Student Life
Arts

Performing Arts

RE inspires artistic voices

The performing arts program at Ransom Everglades inspires students at all levels to discover their own artistic voices while honoring the process to advance their skills. As they work with a faculty of innovative educators with professional artistic backgrounds, middle school students build a solid foundation within the discipline, before transitioning to more advanced learning. Throughout their years at Ransom Everglades, students not only hone their individual talents, but also develop an appreciation for the role that the performing arts play in society at large.

In music, dance and theatre students are encouraged to explore, examine and experience.
 
  • Explore: Even if a student has no previous experience, introductory-level courses allow for creative exploration.
  • Examine: Advanced courses allow for more detailed study and closer examination of the art form.
  • Experience: Concerts, shows and recitals drive knowledge and skill into fulfilling performances.
Ransom Everglades programs place an emphasis on process and an appreciation for tradition while staying current with pedagogy and trends within each specific discipline. Expanding performance opportunities provide outlets to share talent with the school community in formal and informal settings.

Performing Arts News

Ransom Everglades Distinguished Alumni in the Performing Arts

List of 7 items.

  • Tom Snow '64

    Songwriter and Composer
    An Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony-nominated songwriter, his multi-genre catalog has been recorded by legendary artists from Barbra Streisand to Ray Charles, and includes the score for the Broadway musical Footloose.

  • Michele Faber '68

    Jazz Pianist and Composer
    An internationally acclaimed jazz artist and master accompanist, she leads her signature group, Brazilian Magic, and continues to enchant global audiences from her musical base in Barcelona.

  • Timothy Greenfield-Sanders ’70

    Documentary Filmmaker and Photographer
    A Grammy Award-winning filmmaker recognized for his celebrated cultural documentaries and striking portrait photography of prominent public figures.

  • Jonathan Ring '79

    Horn Player and Educator
    He serves as a long-standing member of the San Francisco Symphony horn section, a faculty member at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a founding member of the Grammy-nominated Bay Brass.

  • David Scharlin ’80

    Theater Chairman and Producer
    Known for his work as a film producer, he champions the South Florida arts scene as the founding Chairman of Miami New Drama at the Colony Theatre.

  • Paul Lehr ’85

    Arts Executive and Co-Founder
    The former CEO of YoungArts, he fosters independent music and community engagement as the co-founder and CEO of the acclaimed GroundUp Music Festival.

  • Mike Malinin '85

    Rock and Country Drummer
    A multi-platinum recording artist and drummer, he spent nearly two decades as a core member and partner of the alternative rock band Goo Goo Dolls, performing on global hit records like "Iris," and later transitioned to a distinguished career as a touring music director and drummer for legendary country artist Tanya Tucker.

List of 7 items.

  • Arlene Sierra ’87

    Classical Composer and Professor
    A Latin Grammy-nominated composer and Professor of Composition at Cardiff University, her internationally acclaimed orchestral works are commissioned by the world's leading symphonies.

  • Ondi Timoner ’90

    Documentary Filmmaker
    A two-time recipient of the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, her critically acclaimed, award-nominated films reside in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

  • Ilan Arboleda ’93

    Producer and Filmmaker
    As the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of CreativeChaos vmg, he writes and produces high-profile narrative and documentary projects designed to spark global cultural conversations.

  • Phil Lord ’93

    Filmmaker, Writer and Producer
    An Academy Award-winning filmmaker, animator, and producer, he is celebrated for shaping contemporary storytelling across film and television, with acclaimed, genre-defining works spanning both major live-action and animated franchises.

  • Robin Paul Kelleher ’95

    Actress and Producer
    An accomplished actress and film producer, she began her career with long-running roles on network television before transitioning into producing impact-driven cinema, including the festival-award-winning documentary This Changes Everything and critically acclaimed independent features.

  • Celeste Den ’97

    Actress
    A distinguished stage and screen actress, she starred on Broadway as a principal in the revival of M. Butterfly and has led world-premiere productions at the nation's top regional theaters, alongside a prominent television career featuring major network guest appearances and recurring streaming roles.  

  • Jordi Vilasuso ’99

    Actor
    A Daytime Emmy Award-winning actor, he has established a prominent career in television with major, long-running roles across several of network daytime's most iconic drama series.

List of 7 items.

  • Alex Fumero ’01

    Producer and Media Executive
    The co-owner of Trojan Horse Media and former Vice President of Original Programming at HBO, he produces Emmy-winning comedy series and acclaimed, culturally rich independent films.

  • Ben West ’01

    Musical Theatre Historian and Artist
    A recipient of Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award, he is a celebrated musical theatre creator, director, and author who chronicles the evolution of the American musical.

  • Jonathan Fisher ’08

    Actor and Director
    An accomplished classical and regional theater actor with a Critics' Circle nomination to his name, he is also recognized nationally for his multi-game winning streak on Jeopardy!.

  • Jeanine Mason ’09

    Actress and Dancer
    After rising to fame as a champion on So You Think You Can Dance, she established a highly successful acting career with leading roles on major network and streaming television series.

  • Claire Chapelli ’10

    Immersive Experience Producer
    A creative producer and project manager specializing in high-profile, live immersive events, she develops experiential entertainment concepts for top-tier global brands and entertainment studios.

  • Carolina Ribeiro ’14

    Writer and Director
    An award-winning Brazilian-American filmmaker, her Oscar-qualifying short film achieved top honors at prestigious international film festivals, paving the way for feature film development.

  • Antonio Urrutia ’15

    Classical Oboist
    He holds the Principal Oboe Chair with the Florida Grand Opera and serves as Solo English Horn for the Palm Beach Symphony, performing regularly with leading South Florida classical ensembles.

Middle School

2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305 250 6850

Upper School

3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305 460 8800

Accreditations and Memberships

FCIS | SAIS | NAIS | NACAC | SACAC | ACCIS |
College Board | CSEE | INDEX | One Schoolhouse
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. It is rated the top private school in Miami and among the 10 private schools in North America. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.


Ransom Everglades School®, The RE Way®, RE Pathways® and Bowden Fellowships in the Humanities™ are trademarks of Ransom Everglades School.