The Sound of Music
The Music Academy sets a new tone for the future
Written by Jennifer Blaise Kramer | Photographs by Stewart Shining
When Michelle Bradley came to the Music Academy of the West in 2014, she considered herself a late bloomer. At 32, she had been studying vocals in Texas, and her teacher suggested she apply to the renowned summer institute set on a romantic garden estate in Montecito. Little did she know how pivotal her time there would be. Upon winning the grand prize for the Marilyn Horne Song Competition (named for the famed mezzo-soprano she auditioned for), Bradley embarked on her own successful soprano career, kicking it off in New York and going on to star in Aida during the Metropolitan Opera’s 2022–23 season.
“That summer was life changing—doors just started flying open,” Bradley recalls about her time in Santa Barbara. Amid all those doors cracking, she made sure to leave wide open the entryway to the Music Academy, which she revisits frequently to sing with young children or perform for sold-out audiences. It was at one such concert in December, when Bradley sang an aria from Tosca followed by a “mind-blowing medley” of Whitney Houston songs, that she brought three particular women to tears.
Sisters Belle and Lily Hahn sat alongside a wistful Mindy Budgor in what was arguably the beginning of a full-circle moment. The three had met as girls when their parents—legacy sponsor families the Luria-Budgors (donors behind the Luria Education Center) and Hahns (Hahn Hall)—brought them there every summer of their childhood. Reunited on-site that evening, they gazed with disbelief, nostalgia, and hope at the talent this venue could produce.
“Michelle had a voice that not only had I never heard, but the way that she used it was like a communion with God—so deep and powerful,” Belle recalls. “She sang ’He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands’ along with Whitney Houston pieces, and she breathed a new life force into the room. Mindy had told me it wouldn’t be another classical concert, and I had goosebumps and tears.”
Alum Michelle Bradley returns frequently to the place that launched her career—and every performance brings the house down. Flowers by EmmaRose Floral.
“We want to support the emerging-artists program, which is exactly what our ancestors did.”
Greatly moved, the three women were inspired to help move the venue forward. On the heels of its 75th anniversary, the Music Academy debuted changes big and small. For visual rebranding, it dropped “of the West” in the name and designed a new logo reflective of the bright California sun, illuminating art and creativity. Realizing that classical music is at a crossroads, president and CEO Scott Reed vowed to keep looking ahead and creating changes that propel classically trained musicians boldly forward.
“We want to be a springboard for what comes next,” Reed says. To kick things off, the Music Academy is hosting a gala on June 3, which he says “will be like no other, for where the Music Academy is and where we want it to be.” The event will be cochaired by none other than Belle, Lily, and Mindy. “They’re icons because of their philanthropic status,” Reed says. “Now they’re carrying the banner for their families to further make the Music Academy accessible, engaging, and inclusive.”
“We want to support the emerging-artists program, which is exactly what our ancestors did,” Belle says, recalling those summer days when her father, Stephen Hahn, was always bringing musicians—who often had nothing
in their pockets—home for dinner. Belle and Lily would listen to them sing or play instruments, help pick out their outfits, and then watch as they went on have huge careers. “We’re honoring what has been and paving a new path for what can be, to be a bridge to relate to many others. When we can harmonize together, magic happens.”
As for guest performer Michelle Bradley, Reed says, “She breaks down some of the walls that some people put up on what opera or classical music is. The Music Academy is a transformative experience. She worked so hard, and this is an organization that rewards hard work.”
In addition to Bradley, many other alumni have launched successful careers with the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and other performing arts organizations. Partnerships are always evolving and currently include the London Symphony Orchestra and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. More programing is being rolled out, including the Innovation Institute for alums and fellows, plus wellness offerings such as yoga, performance-anxiety coaching, and free counseling sessions for fellows with an on-site psychologist. And of course, the ever-popular SING! program continues, offering free after-school choral classes for Santa Barbara County students in first through sixth grades and nurturing future voices.
“I never thought I’d go as far as I have,” Bradley says. “I just knew I wanted to sing.”●
