Academy Bids Adieu Twice at the Granada

Scott Reed’s brief speech at his last official public appearance as the Music Academy’s president/CEO after 12 years at the helm, which drew an instant standing ovation, set the stage for the emotional rollercoaster ride provided by the Academy Festival Orchestra at the Granada last Saturday night in the final event of the 2023 Summer Festival. 

The whirlwind trip through the gamut of colors and emotions came courtesy of fiery conductor Hannu Lintu, who led the fellows through a crisp yet sensuous reading of Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), the semi-autobiographical 50-minute tone poem that contains more than 30 quotations from many of Strauss’s earlier works. Another standing ovation was highly in order after the summer session officially ended with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s equally challenging overture-fantasy Romeo and Juliet.

The concert closed the door on the 2023 festival, but Hahn Hall won’t be dark for too long, as Camerata Pacifica launches its new season of chamber music concert at the venue on September 15 with works by Beethoven, Mozart, and Elgar, while the Music Academy has booked a second season of its Mariposa Concert Series for later in the fall. Even better news: We’re less than 44 weeks away from the next Music Academy Summer Festival plus a new crop of fellows and guest artists providing elevated performances, master classes, and more.