Music Academy of the West facts for kids

The Music Academy of the West is a special summer program in Montecito, California. It's like a summer camp, but for talented young musicians who want to become professionals. They learn from famous teachers and perform in concerts and operas in the County of Santa Barbara.

Discovering Music at the Academy

Every year, about 136 young musicians, usually in their late teens and early twenties, get to join this academy. They receive full scholarships, which means they don't have to pay to attend! These scholarships are given based on their talent. During the program, they take part in workshops led by famous composers, conductors, and artists.

Students can study many different areas, like singing, playing the piano (both solo and with others), and playing various instruments. The summer festival lasts for eight weeks. It's packed with concerts, operas, and public classes where famous musicians share their knowledge. These classes are called masterclasses.

A Musical Journey: The Academy's Story

The idea for a summer music festival in Santa Barbara County first came from a famous singer named Lotte Lehmann in 1940. Later, in 1947, many people who loved the arts, including musicians, conductors, and composers from Southern California, helped create the Music Academy of the West.

Some of the important founders included Lotte Lehmann, conductor Otto Klemperer, violinist Roman Totenberg, and composers like Arnold Schoenberg. Schoenberg was even the academy's first "composer in residence," meaning he was a special guest composer who worked there.

Many kind people helped fund scholarships for the first students. These included famous singer-actors Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, and violinist Jascha Heifetz.

Moving to Miraflores

The academy first held its summer programs at a school called Cate School in Carpinteria. Then, in 1951, it started moving to a beautiful 10-acre property in Montecito. This place used to be a country club and was known for its lovely gardens. It was named Miraflores, which means "see flowers" in Spanish. Since the summer of 1952, Miraflores has been the academy's main campus.

For a few years, students stayed in dorms at the University of California, Santa Barbara. But since 2016, they have been staying at Westmont College.

Famous Teachers and Leaders

Over the years, many talented musicians have taught at the academy. In 1954, the staff included pianist György Sándor and singer Eleanor Steber. The academy's music director from 1954 to 1980 was Maurice Abravanel.

A former student, Marilyn Horne, who attended the academy in 1953, later became a teacher in 1995. She was named the director of the voice program in 1997. In 2018, she became an honorary director and was named Faculty Emeritus in 2021.

Preserving Musical Memories

To make sure old recordings of concerts and classes were saved, recordings from 1961 to 2001 were moved to the UC Santa Barbara Library in 2007. This helps keep the academy's musical history safe. In 2017, more early recordings were digitized, including those of Lotte Lehmann and Marilyn Horne.

Exciting Partnerships

Since 2010, the academy has held the annual Marilyn Horne Song Competition, which helps new singers show their talent.

In 2014, the Music Academy of the West started working with the New York Philharmonic, a very famous orchestra. Their music director, Alan Gilbert, and other orchestra members visited Santa Barbara. Some academy students even got to train with the orchestra in both Santa Barbara and New York City!

In 2018, the academy began a four-year partnership with the London Symphony Orchestra and its music director, Simon Rattle. They also started a free after-school singing program called Sing! for children aged 7–11 in Santa Barbara County. These young singers performed at the Music Academy and even worked with the London Symphony Orchestra.

A Fresh Look for the Academy

In 2022, the academy celebrated its 75th birthday! They also got a new logo. The new logo was designed to look like sun rays and a musical concept called the circle of fifths. It was a way to update their look while still honoring their musical roots. Later, the words "of the West" were added back to the logo. In 2023, Shauna Quill, a trained flutist, became the president of the academy.

Amazing Former Students

Many students who attend the Music Academy of the West, called "fellows," go on to have amazing careers in music. They perform in top orchestras and opera houses around the world, and some even become music teachers themselves.

Here are a few examples of famous musicians who once studied at the academy:

Singers

Instrumentalists

Violinists

Cellists

Clarinetists

Pianists

Other Talented People Who Used the Facilities

Some other students have used the academy's facilities for music lessons or performed with visiting groups, even if they weren't officially enrolled in the main programs.

• Katy Perry (took singing lessons at facilities)