Music Academy of the West facts for kids

The Music Academy of the West is a special summer program in Montecito, California. It's a place where talented young musicians learn and perform classical music. They also put on concerts and shows in the County of Santa Barbara.

What the Academy Does

The Music Academy helps young musicians who are ready to become professionals. Each year, about 136 students in their late teens and early twenties join the program. They get full scholarships, which means they don't have to pay.

These students learn from famous composers, conductors, and artists. They can study singing, playing the piano (solo or with others), or playing different instruments. The summer festival lasts eight weeks. During this time, there are many concerts and operas. There are also public master classes where famous musicians teach and share their skills.

A Look at the Academy's History

How the Academy Started

The idea for a summer music festival in Santa Barbara County began in 1940. A famous singer named Lotte Lehmann first thought of it. In 1947, the Music Academy of the West was officially started. Many artists, musicians, and leaders from Southern California helped create it.

Some of the important people who founded the academy were:

• Singer Lotte Lehmann
• Conductor Otto Klemperer
• Violinist Roman Totenberg
• Harpsichordist Rosalyn Tureck
• Singer John Charles Thomas
• Composers Ernest Bloch, Darius Milhaud, Roy Harris, and Arnold Schoenberg

Arnold Schoenberg was the academy's first composer-in-residence. This means he was a special composer who worked closely with the academy.

Early Supporters and Locations

Many famous people helped fund the first scholarships. These included singer-actors Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, violinist Jascha Heifetz, and movie producer Darryl F. Zanuck.

The academy first held its summer programs at Cate School in Carpinteria. In 1951, it started moving to a 10-acre property in Montecito. This beautiful place, called Miraflores (which means "see flowers" in Spanish), became the academy's main campus in 1952. For a few years, students stayed in dorms at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Since 2016, students have been housed at Westmont College.

Important Leaders and Teachers

By 1954, the academy had many well-known musicians on its staff. These included pianist György Sándor, singer Eleanor Steber, violinist Sascha Jacobsen, and cellist Gábor Rejtő. At that time, about 120 students attended.

From 1954 to 1980, Maurice Abravanel was the academy's music director. Martial Singher led the Voice Department from 1962 to 1981. Later, famous opera singer Marilyn Horne, who had attended the academy herself in 1953, joined the faculty in 1995. She became the director of the voice program in 1997. In 2018, she became the honorary director and was named Faculty Emeritus in 2021.

Preserving Music History

The academy has many old recordings of concerts and masterclasses. To keep these important pieces of history safe, recordings from 1961 to 2001 were moved to the UC Santa Barbara Library in 2007. In 2017, the partnership with UC Santa Barbara was renewed. This helped digitize 400 early recordings, including those of Lotte Lehmann, Marilyn Horne, and Jerome Lowenthal.

New Partnerships and Programs

Since 2010, the academy has held the annual Marilyn Horne Song Competition. In 2014, the Music Academy of the West started working with the New York Philharmonic orchestra. The orchestra's music director, Alan Gilbert, and other orchestra members visited Santa Barbara. Some Music Academy students even got to train with the orchestra in Santa Barbara and New York City.

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

A New Look for the Academy

In 2022, the academy celebrated its 75th birthday! They also got a new logo. The new logo simply says "Music Academy" and is designed to look like sun rays and the circle of fifths (a musical concept). The old logo looked more like flowers. The academy decided to update its look to be more modern. In 2022, singers Sasha Cooke and John Churchwell became co-directors of the voice program. In 2023, Shauna Quill became the president of the academy.

Famous Former Students

Students who attend the Music Academy of the West are called "fellows." Many of them go on to have amazing careers in music. They perform in top orchestras and opera houses around the world. Some also become teachers at music schools or leaders in other organizations.

Singers

• Gary Lakes

String Players

Violinists

Violists

Cellists

Double Bass Players

Wind Players

Horn Players

Trumpet Players

Tuba Players

Clarinet Players

Bassoon Players

Pianists

Conductors

Other Students Who Used the Facilities

Some students used the academy's facilities for music training or performed with visiting orchestras. However, they were not officially enrolled in the main programs, so they are not considered "alumni." These include:

• Susan Allen (with the Santa Barbara Youth Theatre, 1963)
• Judith Beckmann (took singing lessons)
• Katy Perry (took singing lessons at the facilities)

Images for kids

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  The Music Academy of the West logo used until 2022.