Tag archives: music

Renowned Croatian soprano Lana Kos, who was scheduled to sing in her debut at Santa Barbara Symphony’s Mozart to Mahler concert at the Granada, had to cancel at the very last minute because of bronchial problems. But luckily help was at hand locally with Anya Matanovic, who recently moved to our tony town and was […]

Westmont student musicians and composers show off their talents at free concerts this week in Westmont’s Deane Chapel on lower campus. For more information, please contact the music department at (805) 565-6040. The Composer’s Concert, highlighting original works by Westmont student composers and performers, is Friday, November 8, at 7 pm. “The concert is an […]

Surf movies, especially those with a Santa Barbara connection, have been a popular sidebar at SBIFF for many years. This weekend the genre steps to a fest of its own with the first annual event celebrating the “Santa Barbara Surf Culture” on film. The two-day fest, slated for full 12-hour plus schedules on both Saturday […]

Montecito author and screenwriter Victoria Riskin will be on hand for a Carsey-Wolf Center Classics screening of one of her father’s beloved features, Meet John Doe (1941), another of writer Robert Riskin’s celebrated collaboration with famed director Frank Capra whose earlier teamwork produced It Happened One Night (1934) and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). […]

If you have a yen for opera, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Granada was definitely the production for you. Opera Santa Barbara’s 25th anniversary season opener was a cracker with artistic director Kostis Protopapas working musical magic with soprano Eleni Calenos in the pivotal role. She was joined by a superb cast, including tenor Harold […]

Oakland’s Ensemble Mik Nawooj is an innovative 10-piece ensemble featuring winds, strings, piano, drums, and a lyric soprano – plus two MCs, the kind you find at a hip hop concert. That’s because EMN founder and composer JooWan Kim, who was classically trained in composition at Berklee College of Music and San Francisco Conservatory, also […]

Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West was socially gridlocked when the Z.E.N. Trio, made up from the initials of pianist Zhang Duo, violinist Esther Yoo, and cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, performed as part of UCSB’s popular Arts & Lectures series. The concert, part of the long-running Robert Weinman-sponsored Up Close & Musical Series, […]

In a candid interview conducted by our town’s favorite literary author Pico Iyer, 82-year-old Philip Glass talked about his parents, becoming a musician-composer and still being stimulated by life to write and play the music he hears. The October 4 event was part of Pico’s talk series for UCSB Arts & Lectures, sponsored by Martha […]

It was another high note when the Women’s Auxiliary of the Music Academy of the West hosted its second annual benefit Music in the Gardens on the Miraflores campus, with a record 400 guests raising around $80,000 to benefit the community access program, which provides subsidized and free tickets to MAW events. Themed American Rhythms, […]

I may be prejudice since Broadway is my favorite thing, but I think the best concert I’ve ever seen for UCSB Arts & Lectures was Kristin Chenoweth. She’s a teeny tiny thing (4’ 11”) with a mighty voice that reaches the rafters. And she thinks we Santa Barbarians are so lucky to have Hidden Valley […]

The Lobero Theatre Associates had their latest event to benefit the Lobero Theatre with “An Evening with Steve Tyrell.” It began in the tent-covered courtyard with a reception featuring unique pizzas from Oppi’Z. There was an unusual cheesecake that was savory instead of sweet topped with smoked salmon as well as the usual sweet ones. […]

Westmont’s performance of Nikolai Gogol‘s The Government Inspector delivers heavy doses of hilarity and introspection. Award-winning director Mitchell Thomas brings the play back to Porter Theatre for three final performances Octpber 24-26, all at 7:30 pm in Westmont’s Porter Theatre. General admission is $15; and $10 for seniors and students. Purchase tickets at westmont.edu/boxoffice. For […]

Korean-American Richard O’Neill, longtime violist for Adrian Spence‘s Camerata Pacifica, is joining the internationally acclaimed lineup of the 45-year old Takacs Quartet. He will replace Geraldine Walther, who is retiring after 15 years in May. Richard, 41, joins founding member, cellist Andras Jejer, English first violinist Edward Dusinberre and American second violinist Harumi Rhodes, in […]

Two of the Granada Theatre’s resident companies, the State Street Ballet, celebrating its 25th anniversary, and the 72-year-old Santa Barbara Choral Society, combined their abundant talents in American Masters. The enticing program featured masterworks from Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and Morten Lauridsen, and choreography ranging from neoclassical to the avant garde combined in an endeavor […]

Pianist Zhang Zuo, violinist Esther Yoo, and cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan met as BBC New Generation Artists in 2015, and hit it off so well they decided to continue working together as a piano trio for chamber music concerts as The Z.E.N. Trio, employing their first initials as an acronym. Since the three are all also […]

Béla Fleck (banjo), Zakir Hussain (tabla), Edgar Meyer (double-bass), and Rakesh Chaurasia (flute) will perform for the first time in Santa Barbara on October 19 at UCSB Campbell Hall, coming in from their tour and work in Nashville on a new LP. With over 20 Grammy Awards collectively, we can expect this collaboration to be […]

Sometimes becoming a parent is how you find a rebirth of your current career; that was certainly the case for Montecito Mom Renee Stahl. Stahl was already well regarded in the mainstream music world for rich melodies on solo records like Hopeful Romantic as well as on the debut by her duo, Paper Flowers.  But […]

Paul Willis, Westmont professor of English, will read selections from his award-winning collection, To Build a Trail: Essays on Curiosity, Love and Wonder, Tuesday, October 15, at 5:30 pm in the University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara Street.  The Westmont Downtown Lecture, “Not about the Numbers: What Really Matters in How We Learn,” is free and […]

Where were you when you first heard Bob Dylan? Arguably one of the greatest poets and musical artists of our generation, Bob Dylan has been covered and worshiped by fans and artists of all walks of life. Born as Robert Allen Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota, the musician has been in the game for sixty years, […]

Santa Barbara Choral Society member Will Breman is hitting a high note! Tenor Will, who has sung under the baton of veteran conductor Jo Anne Wasserman for four years, has been wowing TV audiences on NBC’s hit show The Voice. He attended a blind audition at the studio and both judges, John Legend and Gwen […]