An Evolving Soundscape
The Music Academy of the West continues to find new ways to embrace its mission and the community
Written by Joan Tapper | Photographs by Sam Frost
For 73 years, the greater Santa Barbara community has had a love affair with the Music Academy of the West. And even in the unparalleled circumstances of the summer of 2020, that relationship has been carried on with the imagination, innovation, and pursuit of excellence that have distinguished the Academy since it was founded as a summer music school by luminaries including opera star Lotte Lehmann and conductor Otto Klemperer, along with prominent Southern California art patrons.
“The community has always cherished the Academy,” says president Scott Reed, “and the Academy has created programs to welcome the community. We have performance-based training, and the community is vital to our success.” Traditionally the fellows—as the talented young vocalists, pianists, and instrumentalists are known—gather on the gracious Miraflores estate in Montecito for classes and seminars with faculty drawn from world-class conservatories and orchestras. They perform in master classes, picnic concerts, chamber music, operas, and much more. “It’s important to get the fellows out on stage as much as possible,” he adds. “It enhances their experience.”
This summer, of course, things were a bit different. “We are embracing the virtual environment,” says Reed. “We are trying to deliver our mission in a different way” with the Music Academy Remote Learning Institute (MARLI). Each of this year’s 134 fellows—based all over the world—got state-of-the-art technical equipment that allowed them to participate in a four-week curriculum of seminars and one-on-one teaching with faculty members who were also geographically scattered. Then, during a two-week creative extension, fellows were invited to “take their training and put it into action,” says Reed, by creating content, pitching new project ideas, and auditioning for 10 days of training with the London Symphony Orchestra, which has partnered with the Academy for several years.
Meanwhile the community was also able to enjoy virtual picnic concerts, layered orchestral performances, and other special events at a daily online concert hall. The popular compeer program, which pairs a fellow with a local resident, went virtual as well but remained a crucial element of the summer festival. “The compeer program creates a relationship,” says Reed. “There’s no better way to learn about the Academy’s impact or the life of a classical musician than by being a compeer.”
MARLI is just the latest development in the evolution of the Music Academy, which was first proposed at a luncheon meeting of the Montecito Country Club in September 1946. The idea of a training ground for talented young musicians in the West proved popular, and the first summer session, in June 1947, welcomed students from California, Texas, Utah, and Vancouver, Canada, to the classes, which were held at Cate School.
In 1951, the Music Academy acquired Miraflores, originally built in 1909 as the Santa Barbara Country Club and converted in 1915 to an elegant Spanish revival residence for the Jefferson family. By 1952, the mansion and its grounds had been adapted for teaching and practice studios and concerts, though the students lived at Cate School.
The star-studded faculty in the early years ranged from Lehman, who pioneered the idea of master classes here, to composers Darius Milhaud and Arnold Schoenberg and pianist Gregor Piatigorsky, among many others. Over the decades, both the vocal and instrumental programs earned international attention that was enhanced by former students who went on to become acclaimed opera and concert performers.
There were many notable landmarks—the decision to become a full scholarship institution in the 1990s, the arrival of Marilyn Horne to head the voice program in 1997, the addition of Claeyssens Hall in 1993 for studios, the superb acoustic and architectural renovation of Hahn Hall in 2008, the addition of the Luria Education Center in 2012, and long-term partnerships with the New York Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra.
During the last 10 years, the emphasis on interaction with the community has continued to grow. “You have to be relentless to get off campus,” says Reed, “out to Santa Barbara and Goleta.“ Community access tickets—at just $10—allow everyone to come and hear world-class musicians. Large public concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl, which once occurred at five-year anniversaries, now are part of the city’s summer traditions.
In 2021 the summer festival is slated to return to a more traditional format. This year’s fellows are already invited back to the campus, and live classes and concerts are anticipated. “But there is no turning back,” insists Reed. “This is a new platform. We’re finding a solution that has given us something to be excited about. A new step in how we communicate. MARLI demonstrates our adaptability. That’s a silver lining.”
