Jan 13, 2017 - STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL IDEA. Add the phenomenal. New York Philharmonic performing Beethoven's 9th and it wo
January 13, 2017
A voice of the Progressive Mainstream • CasaSB.com | VoiceSB.com
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Music Academy of the West 70th Anniversary Festival
Experience the New York Phil at the Beach!
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By Daniel Kepl / VOICE
MAW 70th Season Highlights
COASTAL CONCERT IN SANTA BARBARA IS A STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL IDEA. Add the phenomenal New York Philharmonic performing Beethoven’s 9th and it would create an experience beyond ethereal and audacious. Who could perform this magic? The Santa Barbara • Commissions and Premieres Music Academy of the West has scheduled it for July 31st at La program will present new works and Playa Stadium, which seats 7,000, along with half a dozen other host contemporary composers during near miracle happenings to celebrate their 70th Anniversary the Festival and beyond season. • Music Academy will present the “We have a mantra here that challenges us,” MAW largest classical music event in Santa President and CEO Scott Reed explained during a recent Barbara’s history at La Playa Stadium telephone interview. “It’s a mantra that is almost unattainable, sometimes those are the best mantras, and that is ‘the Music • New Alumni Enterprise Awards Academy in every home.’ The idea behind that is that we Program will fund groundbreaking become advocates, we continue to be committed to providing entrepreneurial projects a classical music experience to anyone, anybody that wants it, • Inaugural Solo Piano competition anybody that’s willing to try it, anybody that comes across it. The historic 70th Anniversary Community will send alumni to perform on national This combination of performance and education – nobody does Concert will mark Alan Gilbert’s final appearance as New York Philharmonic tour in partnership with Steinway & it better.” Music Director. Maestro Gilbert will Sons, a first-ever collaboration as part The New York Philharmonic, under the baton of maestro conduct Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, of the Academy’s new All-Steinway Alan Gilbert, will perform the world famous Beethoven’s 9th featuring Music Academy superstar distinction Symphony, which was recognized by the United Nations as alumna soprano Susanna Phillips (‘02,’03), tenor Joe Kaiser, and bass the first musical score named to the Memory of the World • The Music Academy launches a Morris Robinson as soloists in the work’s Programme Heritage List. The beach side concert will also pioneering classical music conference Ode to Joy. feature a performance by the MAW Academy Orchestra as well. • $50 Million Capital Campaign 6,000 of the 7,000 tickets will be available for $10. The event will Projects completed in 2017 with A host of new initiatives, projects, include a display of fireworks over the Santa Barbara Harbor opening of Hind Hall conferences, and competitions will and in front of the La Playa be launched this summer Stadium for a undreamed including a Commissions & of finale to the Festival Premieres program; a new and capping ten years of alumni Enterprise Awards program; a leadership and innovation by Solo Piano competition; and a Classical Reed. Evolution/Revolution Conference that Lincoln Center in will draw the best and brightest talents New York City was the and strategists in the classical music distinguished venue this business to Santa Barbara on June 19th past Wednesday in which and 20th. “The idea is to bring together Music Academy of the West some of the luminaries, the leaders in our President and CEO Scott [classical music] industry to come and Reed, together with alumni, serve on panels to talk about where the faculty, members of the industry is, how the industry is moving board and administration forward,” Scott explained. “Our fellows gathered to announce the – the average age is 23 – are embarking most ambitious season in on a music career that’s going to take the history of Santa Barbara’s beneficial to the way that we run our business as well.” classical music into the middle of the world famous summer And about body, mind, spirit as the Music Academy 21st century. For them to hear from these experts in training and performance embraces the twenty-first century? “In addition to the training diff erent arenas of our industry, ideas that are going to institute for 140 of the that goes on in the practice room and on stage, we’re giving our be making classical music more accessible and more world’s most promising fellows tools for healthy lifestyles,” Scott concluded. “We know Donizetti’s masterwork, The Elixir of vibrant, we hope that they’ll take those tools and really young professional classical Love, will be conducted by worldincorporate them into the ways that they develop their that if young musicians are given the tools and inspiration to musicians. The 70th Summer renowned conductor and Academy take care of themselves that definitely is going to translate into own careers.” alumna Speranza Scappucci (’96), School and Festival will run a more successful career, certainly a more sustainable career. Of particular interest to Scott, the New Alumni and directed by Los Angeles based from June 12th through Anybody can do well when they’re being inspired and given James Darrah (below) Enterprise Awards program will fund Music August 5th and will feature opportunities to think positively about themselves.” Academy alumni’s entrepreneurial endeavors. “This 200 masterclasses, recitals, is our commitment to investing in our product, ” Daniel Kepl has been writing music, theatre, and dance reviews performances, and events Scott intoned matter-of-factly. “We work so hard or Santa Barbara publications since he was a teenager. His at various venues in Santa to provide an opportunity for our fellows that will professional expertise is as an orchestra conductor. Barbara. A host of new be transformative in their education and also in programs and initiatives preparing them for professional careers. will project the Music Now, we’re taking it one step further Academy to the forefront and saying, ‘alumni, come back to us, of training institutions for tell us what your innovative ideas are, professional musicians well tell us how you think classical music can into the 21st century. This become more accessible, and propose to summer’s musician fellows, us some projects.’ If we find them to be a who attend tuition free, are good fit for moving our mission forward, from more than 20 states we’re going to help fund them. We can’t and ten countries and will wait to see the proposals that come be working with nearly 70 across our desk, because by going to the faculty and guest artists of actual people that have been through international stature. Many our program and learning from them Guest Artists of the events will be free to Matthew Aucoin how they’re developing classical music, students seven to 17 and Pamela Frank will be something that will be incredibly $10 to the general public. Stephen Hough
