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Music Academy of the West

Announces Its 2009 Season

June 22 – August 15  

Season Highlights Include: 

  • The internationally renowned conductor Leonard Slatkin leading the Academy Festival Orchestra in a stirring program of works by Britten, Copland, and Tchaikovsky

  • An exciting production of Ambroise Thomas' lyrical opera Mignon, conducted by George Manahan, directed by Casey Stangl, and presented by the Academy Voice Program
     
  • Renowned pianist Christopher Taylor performing Messiaen's scintillating Oiseaux exotiques

  • The incomparable Marilyn Horne and Warren Jones leading vocal masterclasses as only they can

  • Other Guest Conductors:

- Larry Rachleff, Music Director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
- Peter Oundjian, Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
- Nicholas McGegan, Music Director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
- Alexander Mickelthwate, Music Director of the Winnipeg Symphony 
   Orchestra

  • Other Guest Artists & Visiting Faculty

   - The Takács Quartet
 - Canadian Brass
 - Margo Garrett
 - Jean Barr
 - Carrie-Ann Matheson
 - Joseph Kalichstein

For Immediate Release May 13, 2009

Contact:
Tim Dougherty
805.695.7908

Santa Barbara, CA – The Music Academy of the West will present an ambitious production of Ambroise Thomas' charming French Romantic opera Mignon, as well as performances by conductor Leonard Slatkin and pianist Christopher Taylor as part of the Academy's 62nd Summer Festival. The Academy will present 197 events over the course of this year's Summer School and Festival, which begins June 22 and concludes on August 15. Additional highlights will include performances by the Canadian Brass and the Takács Quartet, and conducting turns by Peter Oundjian, George Manahan, Nicholas McGegan, Alexander Mickelthwate, and Larry Rachleff. Featuring the Academy's exceptionally talented Fellows, together with illustrious guest performers and faculty, the events will be presented at the Academy's scenic Miraflores campus and in venues throughout Santa Barbara.

This year's Summer Festival is dedicated to longtime Music Academy benefactors Shirley and Seymour Lehrer, who last summer announced a generous donation of $3 million in support of ongoing programmatic and facility upgrades at the Academy. The gift included a $1 million challenge grant toward the renovation of Hahn Hall, the Music Academy's principal recital facility. The couple previously donated $1 million to fund the creation of Lehrer Studios at the Academy. Mr. Lehrer serves on the Academy's Board of Directors.

"The Lehrers' generosity to the Music Academy is inspiring and vital to the development of Academy programs and facilities. We are profoundly grateful for their support," said Music Academy Board Chairman James E. Davidson.

"Given the Lehrers' enduring and generous support of the Music Academy of the West, it is altogether appropriate that we honor them in this way," said Music Academy President NancyBell Coe. "Fittingly, this year's Summer Festival will offer a compelling glimpse of tomorrow's classical stars by way of a program rich in satisfying selections from our cherished musical past."

"We've made a concerted effort this year to devise a musical program that's at once challenging and edifying," said Richard Feit, vice president for artistic programs and operations at the Music Academy of the West. "That is, we want to engage our audience, which continues to show itself to be both sophisticated and discerning, while offering something of a respite or diversion from the day's often worrisome headlines. I'm confident we've struck the right balance."

Music Academy of the West 2009 Season Highlights

FESTIVAL

Haydn Bicentennial Commemoration

The Music Academy will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Franz Joseph Haydn with a series of chamber music performances throughout the summer. A pioneering force in 18th century music, Haydn was extraordinarily prolific and imaginative, composing over 100 symphonies, more than 60 string quartets, 30 piano trios (the three musical forms most transformed by his gifts) as well as operas, church music, and more. The Academy will present a selection of his brilliant piano trios in Tuesdays @ 8 concerts on June 30, July 7, 14, 21, and 28, and August 11 at Santa Barbara's Lobero Theatre. In addition, the celebrated Takács Quartet will perform three Haydn string quartets as part of its July 23 recital at The Lobero.

Opera

The Music Academy Voice Program will present a fully staged production of Mignon at the Lobero Theatre on Friday, August 7, at 7:30 pm, and on Sunday, August 9, at 2:30 pm (an open dress rehearsal will take place at 7:30 pm Wednesday, August 5). Conductor George Manahan, making his second consecutive Academy appearance, will be joined by stage director Casey Stangl, who directed previous Academy productions of Il Viaggio a Reims (2006) and La Bohème (2007). Bay Area stage veteran Jean-François Revon, who designed the sets for the Music Academy's ambitious production of La Bohème two years ago, will serve as scenic designer. Mark Somerfield, who also worked on the Academy's 2007 production of La Bohème and whose current affiliations include State Street Ballet and Opera Santa Barbara, will serve as lighting designer. Anna Bjornsdotter, whose credits include film, music video, and opera productions, will design the costumes. "Mignon is an extremely beautiful opera that was once very popular. I am pleased we will give it new life with our wonderful Voice Fellows. Everyone will come out of the performance humming the melodies," said celebrated mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, who has directed the Academy Voice Program since 1997. The opera has special significance for Ms. Horne, who performed the title role early in her career. Ms. Horne was recently named a 2009 National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honors recipient.     

The wide-ranging and versatile Mr. Manahan, who serves as music director of the New York City Opera, is well known for his leadership of productions such as La fanciulla del West, Daphne, Ermione, Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Die tote Stadt. His many television appearances include Live from Lincoln Center telecasts of La Bohème, Lizzie Borden, Tosca, and Madame Butterfly. The latter won a 2007 Emmy Award. New York City Opera also toured Little Women in Japan under his direction. Mr. Manahan has been a frequent guest conductor with numerous symphonies and opera companies, the latter including Glimmerglass Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Opera Australia, and Teatro de Comunale de Bologna. His extensive discography includes a Grammy-nominated recording of Edward Thomas' Desire Under the Elms, with the London Symphony, and two albums of 20th-century concertos for clarinet featuring Richard Stolzmann.

Ms. Stangl is an award-winning director of theater, opera, and film. Most recently she directed the world premiere of Deborah Zoe Laufer's Out of Sterno for Portland Stage, and the world premiere of Susan Johnston's How Cissy Grew at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. The latter production has been nominated for two LA Weekly Theater Awards, including Best New Play. Completed in January 2008, Ms. Stangl's first short film, CU@Ed's, has been screened at 14 film festivals and received several honors, including an Audience Award at DC Shorts and "Pick of the Fest" at Palm Springs International ShortsFest.

The 23 Academy Fellows who will perform in the production – chosen from among more than 413 applicants as part of the Academy's Voice Program audition process – represent some of today's finest young singing talent. The 34-member opera orchestra will consist of Music Academy instrumentalists.

Orchestra Concerts by the Academy Festival Orchestra

Led by four guest conductors, the 93-member Academy Festival Orchestra will present three concerts at The Granada in addition to a Concerto Night performance at the Lobero Theatre. Larry Rachleff, who serves as music director of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Rice University's Shepherd School Orchestras, and the Chicago Philharmonic, formerly known as Symphony II, will conduct Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé: Suite No. 2 and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 in D Major, op. 47, on Saturday, June 27, at The Granada. Peter Oundjian, who serves as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, will conduct Mahler's mysterious and powerful Symphony No. 7 in E Minor on Saturday, July 18, at The Granada. Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate will take up the baton for Concerto Night, featuring winners of the Academy's 2009 Concerto Competition, on Saturday, July 25, at The Lobero. And Leonard Slatkin, who serves as music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, will close out the Summer Festival in grand fashion by conducting Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem, op. 20, Copland's A Lincoln Portrait, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, op. 36, at The Granada on Saturday, August 15. All four concerts will begin at 8 pm.

Academy Chamber Orchestra Concert

Nicholas McGegan, who serves as music director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in San Francisco, will lead the 50-member Academy Chamber Orchestra in a special Baroque program consisting of works by Rameau (Naïs Suite), Bach (Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048), Purcell (Abdelazar, Z 570, "Moor's Revenge" Suite), and Handel (Water Music Suites in D and G Major) at 8 pm Saturday, August 8, at Santa Barbara's First Presbyterian Church. Mr. McGegan is known throughout the world for performances that match authority with enthusiasm, scholarship with joy, and curatorial responsibility with evangelical exuberance. Last season he conducted the Academy Festival Orchestra in a memorable concert featuring works by Messiaen, Mozart, Ibert, and Schumann.

Chamber Music

Chamber music is a vital component of the Academy's instructional program. In addition to being coached on standard chamber music repertoire, Academy Fellows are encouraged to explore new works by living composers.

The Picnic Concert Series, named for the tradition of pre-concert picnicking on the Academy's Miraflores grounds, features Academy Fellows in seven eclectic chamber music concerts, programmed by the musicians themselves. Individual programs can range from early baroque to a classical quartet to a new work for three marimbas. Performances take place at 7:30 pm in Hahn Hall. Seating for these popular events is very limited.

