Coral Gables Opera is a 501c3 organization founded by Bella de Leon Griffith-Smith following her professional operatic career as a soprano. Bella’s dedication has enabled her to produce, and often conduct, an annual event known as the American Ideal. The nineth edition took place on 3 May 2013.

Bella’s objective is to encourage children and teens to develop classical music skills, then provide a venue for them to perform.

The concert is recorded by Coral Gables TV for broadcast on WLRN channel 17, the PBS affiliate for the Greater Miami area.

There are nine videos from this year’s American Ideal available on the Coral Gables Opera YouTube channel..They have been edited from a master DVD and uploaded to the internet by Ken English, DaytonaBeachVideoMarketing.com.

This is the longest one. Covering 17 minutes, the video features Ester Chae performing Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto 1st Movement.