The University of Miami has named Matt Serletic as the new dean of its Frost School of Music.
Serletic is a two-time Grammy Award-winning producer, a former major-label CEO, and a music-technology executive who most recently led AI innovation at Amazon Music.
The University announced the appointment on Monday (September 14), with Serletic set to officially start on October 19, as the school enters its second century.
A University of Miami alumnus, Serletic holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in music performance from the Frost School of Music.
Since graduating, he has produced recordings for Matchbox Twenty, Aerosmith, Santana, Collective Soul, Willie Nelson, Rob Thomas, and Joe Cocker, on records that the University said have sold more than 110 million copies.
He won two Grammy Awards for his work with Santana – Record of the Year for Smooth and Album of the Year for Supernatural – at the 2000 ceremony.
He founded the labels Melisma Records and Emblem Music Group, and the music-technology company Zya, which he sold to Google in 2019.
Serletic holds 49 patents in AI and music systems, according to the University, and he previously served as chairman and CEO of Virgin Records America.
At Google, he served as a director of Product, leading a global team on creative content for Search.
He joined Amazon Music as Director of AI Innovation in 2024, leading a global team in artificial intelligence and personalization.
“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,” said University of Miami Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Joel Samuels.
“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.”
“The Frost School of Music has earned a reputation as one of the top music schools in the U.S. and around the world and, as such, regularly brings new students, faculty, and opportunities to the University of Miami,” Samuels added.
“With a unique background that combines musical creation, performance, business, technology and leadership skills, Matt Serletic will be able to partner with the extraordinary faculty and students of the Frost School to further elevate the school’s impact and reach.”
Serletic has served on the Frost School of Music‘s Dean’s Advisory Committee since 2018, advising former dean Shelton G. “Shelly” Berg, who recently concluded nearly two decades leading the school.
“With a unique background that combines musical creation, performance, business, technology and leadership skills, Matt Serletic will be able to partner with the extraordinary faculty and students of the Frost School to further elevate the school’s impact and reach.”
Joel Samuels, University of Miami
“My parents met at the University of Miami. My daughter graduated from the Frost School of Music last December,” said Serletic.
“Three generations. One school. It 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.”
“The Frost School of Music‘s faculty built one of the best music schools in the world, and built it in Miami, where a student can walk off campus into a session, a label, a festival, or a tech company inside a 10-mile radius,” Serletic 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 student graduates into 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.”
“Three generations. One school. It made my family, and it made me.”
Matt Serletic
Serletic is the sixth person to serve as dean of the Frost School of Music, which was established in 1926 and recently marked its 100th anniversary.
He was one of 100 alumni to receive a Frost Centennial Medal for his contributions to music artistry and the music industry.Music Business Worldwide
