Executive Director
Vivian Gonzalez is a proud product of Miami Dade County Public Schools Magnet Programs and community music organizations. As a child, Ms. Gonzalez participated in Greater Miami Youth Symphony, South Florida Youth Symphony, and Youth Orchestra of Florida (now called Florida Youth Orchestra). At ten years old, Ms. Gonzalez made her solo debut with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Florida under the direction of James Judd. Ms. Gonzalez began her teaching career in 1999 at Ruth Owens Kruse Educational Center, a middle school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. In 2003 she became the magnet orchestra director at Southwood Middle School, in 2005 she became the elementary magnet music teacher at South Miami K-8 Center, and in 2017 Ms. Gonzalez accepted the position of magnet orchestra director at Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer.
An accomplished violinist, Ms. Gonzalez studied with Felicia Moye of the Miami String Quartet, Margaret Pardee of the Juilliard School, Linda Cerone of the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Todd Phillips of the Orion String Quartet. Ms. Gonzalez has performed in master classes and chamber music coachings with Janos Starker, Jascha Brodsky, Josef Gingold, Benny Kim, Mimi Zweig, the Miami String Quartet, and Pinchas Zuckerman. Ms. Gonzalez has performed under the notable batons of Michael Tilson Thomas, Willie Anthony Waters, Placido Domingo, Jan Wagner, Eduardo Diazmunoz, and James Judd.
Ms. Gonzalez has presented at numerous state and national conferences on topics such as the inclusion of students with disabilities in music classrooms, string pedagogy, inclusive music classes, inspiring youth leadership, and recruitment and retention of students for the National Association for Music Education, American String Teacher’s Association, Little Kids Rock Modern Bandfest, the Florida Music Education Association, El Sistema USA, and El Sistema Canada, as well as throughout Florida. She has served as the NAfME IN-Ovations Council Southern Representative, the FL-ASTA President, FEMEA District 1 Chair, FOA 7/8 All-State Coordinator, FSMA board member, FMEA Conference Planning Committee Member, FMEA Advocacy Council Member, and was a member of the editorial committee for the International Journal of Music Education: Practice.
Through her years as a music educator, Ms. Gonzalez has been recognized for her dedication to her students, community, music education. Ms. Gonzalez was recognized as a featured teacher for the White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics, a 2014 Grammy Music Educator Award Top-Ten Finalist, the Magnet Schools of America 2016 Region 3 Teacher of the Year, a 2022 National Music Teacher of Excellence by the Country Music Association Foundation, an FMEA Secondary Music Teacher of the Year, and the National Federation of State High School Associations Region 3 Music Educator of the Year.
Ms. Gonzalez holds degrees in violin performance, music education, curriculum and instruction, K-12 school leadership, special education, and teaching and learning. Her dissertation topic was: Perceptions of Music Teacher Efficacy Regarding the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Florida K-12 Music Classes and Ensembles.