A 1920s-themed concert under the stars was held Sunday at the historic Venetian Pool in Coral Gables to commemorate the city’s 100th anniversary.
The performance, featuring Maestro Eduardo Marturet and the Miami Symphony Orchestra, served as the grand finale of a yearlong celebration for the City Beautiful. The musicians played songs from different eras, including a special performance of “When the Moon Shines in Coral Gables” with singer Zesi. The song was written in the mid-1920s by Charles Anthony Bayha to be one of the city’s original promotional songs.
“It is a great honor for me and the Miami Symphony Orchestra to have been invited to be part of the city’s 100th anniversary at the emblematic Venetian Pool,” said Marturet, who led the orchestra as it played inside the drained pool, mirroring what once was a common sight at the historic venue decades ago. The orchestra’s music director and CEO described the night as a “unique event, always to be remembered.”
The musical experience has been repeated only a few times in recent history. The Venetian Pool concert experience was duplicated in 2001 to commemorate the city’s 75th birthday, with a similar concert held for its 90th.
“It’s enchanting,” said former Gables Mayor Dorothy Thomson, who was elected in 1985 and is the first and only woman in the city’s 100 years to hold the mayoral position.
“We’re standing in the pool without water. How wonderful is that?” she added.
The @MiamiSymphony performance during the Gables centennial concert this weekend featured a mix of tunes, including a special performance of “When the Moon Shines in Coral Gables” with singer Zesi. This song was written for the City Beautiful in the mid-1920s. pic.twitter.com/n8IrICCHLV
Sunday’s concert, which was a who’s who of Coral Gables, with people dressed in cocktail and 1920s attire, also served as a sneak peek to the newly renovated Venetian Pool, which is set to reopen Tuesday following a lengthy restoration project.
“Tonight, we celebrate. Tonight, we go back to the days of George Merrick, when in 1925 he had a vision of a beautiful city, a city that was based in culture, based on truly making sure that our commitment to the residents and business community was at the forefront,” Mayor Vince Lago told the Miami Herald.
Take a look at how the night went:
Maestro Eduardo Marturet leads the Miami Symphony Orchestra during Coral Gables’ centennial concert at the soon-to-reopen Venetian Pool to celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Maestro Eduardo Marturet leads the Miami Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Singer Zesi performs during a centennial concert at the soon-to-reopen Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, Florida, on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, as Maestro Eduardo Marturet leads the Miami Symphony Orchestra. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago speaks during the centennial concert at the soon-to-reopen Venetian Pool to celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Singer Zesi performs during a centennial concert as Maestro Eduardo Marturet leads the Miami Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Commissioner Richard Lara and Bertha Lara attend the Coral Gables centennial concert at the soon-to-reopen Venetian Pool on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Former Coral Gables Mayor Dorothy Thomson attends the city’s centennial concert on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
David Lawrence, former Miami Herald publisher, attends a performance by Maestro Eduardo Marturet and the Miami Symphony Orchestra at the soon-to-reopen Venetian Pool on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Athina Marturet and Maestro Eduardo Marturet attend the Coral Gables centennial concert on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Martha Pantin, left, and Lisa Petrillo, right, attend an event at the soon-to-reopen Venetian Pool on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
William and Terri Booth attend a preview event at the soon-to-reopen Venetian Pool on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Henry Gazay and Elisabeth Gazay attend an event at the soon-to-reopen Venetian Pool on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Tristan Fernandez, 13, and Sandra Santiago watch as Maestro Eduardo Marturet leads the Miami Symphony Orchestra during a performance on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Yelain Santoyo attends the Coral Gables centennial concert on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Zineb Harvey and Robert Gemignani attend the Coral Gables centennial concert on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
Dariel Gonzalez attends the Coral Gables centennial concert on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Coral Gables, Florida. Alexia Fodere for Miami Herald
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 1:15 PM.
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Michelle Marchante covers the pulse of healthcare in South Florida and also the City of Coral Gables. Before that, she covered the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, crime, education, entertainment and other topics in South Florida for the Herald as a breaking news reporter. She recently won first place in the health reporting category in the 2025 Sunshine State Awards for her coverage of Steward Health’s bankruptcy. An investigative series about the abrupt closure of a Miami heart transplant program led Michelle and her colleagues to be recognized as finalists in two 2024 Florida Sunshine State Award categories. She also won second place in the 73rd annual Green Eyeshade Awards for her consumer-focused healthcare stories and was part of the team of reporters who won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for the Miami Herald’s breaking news coverage of the Surfside building collapse. Michelle graduated with honors from Florida International University and was a 2025 National Press Foundation Covering Workplace Mental Health fellow and a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow. Support my work with a digital subscription
