BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A Boca Raton middle school choral director is among three South Florida performing artists honored by Palm Beach Symphony with the 2026 Randolph A. Frank Prize for the Performing Arts. Roberto J. Vidal, who leads the choral program at Eagles Landing Middle School in Boca Raton, was named the Emerging Artist — one of three category awards that split a $10,000 prize among recipients who have made a significant impact on the cultural life of Palm Beach County.
Vidal has built what the symphony describes as the only public, non-auditioned middle school choral program in Palm Beach County with two ensembles earning Superior with Distinction ratings at district assessments. In his seven years at Eagles Landing, his students have performed at Carnegie Hall, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, the Honolulu Heritage Festival and, most recently, Lincoln Center in New York. His program was also named a finalist for the Latin Grammy in the Schools award and Vidal himself was recognized as a 2026 GRAMMY Music Educator Award Quarterfinalist. Cuban-born and South Florida raised, he holds a music education degree from Florida State University — where he graduated summa cum laude — and is currently pursuing a master’s degree.
The other 2026 honorees represent the region’s broader performing arts community. Mickey Smith Jr., Associate Director of Instrumental Arts at The King’s Academy in West Palm Beach, was named Performing Artist. The acclaimed saxophonist performs regularly in downtown West Palm Beach and has shared the stage with artists including Gloria Gaynor and Wycliffe Gordon. Heather Lescaille, Dean of the Dance Department at Dreyfoos School of the Arts, was named Performing Arts Educator. A member of the school’s very first dance class, she returned to Dreyfoos in 2014 and was recognized in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Education as the most influential teacher of a U.S. Presidential Scholar.
The Randolph A. Frank Prize was established in 2009 by Nancy and Jay Parker in honor of their longtime friend and arts patron Dr. Randolph A. Frank. Palm Beach Symphony has managed and hosted the award since 2019. Nominations for the 2027 awards open in November 2026 and close in February 2027. More information is available at PalmBeachSymphony.org.
