic gospel traditions, reflecting the backgrounds of its singers.
Church-based choirs bring yet another dimension to the competition. The Mt. Pisgah Mass Choir, formed in 2024 at Mt. Pisgah Seventh-day Adventist Church in Miami Gardens, includes singers ranging in age from 10 to over 70. “The Mt. Pisgah Mass Choir bridges a gap of over 60 years,” says Nathan Drew, the choir’s minister of music and head director. “Our choir ministry shows how people from different backgrounds can unite in ministry to one great God.”
The youngest voices of the evening will come from Miami’s Holy Cross Lutheran Praise Choir, made up of students in grades three through eight. “Participating in the Gospel Choir Invitational at the Adrienne Arsht Center is an incredible honor,” choir director Matthew Harden says. “It is a chance to represent our faith, our school, and our community on a larger stage and show what young people can do when they sing with purpose and heart.”
Harden said the choir approaches the event with a ministry-first mindset. “We remind our students that we are there to worship first,” he says. “The judging is secondary.”
Renewed Choir, based at Abundant Live Christian Academy in Margate, is made up of high school students. Director Shivonne Pinder said the ensemble was formed as the program expanded to distinguish older singers from the middle school choir.
“This will be their first competition outside of those walls,” says Pinder. “It’s encouraging, it’s empowering, a little overwhelming, but a good challenge.”
Pinder described the choir’s sound as modern gospel with influences from contemporary Christian music and Caribbean traditions. “Gospel CCM meets youth,” she said. “That’s the best way for me to describe it.”
Returning this year as a guest judge is Gamaliel Fleurantin, director of Community Sounds, last year’s winning choir. (683x1024, AR: 0.6669921875)
Returning this year as a guest judge is Gamaliel Fleurantin, director of Community Sounds, last year’s winning choir. He remembers the announcement vividly. “When our name was finally announced as the first-place winner, the emotion was overwhelming,” recalls Fleurantin. “It was joy, humility, gratitude, and affirmation all at once. That moment wasn’t just a win, it was a testimony.”
Since that victory, Community Sounds has expanded its reach, performing original music, collaborating with churches such as VOUS, and working toward its first official single. Fleurantin says the invitational reinforced lessons about preparation and purpose. “Technique matters, but transformation matters more,” he says.
Although one choir will be crowned the winner, Fleurantin says the competition is about more than technical polish. “Authenticity is essential,” he said. “This is a gospel competition, and I expect performances that unmistakably reflect the genre — powerful vocals, commanding stage presence, and a clear ‘wow’ factor.”
Composed of young singers, Renewed Choir’s repertoire is modern gospel with influences from contemporary Christian music and Caribbean traditions. (979x1024, AR: 0.9560546875)
Composed of young singers, Renewed Choir’s repertoire is modern gospel with influences from contemporary Christian music and Caribbean traditions. (Photo courtesy of the artists)
Audience participation remains a defining feature too, and voting reinforces the idea that the evening belongs as much to the community as to the performers. For Nakamura, that shared energy is the point. “Community engagement is central to our work, and an event like this strengthens our relationships with local faith, academic, and community organizations,” she says.
The Invitational is part of a larger gospel initiative that reaches beyond the Arsht Center. From February to April, the Arsht will also present Gospel On The Road, a series of free pop-up performances aimed at bringing gospel music to neighborhoods throughout Miami-Dade County.
The series kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. at Loren Roberts Park in Florida City. There will be another performance on Sunday, March 29 at 5 p.m. at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens.
The final event is set for Sunday, April 19 at 5 p.m. at Domino Park in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. Each performance showcases local gospel artists and is open to the public. The series of events will conclude with the Gospel Fest Miami Weekend on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21.
As a former winner and now a judge, Fleurantin advises that the invitational ultimately asks choirs to think beyond results. “Come prepared to compete, because this is a competition,” he says. “But remain humble throughout the process. Work relentlessly and be strategic.”
