Subtropics 2025 Marathon Festival

About the Marathon

Miami, FL — Subtropics, the city’s pioneering celebration of experimental music and sound art, returns September 25–28, 2025, with a bold, immersive edition: the Subtropics 2025 Marathon. Curated by composer and artist Gustavo Matamoros, this four-day, multi-venue event will bring together a dynamic constellation of international and local artists working across sound, video, performance, and installation.

The Marathon kicks off Thursday, September 25 with the unveiling of Quail Roost Sanctuary — a newly commissioned outdoor sound installation that transforms public space into a long-term listening environment in South Dade. From there, audiences will journey north to The Bridge in Allapattah for Friday’s Soundologia showcase (September 26, 9–11pm), featuring curated audio works in an acoustically treated listening space.

On Saturday and Sunday (September 27–28), the festival culminates in two evenings of fixed media and live performances from 4–10pm at The Deering Estate Theater in Palmetto Bay, including world premieres, immersive surround sound works, and performances by artists from Miami and beyond.

Featured guest artist Francis Schwartz, a trailblazing figure in experimental composition, joins a compelling lineup of more than 40 interdisciplinary creators of live and fixed media works and performances by Wolfgang Gil, Timothy Archambault, Stuart King, Sony Mao, Shahreyar Ataie, Russell Frehling, Roxana Barba, Rob Constable, Richard Garet, Ricardo Matamoros, Randy Nutt, Rafa Vargas Bernard, Paula Matthusen, Orlando J. Garcia, Nicole Martinez, Lukas Ligeti, Kyle Motl, Kenneth Goldsmith, Juraj Kojš, Julio Roloff, Jose Hernandez, John Van Der Slice, Jeanne Jaffe, jamJamStrawberry, Jacob Sudol, Icli Zitella, Gustavo Matamoros, Helena Thevenot, Freddy Jouwayed, Federico Bonacossa, Emile Pilgrim, Edward Bobb, Dimitry Chamy, Dinorah de Jesus, Dennis Rovinsky, David Dunn, David Brieske, Cyjo Archambault, Chris Mann, Chen-Hui Jen, Carles Santos, Brenda Hutchinson, Bob Gregory, Barron Sherer, Alberto Puerto, Alba Triana, Aislinn Quinn, alongside archival never-before-heard selections from the Subtropics Collection.

“Subtropics is about developing new contexts for deep listening,” says Artistic Director Gustavo Matamoros. “In this moment of constant digital distraction, we offer rare spaces where sound and listening become the focus — where audiences can explore their sonic environment with care, curiosity, and attention.”

The festival unfolds across three distinct Miami venues. The eventbrite only applies to the Deering Estate events detailed below.

• SAT & SUN, SEPT 27–28 | 4–10PM – Subtropics Marathon Concerts 1 + 2 Held in the blackbox theater at Deering Estate (Palmetto Bay), this marathon will feature a hybrid of live performances and fixed media premieres in surround sound and multimedia, exploring the edges of auditory and interdisciplinary practice.

Admission is free with RSVP, inviting all to experience the richness and diversity of Miami’s experimental arts scene. Space is limited and seating at most venues is intimate — early arrival is encouraged.

Now in its latest iteration, Subtropics continues its mission to amplify boundary-pushing sonic arts in South Florida and beyond. The Subtropics 2025 Marathon reflects the city’s growing appetite for innovative cultural programming that defies convention and redefines artistic space.

Presented by Subtropics Organization in collaboration with Deering Estate, The Bridge and Soundologia, with major support from Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. For full lineup, RSVP details, and schedule updates, visit subtropics.org Press Contact: Gustavo Matamoros [email protected]

About the Artist

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Gustavo Matamoros is a sound artist and composer who has lived and worked in Miami since 1979. His compositions have earned two Venezuelan music awards and have been performed by prestigious ensembles in his home country. His sound art installations have been commissioned and exhibited throughout the U.S. and Europe by notable institutions, including the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, Atlantic Center for the Arts, the Polk Museum of Art, and the Deering Estate. Matamoros has performed at prominent venues such as the Dali Museum, the Lloyd Foundation, and the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery in West Florida, as well as Roulette and Experimental Intermedia in New York City, the Experimental Sound Studio in Chicago, and LAXart and Mills College in California. Currently, he is in his third year as a resident artist at both Florida International University’s i360 XR Cylindrical Screen Theater and the Blackbox Theater at the Deering Estate. Since 1988, Gustavo Matamoros has served as the artistic director of the Subtropics Organization.

About the Deering Estate

Deering Estate, located at 16701 SW 72 Ave. in Miami, is a 21st Century house museum, cultural and ecological field station, and a national landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, owned by the State of Florida and managed by Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department. Deering Estate is designated as one of seven Miami-Dade County “Heritage Parks” which have a vital role in our community’s history, environment and in providing recreational and cultural experiences.

Cultural Arts Programming at the Deering Estate is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, and The Deering Estate Foundation, Inc.

About the Deering Estate Foundation

For those who treasure the Deering Estate, who advocate for its preservation and wish to invest in its future, The Deering Estate Foundation provides opportunities for individuals and corporations alike to partake in membership, signature events, and one-of-a-kind experiences, all in service of providing vital funding and support to the Deering Estate. Through these efforts, the foundation fulfills its mission to uphold the legacy of Charles Deering's cherished 1920s-era property, to provide funding for the cultural, educational and recreational experiences it offers, as well as its significant scientific and archaeological endeavors to conserve its diverse flora, fauna and the eight native ecosystems that thrive on its 450 acres, and to ensure its longevity as a prized American heritage site. Established in 1989, The Deering Estate Foundation, Inc. is a community-based charitable 501(c) 3 Florida Corporation and the philanthropic partner of the Deering Estate.

To request materials in accessible format, sign language interpreters, CART and/or any accommodation to participate in any Miami-Dade Parks-sponsored program or meeting, contact Gisel Prado at 305-755-7848 or [email protected], at least 7 days in advance to initiate your request. TTY users may also call 711 (Florida Relay Service).

Host or Publisher Deering Estate