Grammy winner named dean of UM’s Frost Music

The University of Miami has selected Matt Serletic as the new dean of the Frost School of Music.

Officially taking on the role on Oct. 19, Mr. Serletic will have the opportunity to shape the future of music performance, scholarship and professions by fostering creative and scholarly excellence in the context of a world-class research university, said Joel Samuels, UM’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“Across the University of Miami, we are seeing innovation take shape in new and meaningful ways, opening opportunities within our schools, departments and academic programs that span the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences,” he said. “That’s why we recognized that Matt Serletic’s remarkable and wide-ranging experience as a musician and music industry veteran positions him to lead the Frost School of Music into its next century of landmark transformation for the benefit of its students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners.”

Mr. Serletic is a two-time Grammy-winning producer, Billboard producer of the year and a University of Miami alumnus. Since graduating from the Frost School of Music, he has produced recordings for Matchbox Twenty, Aerosmith, Santana, Collective Soul, Willie Nelson, Rob Thomas and Joe Cocker, among others, on records that have sold more than 110 million copies, and written songs recorded by Lee Ann Womack and Gloriana.

Additionally, Mr. Serletic founded Melisma Records, Emblem Music Group and Zya, a music technology company he raised the capital to build and sold to Google. He holds 49 patents in AI and music systems and served as chairman and CEO of Virgin Records. At Google, he was a director of product, leading a global team on creative content for search, and most recently he served as director of AI innovation at Amazon Music, where he led a global team in artificial intelligence and personalization.

He has also been contributing his expertise to the Frost School of Music as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee, a position he has held since 2018. During his tenure, he advised former dean Shelton Berg, who recently concluded nearly two decades of leadership at the school, offering industry perspective on opportunities to integrate technology and innovation across the school’s curriculum, partnerships and facilities.

Mr. Serletic said his parents met at the University of Miami, and his daughter graduated from the Frost School of Music last December.

“UM made my family, and it made me. I come home with gratitude and a promise: the music stays first, and every student leaves the Frost School of Music with the craft, the relationships and a way to make music for the rest of their lives,” he said. “This is the most electric moment music has seen in 100 years, and musicians who can connect with an audience are becoming more valuable, not less. The career a Frost School of Music graduate enters in 2036 doesn’t exist yet. I’m bringing a map, and I’m here to help the Frost School rise to its second century.”