The Music Academy of the West
Summer School & Festival
For over 60 years the Music Academy of the West has provided exceptional young musicians with the opportunity for advanced study and intensive performance in a uniquely beautiful and supportive environment.
Each Music Academy Fellow is awarded a full scholarship covering tuition, room, and board (see age requirements below). In addition, a modest cash stipend is awarded to all Fellows to defray travel-related expenses.
2010 Summer School and Festival Dates: 18 June – 14 August
The 2010 program application season is now closeD. VOCAL PIANO, COLLABORATIVE PIANO AND VOICE PROGRAM APPLICATION RESULTS WERE COMMUNICATED IN DECEMBER. INSTRUMENTAL AND SOLO PIANO APPLICATION RESULTS WILL BE COMMUNICATED BY EMAIL IN EARLY MARCH.
Recognized as one of the world's preeminent summer music programs for gifted pre-professional classical musicians, the Academy offers an experience that is at once intimate and intense, highly personalized, and deeply collaborative.
Applicants from all over the world seek the opportunity to study and perform at the Academy. Over 1400 applications were received for the 2010 program, and 139 Fellows are selected to enroll.
During eight weeks each summer, Academy Fellows refine and enhance their skills with each other and with the outstanding faculty and guest artists who join them. Together they participate in over 190 musical events, including masterclasses, chamber music performances, individual lessons, recitals, orchestra concerts, and a fully staged opera.
Age Requirements for Enrollment:
Applicants must attain the age of 18 prior to the start of the 2010 Summer School and Festival (18 June 2010). Special consideration may be given to exceptional applicants under the age of 18, however such applicants, if accepted as Fellows, attend the Academy with specific requirements governing room and board, as explained below. In all cases, applicants must have attained at least the age of 16 by the start of the Festival. Singers must be no older than 34 years of age through the festival's conclusion.
Special Requirements for Underage Applicants:
Fellows who have attained the age of 16 or 17 by the start of the Festival must arrange independent off-campus accommodations for the duration of the Festival and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who will reside with him or her during that period. Such accommodations are at the Fellow's expense. Lunch for underage Fellows is provided on the Music Academy campus and at the Cate School Monday through Saturday. Arrangements for all other meals, as well as all transportation needs, are made by the Fellow.
Main Campus: The Academy's home is Miraflores, a private estate set on 10 beautiful acres in the Santa Barbara area, about 90 miles north of Los Angeles. The campus is just a minute's walk from the Pacific Ocean. Miraflores houses the Academy's administrative offices, and is the focus of most of the summer's instrumental activities and events: orchestra rehearsals, chamber recitals, solo recitals, masterclasses, lessons, and individual practice all take place here. Voice and Vocal Piano masterclasses and Opera Showcase performances also take place at Miraflores.
Residential Campus: The spectacular 150-acre Cate School campus, about 20 minutes south of the Music Academy, provides housing, dining services, and recreational opportunities for all Academy Fellows. This gorgeous mountainside campus with ocean and city views provides a peaceful setting for relaxation, recreation and practicing. Cate School is the primary location for the Academy's Voice and Vocal Piano Program studies. All Fellows are housed in private single rooms. Halls are gender separated and offer community bathrooms on each floor. The Academy provides private charter bus transportation several times daily between the main and residential campuses and to and from all performance venues. Cate's recreational facilities include a fitness center, swimming pool, sports fields, gymnasium, and tennis courts.
Prospective Fellows are invited to navigate to their program of interest for information regarding the application and audition processes, application fees, and deadlines.
Programs of Study
