SFMA History: 1980's

The early 1980's saw both birth and death in the symphonic world. in 1982 the Miami Philharmonic folded, but a year later the Boca Raton Municipal Band added string players and changed its name to the Boca Raton Symphonic Pops, or the Boca Pops for short. Several major cultural institutions got their start in the 1980's. The Florida Philharmonic was formed in 1985 through a merger of the Fort Lauderdale Symphony and the Boca Raton Symphony Orchestra. The Miami City Ballet was founded in 1985, and the New World Symphony was founded in 1987.

Miami also received some national attention in 1984 with the launch of the television series Miami Vice, which often filmed in South Beach and other south Florida locations.