WHAT: Second Annual Arsht Gospel Choir InvitationalWHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
WHEN: 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14
COST: Tickets are free with RSVP, however guests are invited to contribute the suggested ticket price of $20 (or more) to help sustain live arts experiences for the people of Miami.
INFORMATION: (305) 949-6722 or arshtcenter.org
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit news partner of WLRN, providing news on theater, dance, visual arts, music and the performing arts.
For the Adrienne Arsht Center, the event extends a gospel programming that began with 15 years of Free Gospel Sundays, evolving into a broader vision.
Jenita Nakamura, senior director of education and community engagement at the Adrienne Arsht Center, says that the move to creating an invitational competition was a way to “reimagine our gospel programming” while continuing to work with gospel groups.
On Saturday, Feb. 14, the Arsht Gospel Choir Invitational returns for its second edition to Knight Concert Hall, bringing together five choirs from across South Florida.
The winners of the 2025 Arsht Gospel Choir Invitational, Gamaliel Fleurantin & Community Sounds, with Arsht President and CEO Johann Zietsman, right. (1024x683, AR: 1.499267935578331)
The event will feature the Florida A&M University Gospel Choir, Florida Memorial University Ambassador Chorale, Holy Cross Lutheran Praise Choir, Mt. Pisgah Mass Choir, and Renewed Choir. Audience members help choose which choir wins a $5,000 cash prize. The winning choir also gets to perform in June at the Arsht’s Gospel Fest Miami.
What began as a local initiative has drawn interest from beyond Miami-Dade County, signaling the reach of gospel as both music and movement. “Enthusiasm about the Invitational has grown since the first year,” according to Nakamura. “Not only are people in our local community excited about it, but we have also received submissions from choirs further away that want to compete.”
In South Florida, gospel music has long served as a gathering point. It carries memory, faith, and resilience across decades. The Invitational sits alongside other Arsht initiatives, including “Gospel On The Road” pop-up concerts and Gospel Fest Miami Weekend, offering multiple points of connection throughout the year.
The youngest voices of the event will come from the Holy Cross Lutheran Praise Choir, made up of students in grades three through eight. (1024x590, AR: 1.735593220338983)
This year’s lineup reflects that breadth. Two university choirs perform alongside three church and school-based ensembles, creating an intentionally intergenerational stage. According to Nakamura, in the invitational’s grand finale all of the choirs in competition come together. “So we’ll see children as young as 10 share the stage with the elders in our community,” says Nakamura.
For the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Gospel Choir based in Tallahassee, the stage represents both opportunity and responsibility. Tahj Merriex, the choir’s president and a graduating senior, describes participation as an act of representation. “For our students, it is both an artistic milestone and a duty to serve as ambassadors.”
Preparation, he explains, was intentional rather than performative. Under the direction of Malachi Gibbs, the choir selected music that honors traditional gospel while allowing room for musical range and innovation.
At Miami Gardens’ Florida Memorial University, the Ambassador Chorale approaches the Invitational with a similar sense of purpose. Directed by Argarita Johnson-Palavicini, D.M.A., the ensemble serves as the university’s premier vocal group and the Arsht stage offers a rare moment of visibility. “As a small, private HBCU, chances like this let us be seen and heard on a larger stage,” says Palavicini. “It gives us the chance to share not just our sound, but our story.”
The Florida Memorial University Ambassador Chorale’s sound blends Black and Hispanic gospel traditions, reflecting the heritages of its singers. (1024x548, AR: 1.8686131386861313)
She described the chorale’s preparation as both spiritual and musical. “Our choir has prepared for this invitational first through prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit,” she says. The group’s sound blends Black and Hispanic gospel traditions, reflecting the backgrounds of its singers.
Church-based choirs bring yet another dimension to the competition. The Mt. Pisgah Mass Choir, formed in 2024 at Mt. Pisgah Seventh-day Adventist Church in Miami Gardens, includes singers ranging in age from 10 to over 70. “The Mt. Pisgah Mass Choir bridges a gap of over 60 years,” says Nathan Drew, the choir’s minister of music and head director. “Our choir ministry shows how people from different backgrounds can unite in ministry to one great God.”
