Liliam Teruel

Born and raised in Cuba, Liliam Teruel always had a passion for the musical arts. After studying Choral Conducting, she and her mother decided to leave Cuba in hopes of eventually settling in the United States. As part of the tumultuous journey and after overcoming many hardships, through the support of her family, they were granted asylum and eventually settled in Miami.

As she built her new life in the United States, Liliam was motivated to expand her music education. In 2016, Liliam was accepted into the Master of Music in Conducting Studies – Choral program at the FIU Herbert and Nicole Wertheim School of Music & Performing Arts.

Midway through the program, Liliam chose to step away from her studies to start a family. During this time, Liliam’s career grew too, and she became the Director of Middle School Choirs at Miami Arts Charter School. Her passion for music education remained and in 2021 while balancing the demands of children, family, and work, she reauditioned to FIU to complete her studies. On the home stretch, nearing her final semester, tragedy struck when her husband was involved in a life-threatening car accident, rendering him unable to walk for nearly six months.

Never faltering, Liliam worked many nights from her husband’s hospital bedside while caring for her family, determined to complete her degree on time. And she did.

This fall, Liliam will graduate with her Master’s in Music degree in Conducting Studies – Choral and plans to continue her career focused on growing and developing the choral program at her school. She would like to acknowledge Dr. Vindya Khare and Dr. Eryn Millard for all their dedication and support toward her success.

Zion Sealy
Junior Account Manager
College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts