Music Academy Open House on July 15
For Immediate Release June 29, 2009
Contact:
Tim Dougherty
805.695.7908
Santa Barbara, CA – The Music Academy of the West will open its gates to the public on Wednesday, July 15, for a day of compelling classical music events amid the lush gardens of the Academy's storied Miraflores campus. This year's Academy Open House schedule will include a performance and six masterclasses, as well as tours of the Academy grounds and related activities. Open to music lovers of all ages, the day's events will be offered free of charge.
Events will begin at 10 am with a tour of the Music Academy's magnificent gardens, followed at 11 am by an in-depth presentation on this year's opera production, Mignon, led by Academy Board member Robert Weinman. At 1 pm Music Academy faculty members David Jolley (horn), Richie Hawley (clarinet), and David Weiss (oboe) will lead masterclasses in Hahn Hall, Lehmann Hall, and Singher Studio, respectively. At 3:15 pm Alan Stepansky will lead a cello masterclass in Lehmann Hall, and Mark Lawrence will lead a trombone and tuba masterclass in Singher Studio. The Academy Percussion Ensemble will perform Steve Reich minimalist masterpiece Drumming in Hahn Hall Plaza at 3:30 pm, and at 7:30 pm Hahn Hall will be the site of a Concerto Night masterclass featuring the winners of this year's Concerto Competition. Participants will be coached in preparation for their performances with the Academy Festival Orchestra on Concerto Night, Saturday, July 25, at the Lobero Theatre.
Following their normal business hours, the Rack and Treasure House, the Academy's on-campus consignment shops, will be open from noon to 3 pm. A complete schedule of Open House activities is available here. For information, call 969-4726. Free parking is available on campus.
As part of its 62nd Summer Festival, the Music Academy also 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. The Academy is presenting more than 190 events over the course of this year's Summer School and Festival, which began June 22 and concludes on August 15. Additional highlights will include performances by the Canadian Brass and the Takács Quartet, and conducting turns by Larry Rachleff, Peter Oundjian, George Manahan, Nicholas McGegan, and Alexander Mickelthwate. 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.
For information, call 969-8787. Information is also available online at www.musicacademy.org.
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.
