music

The names Barbe and Doucet might not be as widely known as Wagner, Puccini or Verdi -- but their influence is felt in opera houses worldwide.

French director Renaud Doucet and Canadian set and costume designer André Barbe are partners in life as well as work.  And this month, they're bringing their combined talents back to the Florida Grand Opera for Jules Massenet's "Thais."

When you see someone singing onstage at the Florida Grand Opera or the Adrienne Arsht Center, do you think about what goes on behind the scenes -- not just the costumes or the sets, but in the singers' lives?

Believe it or not, some of South Florida's opera singers work in electrical and mechanical engineering, accounting, education and law enforcement during the day.

The Engineers

Husband and wife Martin Nusspaumer and Maria Antunez worked as engineers in their native Uruguay.

Miami native Aaron Lebos says his new album, "Turning Point," is meant to be played loud. 

It's a mix of rock, jazz and influences from around the world, fusing a jam-band sound with some of the sonic complexities of jazz. Lebos is a trained -- very trained -- musician, having attended an alphabet soup of South Florida's academic institutions. 

From April 26 to 28, the New World Symphony in Miami Beach is looking hard at the way technology is changing music, and how the group itself is part of that equation. NWS is hosting the annual Network Performing Arts Production Workshop, which connects people from the arts, technology and education. 

Ultra's not going anywhere. On Thursday the Miami City Commission voted to retain the music festival.

After two hours of discussion, the commission ultimately showed their support for Ultra in a four-to-one vote. Opposition of the festival came from Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who no longer wants Ultra to take place in downtown Miami. 

He cited weaknesses in security that have allowed those without tickets to jump the fence and acts of violence as a result of drug use at the festival.