May Madness Cancelled for 2008
For Immediate Release April 14, 2008
Contact:
Tim Dougherty
805.695.7908
Santa Barbara, CA – Due to continuing construction and landscaping work associated with the renovation of its principal on-campus recital facility, the Music Academy of the West will not host its annual May Madness event this year. The Academy is not accepting donations for future May Madness sales at this time.
A spring tradition, May Madness has taken place on the Academy grounds for the last 32 years. The massive yard and estate sale is a fundraiser for the Music Academy, and is typically held the first Saturday of May. Though the refurbishment of Hahn Hall and related site work are proceeding as planned, the campus cannot accommodate throngs of May Madness shoppers at this time, leading administrators to cancel the popular event for this year.
When it is inaugurated in June at the start of the Music Academy's 2008 Summer School and Festival, Hahn Hall will include seating for 350. Phillips Metsch Sweeney Moore Architects is overseeing the renovation project in collaboration with the renowned acoustics consulting firm McKay Conant Brook. The renovated facility will feature vastly improved acoustics, a raked floor for improved sightlines, new and larger bathrooms, a remodeled lobby, a ticket office, upgraded electrical and mechanical capabilities, and easy handicap access. Related site improvements will include a substantial increase in parking spaces, a widened main driveway for improved vehicular circulation, elegant landscaping, and improved pedestrian access from lower parking lots to campus facilities.
For more information, call 969-4726.
Founded in 1947, the Music Academy of the West is among the nation's preeminent summer schools and festivals for gifted young classical musicians. The Academy provides these promising musicians with the opportunity for advanced study and frequent performance under the guidance of internationally renowned faculty artists, as well as guest conductors and soloists. Admission to the Academy is strictly merit based, and Fellows receive full scholarships (tuition, room, and board). Academy alumni are members of major symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, ensembles, opera companies, and university and conservatory faculties throughout the world. Many enjoy careers as prominent solo artists. Based in Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West presents more than 175 public events annually, including performances by faculty, visiting artists, and Fellows; masterclasses; orchestra and chamber music concerts; and fully staged opera. For more information, visit www.musicacademy.org.
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