CONNECTING COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS
VISION
Co-founded by siblings Maximilian and Esmeralda Swietelsky with the help of their founding member friends, Rising Stars Miami is a non-profit community outreach organization of teenagers who visit underserved South Florida communities, teaching and engaging kids to explore the Performing Arts. Rising Stars Miami also awards grants to community centers and scholarships to individuals for the study of the Performing Arts and provides performance opportunities to aspiring young artists.
Our Talent
Esmeralda is the Co-Founder of Rising Stars Miami with her brother, Maximilian, and has taken on her leadership role quite naturally and effectively. She loves working with her Rising Stars Miami colleagues and using her talents to teach kids and inspire them to learn more about the arts. Esmeralda has been ...
Maximilian was born and raised in Miami and has always had a passion for music. His Venezuelan-Italian mother and Austrian father, as multicultural as his hometown, exposed him to music of all kinds – classical, jazz, Latin, opera and other performing arts. He was encouraged early on to learn different instruments, to pursue his artistic expression. Max is an award-winning classical pianist and has twice ...
Isabella Polak has been a member of Rising Stars since 2019. She is a junior in the Visual and Performing Arts magnet at Coral Reef Senior High and has been studying theater and voice since she was 9. Over the past few years, ...
Addison (Addie) Grinan has been a founding member of Rising Stars since 2018, she is a senior at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart and a long-time supporter of the arts. She has enjoyed ...
Mela Lew has been a founding member of Rising Stars since 2018 and is currently a Junior at Ransom Everglades. She has been practicing and performing the violin since the age of 5. Over the years, ...
Georgia is a 12th grader at Westminister Christian School. She recently performed in the world premiere of a new West End musical at The London Palladium...
Evelyn Yu is a 16-year-old attending Ransom Everglades School in the junior class. She is currently pursuing violin and piano since the age of 5, and also plays the guitar and cajon. Throughout her life, ...
Emma Polak has been a member of Rising Stars since 2022. She is a senior at Mast Academy in the Cambridge program. She has danced at ...
Diana Gonzalez has been a member of Rising Stars since 2021. She is a junior in Ransom Everglades and has been a participant in the theater program since sixth grade. Diana focused on ...
Zack Fisher is a junior attending New World School of the Arts in the music strand. He plays ...
Gabriella Hernandez has been a member of Rising Stars since 2022. She is a Junior in the Visual and Performing Arts magnet at Coral Reef Senior High. She has been performing since she was 5 in dance and musical theatre. She has performed in ...
Sidney Scholl joined Rising Stars in 2021. She is a junior at Coral Reef High in the drama magnet. She enjoys ...
Liam Malik has been a member of Rising Stars Miami since 2022. He is a junior at Ransom Everglades School. He has performed with various musical groups at his school, such as ...
Former Member
Natacha has been exposed to music from a very early age. She has been on the National Roll for the Piano Guild Auditions for the past six years. ...
Former Member
Jacob’s passion for the performing arts sprouted at a young age when he took up the piano at age 4. After a strong 6 years of playing the piano,...
Former Member
Kiran is a 16 year old student interested in piano, photography and volunteerism. His musical career began at age 6 when he first came across a ...
Former Member
Isabella is a sixteen-year-old Junior at Carrollton School of the Sacred heart. She acquired a passion for dance at an early age and is a current...
Former Member
At the age of five Devon started playing piano and singing. He kept up his love of music through his elementary years winning school talent...
Former Member
Peter is a Junior at Ransom Everglades High School. His hobbies include fishing, lobstering, swimming, boating, reading and writing. He also...
Former Member
Fernanda was born in Mexico City in 2003, and came to the US in 2005. She then moved to Moscow, Russia...
Former Member
Ava is a rising 8th grader at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart and an aspiring actress. She is thrilled...
Former Member
Harry is an alto saxophonist who has had a long standing passion for music. Starting on the violin at the age 7 he quickly grew fascinated by the world of...
RSM Scholarship for the Arts Recipients
We met Guillermo Barrera at Branches Florida City Community Center and we immediately fell in love with his enthusiasm and his willingness to jump in to everything we were showing him! Guillermo, who is in second grade, won a Rising Stars Miami Scholarship to the Broadway Bites Theater Workshop at Area Stage Company this summer and was a real star!
Essence of Dance Team is a talented group of young dancers at Elizabeth Virrick Park Community Center in Coconut Grove who are achieving amazing success under the artistic direction of Vicky Rivers. They placed 3rd in the State of Florida in the JV HIPHOP category at their first year as competitors in the 2019 PopWarner Dance Competition!
DONATIONS
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT THE ARTS IN SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUNITIES?
- Donate to our Fund
- Become a public, private, or corporate sponsor
- Give in-kind donations
- Donate musical instruments
- Donate dance gear
- Donate photography equipment
- Offer your time as an arts instructor
100% of your support goes directly to young rising stars in our
communities to help them find their voice in the Arts
Make a Difference!