Young Musicians Unite students and others celebrate raising $1.6 million at the non-profit’s 2025 gala. Photo Credit: Osmany Torres
Young Musicians Unite’s 2025 gala raised $1.6 million to support free music education for Miami-Dade students, according to organizers.
12-year-old Young Musicians Unite (YMU) reached out with word of the final fundraise total. The disco-themed gala itself took place at the Mana Wynwood on April 26th, attracting more than 700 attendees.
This guestlist featured actors (like Burn Notice star Gabrielle Anwar), philanthropists, politicians (chief among them Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava), and, of course, industry figures, the non-profit recapped.
Keeping the focus on the music space, those on hand included iHeartMedia head Bob Pittman; BCHTA Records owner Pedro Polanco; BMI execs Jesus Gonzalez and Robertocarlos Carranza; Peermusic’s Julio Bagué; and Twelve:02 Agency founder Hector Mendez.
These and other attendees, Young Musicians Unite summed up, “enjoyed a vibrant mix of gourmet dining, electric performances by YMU’s talented student musicians, and a disco-fueled dance party.”
And most importantly, the 2025 installment raised the aforementioned $1.6 million, which organizers indicated “will support programs for 12,000+ students during the 2025–2026 school year.”
(For the entire fiscal year ended July 31st, 2023, Young Musicians Unite pointed to $2.15 million in overall “revenues and other support.”)
“What we witnessed tonight was more than generosity,” added Young Musicians Unite founder and CEO Sammy Gonzalez Zeira, “it was a full-circle moment. Many of our students began with nothing but raw talent, and now they’re growing into confident, creative leaders.
“This gala wasn’t just a celebration, it was a statement. We’re building a movement, and thanks to this community, it’s only getting stronger. And because of tonight, thousands more students will walk into school next year with instruments in their hands and music in their lives,” the Wynwood School of Music owner concluded.
According to its website, Young Musicians Unite has served north of 25,000 students since its 2013 founding, with over 60 partnered schools at present. The self-described “largest provider of free music education in Title I Schools in Florida” supports programs focusing on production, jazz ensembles, drumlines, and more, per the same source.
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