Back by popular demand, Tuesdays @ 8 concerts feature Academy faculty artists performing beloved favorites and undiscovered treasures of the chamber music repertoire. Guest artists this season will include the peerless Takács Quartet (Tuesday, July 28). The Academy will present six Tuesdays @ 8 concerts in 2009, each at the Lobero Theatre. The series was known as Chamberfest last season.

The Visiting Artist Series showcases the Academy's Artists-in-Residence, who also occasionally lead masterclasses and participate in informal chamber music coaching. This season the series will feature the brilliant pianist Christopher Taylor performing Messiaen's Oiseaux exotiques and Mozart's Piano Concerto in C Major, K. 467, the latter with the Academy Chamber Orchestra under guest conductor Larry Rachleff (Sunday, July 5, at The Lobero); the Takács Quartet (8 pm Thursday, July 23, at The Lobero); and the famed Canadian Brass (8 pm Monday, August 10, at The Lobero). An associate professor of piano performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, Mr. Taylor has been praised by audiences and critics alike for bringing an astonishing intensity and artistry to the works of masters ranging from Bach and Beethoven to Boulez and Bolcom. He caused a sensation at the Music Academy last summer with a breathtaking, two-hour performance of Messiaen's Vingt Regards in Hahn Hall that was hailed by Los Angeles Times music critic Mark Swed as an "almost mystical experience." The Takács Quartet is widely regarded as one of the world's premier string ensembles. This year the Takács will tackle a trio of delightful Haydn string quartets as well as a string quartet by Bartók. Canadian Brass has been turning in effortlessly virtuosic Festival performances since 2000.

Chamber Music Marathon: This all-day chamber music event on Saturday, August 1, will feature a varied repertoire performed by ensembles of all sizes and configurations (10 am to approximately 5 pm at Hahn Hall).

Competitions

This year's Concerto Competition Finals, in which Academy solo pianists and other instrumentalists vie for the honor of performing with the Academy Festival Orchestra on Concerto Night (July 25), will take place Saturday, July 11, at Hahn Hall. An all-day event, the competition will begin at 9:30 am. This year's eminent jury will include Martin Chalifour and Joanne Pearce Martin, concertmaster and principal keyboardist, respectively, of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Marilyn Horne Foundation Vocal Competition: Academy vocalists and vocal pianists vie for prestigious Marilyn Horne Foundation Awards, presented to those who excel in performance of song repertoire and display a unique gift for communicating with the audience (10 am to 5 pm Saturday, July 25, at Hahn Hall).

Masterclasses

The masterclass is one of the hallmarks of the Music Academy experience for Fellows. All Fellows participate in the Music Academy's extensive masterclass program, which is designed to complement individual private instruction. Throughout the eight weeks, more than 100 public masterclasses are presented by faculty and guest artists, including vocal masterclasses with mezzo-soprano and Voice Program Director Marilyn Horne (3:15 pm Friday, July 10, and Tuesday, August 11, at Hahn Hall, and 3 pm Saturday, July 4, at the Lobero Theatre) and vocal piano and interpretation faculty member Warren Jones (3:15 pm Tuesday, July 28, at Hahn Hall, and 3 pm Saturday, August 1, at the Lobero Theatre). In addition, weekly Masterclass series are presented by members of the string, woodwind, brass, percussion, voice, and piano faculty, including pianists Jonathan Feldman and Jerome Lowenthal, violinists Kathleen Winkler, Peter Salaff, and Zvi Zeitlin, and violist Donald McInnes. The public is invited to attend these classes, which provide unique insight into the music teaching process at its most dynamic and intimate.

Free Concerts

More than 90 performances and masterclasses are presented free of charge during the Music Academy of the West Summer School and Festival. These concerts provide Academy Fellows with performance opportunities and serve to enrich the surrounding community. Highlights include:

  • Community Concerts feature Academy Fellows performing a variety of solo and chamber works (2 pm Thursdays at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art's Craig Auditorium).
  • Academy Open House Day enables the public to sample a few of the many offerings at the Music Academy's Miraflores Campus free of charge (Wednesday, July 15).
  • Woodwind, Brass, Percussion, and Double Bass Masterclasses take place at the Miraflores Campus throughout the summer season and are always free.
  • The Academy Brass Ensemble, featuring Academy brass Fellows, presents its annual community concert, under the direction of brass faculty member Mark Lawrence (7:30 pm Wednesday, July 22, at Hahn Hall).
  • The MERIT Community Concert is the culmination of the Academy's two-week mentoring program, which pairs local young musicians with Academy Fellows for coaching, private instruction, and masterclasses (1 pm Friday, July 17, at Hahn Hall).
  • First Thursday – new this year! Come hear the Music Academy's fabulous musicians al fresco during "First Thursday," Santa Barbara's citywide celebration of the arts. Featured performers will include Academy percussion brass, and string Fellows (5 pm Thursday, July 2, at State and De La Guerra streets in downtown Santa Barbara).