The youngest voices of the evening will come from Miami’s Holy Cross Lutheran Praise Choir, made up of students in grades three through eight. “Participating in the Gospel Choir Invitational at the Adrienne Arsht Center is an incredible honor,” choir director Matthew Harden says. “It is a chance to represent our faith, our school, and our community on a larger stage and show what young people can do when they sing with purpose and heart.”
Harden said the choir approaches the event with a ministry-first mindset. “We remind our students that we are there to worship first,” he says. “The judging is secondary.”
Renewed Choir, based at Abundant Live Christian Academy in Margate, is made up of high school students. Director Shivonne Pinder said the ensemble was formed as the program expanded to distinguish older singers from the middle school choir.
“This will be their first competition outside of those walls,” says Pinder. “It’s encouraging, it’s empowering, a little overwhelming, but a good challenge.”
Pinder described the choir’s sound as modern gospel with influences from contemporary Christian music and Caribbean traditions. “Gospel CCM meets youth,” she said. “That’s the best way for me to describe it.”
Returning this year as a guest judge is Gamaliel Fleurantin, director of Community Sounds, last year’s winning choir. (683x1024, AR: 0.6669921875)
Returning this year as a guest judge is Gamaliel Fleurantin, director of Community Sounds, last year’s winning choir. He remembers the announcement vividly. “When our name was finally announced as the first-place winner, the emotion was overwhelming,” recalls Fleurantin. “It was joy, humility, gratitude, and affirmation all at once. That moment wasn’t just a win, it was a testimony.”
Since that victory, Community Sounds has expanded its reach, performing original music, collaborating with churches such as VOUS, and working toward its first official single. Fleurantin says the invitational reinforced lessons about preparation and purpose. “Technique matters, but transformation matters more,” he says.
Although one choir will be crowned the winner, Fleurantin says the competition is about more than technical polish. “Authenticity is essential,” he said. “This is a gospel competition, and I expect performances that unmistakably reflect the genre — powerful vocals, commanding stage presence, and a clear ‘wow’ factor.”
Composed of young singers, Renewed Choir’s repertoire is modern gospel with influences from contemporary Christian music and Caribbean traditions. (979x1024, AR: 0.9560546875)
Composed of young singers, Renewed Choir’s repertoire is modern gospel with influences from contemporary Christian music and Caribbean traditions. (Photo courtesy of the artists)
Audience participation remains a defining feature too, and voting reinforces the idea that the evening belongs as much to the community as to the performers. For Nakamura, that shared energy is the point. “Community engagement is central to our work, and an event like this strengthens our relationships with local faith, academic, and community organizations,” she says.
The Invitational is part of a larger gospel initiative that reaches beyond the Arsht Center. From February to April, the Arsht will also present Gospel On The Road, a series of free pop-up performances aimed at bringing gospel music to neighborhoods throughout Miami-Dade County.
The series kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. at Loren Roberts Park in Florida City. There will be another performance on Sunday, March 29 at 5 p.m. at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens.
The final event is set for Sunday, April 19 at 5 p.m. at Domino Park in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. Each performance showcases local gospel artists and is open to the public. The series of events will conclude with the Gospel Fest Miami Weekend on Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21.
As a former winner and now a judge, Fleurantin advises that the invitational ultimately asks choirs to think beyond results. “Come prepared to compete, because this is a competition,” he says. “But remain humble throughout the process. Work relentlessly and be strategic.”
WHAT: Second Annual Arsht Gospel Choir InvitationalWHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
WHEN: 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 14
COST: Tickets are free with RSVP, however guests are invited to contribute the suggested ticket price of $20 (or more) to help sustain live arts experiences for the people of Miami.
INFORMATION: (305) 949-6722 or arshtcenter.org
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit news partner of WLRN, providing news on theater, dance, visual arts, music and the performing arts.