 
Special Events

Award-winning director Gerald Sternbach will oversee this year's CABARET, the Music Academy's signature gala benefit, which will take place at 5:30 pm Thursday, August 13, at Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort. Featuring cocktails, a gourmet dinner, a live auction, and an unforgettable performance by Academy Voice Fellows, the event will also serve as a 75th birthday celebration for Marilyn Horne.

ACADEMICS

Dramatic Workshop for Singers

New York City-based director Chuck Hudson will lead this year's three-week acting and movement workshop for Academy Voice Program Fellows, which will culminate with a pair of public Opera Showcase performances (2 pm Saturday, July 18, and 7:30 pm Monday, July 20, both in Hahn Hall). These are among the most popular events of the Festival season! This year best-loved scenes from Cosi fan tutte, Vanessa, Don Pasquale, Les pecheurs de perles, and three other operas will be brought to life in a staged operatic potpourri directed by Mr. Hudson and visiting faculty member Carrie-Ann Matheson.

Orchestra Leadership Program

The Music Academy's innovative Orchestra Leadership Program will welcome its inaugural complement of Fellows in 2009. Launched last year and directed by Academy concertmaster Jeff Thayer, who also serves as concertmaster of the San Diego Symphony, the program is open each summer to a pair of string Fellows who are interested in deepening their understanding and experience of the role of the section leader in the modern symphony orchestra. Participants will work weekly with Mr. Thayer, and periodically with visiting concertmasters and conductors, and will have the opportunity to sit as section leaders in the Academy Festival Orchestra during the summer. Designated as the principal and co-principal players of the Academy Festival Orchestra, Orchestra Leadership Fellows will work to refine and broaden their section leadership skills through a combination of practical experience and professional guidance and support.

Visiting Faculty

Joining Ms. Matheson as visiting faculty members this summer will be pianists Jean Barr, Margo Garrett, and Joseph Kalichstein. Ms. Matheson, an assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera who attended the Music Academy in 1997-99, will lead vocal masterclasses at 3:15 pm on Tuesday June 30 and July 14 in Hahn Hall (the latter with Chuck Hudson). Ms. Barr, a professor of piano accompanying and chamber music at the Eastman School of Music, will lead a public masterclass at 1 pm Tuesday, June 23, in Lehmann Hall. Ms. Garrett, a Juilliard School collaborative piano faculty member, will lead a vocal masterclass at 3:15 pm Tuesday, July 21, in Hahn Hall. And Mr. Kalichstein, who serves as chamber music advisor to the Kennedy Center and is a member of the acclaimed Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, will lead a solo piano masterclass at 1 pm Monday, July 20, in Hahn Hall, and a piano chamber masterclass at 1 pm Thursday, July 23, in Lehmann Hall.

Festival Tickets

Subscription packages start at $80 and offer savings of up to 29 percent on single tickets. Single tickets, which range in price from $10 to $68, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 805.969.8787, or by fax at 805.969.4037.

Festival Sponsors

The following organizations and individuals have provided invaluable support for the 2009 Summer Festival at the Music Academy of the West: Robert W. Weinman, Montecito Bank & Trust, the Cheeryble Foundation, Manchester Capital Management, Shirley and Seymour Lehrer, the Lehrer Family Foundation, Linda and Michael Keston, Bank of America, the Mary Bremer Foundation, the Henry E. and Lola Monroe Foundation, United Way of Santa Barbara County, Mission Wealth Management, and Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf. Media partners for this year's Festival include KEYT-TV, KUSC Classical/FM 88.7, KDB 93.7 FM, KCBX FM90, Santa Barbara Seasons, the Santa Barbara Independent, CASA Magazine Santa Barbara, and the Daily Sound.

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, 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 200 public events annually, including performances by faculty, visiting artists, and Fellows; masterclasses; orchestra and chamber music concerts; and fully staged opera. The Music Academy began broadcasting live performances by the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera at Hahn Hall in October 2008. For more information, visit www.musicacademy.org.

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