Sounds Around Town 
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 22, 2023

Irvine’s indie-rock sensation Young the Giant plays the Santa Barbara Bowl, with Milky Chance and Rosa Linn as opening acts for the 6 pm concert on August 18, the last before a three-week hiatus at the amphitheater. That same night also brings a SOhO date with the Long Beach Dub Allstars, who formed from the […]

Academy Bids Adieu Twice at the Granada
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 15, 2023

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 […]

 

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Lintu the Groove
By Richard Mineards   |   August 15, 2023

Montecito’s Music Academy wrapped up its 76th Summer Festival in splendid style when Hannu Lintu conducted the Academy Festival Orchestra at the Granada. The entertaining show featured Richard Strauss’ 1898 “Ein Heldenleben” and Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet” with Lintu, 55, conductor of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, at the top of his game. The […]

What Patti Smith Draws From
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 8, 2023

Patti Smith’s legacy as one of the most provocative, literary, and influential rock singer-songwriters in history is just part of her artistic achievement. Perhaps the only artist whose accolades include induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a National Book Award, and a Legion of Honor from the French government, Smith remains a […]

Sounds Around Town 
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 8, 2023

After a bit of a mid-summer lull, the Santa Barbara Bowl is back in action, and exudes eclecticism in its quartet of concerts this week. The August 4 show is a conglomeration of its own as co-headliners Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Ziggy Marley are supported by Mavis Staples and the Robert Randolph Band […]

The Rise of Watson
By Steven Libowitz   |   August 8, 2023

Don’t confuse Samuel Watson with the speed climbing champion of the same name, a teenager who holds the U.S. records and international gold medals in the new Olympic sport, although Sam Watson the Music Academy fellow has also made a meteoric rise.  The 20-year-old contrabassoonist can’t scale an indoor wall in five seconds, but his […]

A Wonderful Week at MA
By Richard Mineards   |   August 8, 2023

The final weeks of the Music Academy’s 76th annual Summer Festival have been the icing on the classical cake! Principal players with the London Symphony Orchestra showed their prowess at Lehmann Hall when they performed chamber works by Britten, Villa-Lobos, Perivolaris, Salzedo, Hahn, and Haydn with flutist Gareth Davies, cellist David Cohen, violinist Clare Duckworth, […]

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  • The Life of a Collaborative Pianist
    By Steven Libowitz   |   August 1, 2023

    Take a look at the photo in the online calendar promoting the Duo Competition taking place on July 31. The violinist is brightly lit, his facial features and instrument fully visible, while the pianist is in the background, comparatively dark and blurry with even her hair blending into the background, and no piano keys visible.  […]

    Let the Children SING!
    By Steven A. Blum   |   July 25, 2023

    The members of the Music Academy’s SING! children’s choir were part of the two triumphant performances of La bohème at the Granada Theatre last weekend. This Sunday afternoon, they’ll be back downtown as the stars of the show at the Lobero Theatre, once again joining forces with the Young People’s Chorus (YPC) of New York […]

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    A Bohemian Occupation
    By Steven Libowitz   |   July 18, 2023

    Mo Zhou wasn’t sure what the Academy’s new vocal program directors Sasha Cooke and John Churchwell had in mind when they asked her to helm this summer’s production of La bohème. A traditional take with period costumes and mid-19th century mannerisms? Something more modern?  Instead, they asked Zhou, who had assistant directed three previous productions […]

    Hoofin’ and Heroes in the Valley
    By Steven Libowitz   |   July 18, 2023

    It’s not necessary to be a big fan of bluegrass music to enjoy PCPA Theaterfest’s Bright Star, the Tony-nominated musical created by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell playing at Solvang Festival Theater through July 23. But it sure helps. Based on real events in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the show has a gentle pace, with […]

    The Rise of Parnther
    By Steven Libowitz   |   July 11, 2023

    Anthony Parnther never picked up a musical instrument until eighth grade, and even then, only because he discovered it could be an avenue to free admission at a Virginia amusement park.  “I was sitting in math class and I heard the announcement over the intercom that the students who were part of the middle school […]

    Dual Violinist/Chemistry Major to Perform in Aspen
    By Scott Craig   |   July 11, 2023

    This summer, Westmont violinist Sophia Chan (’25) performs at the Aspen Music Festival and School (June 29-August 20), one of the top classical music festivals in the United States that features more than 600 classical music students from around the world. “It’s insanely competitive – she is joining students from top conservatories around the world, […]

    This Legendary Songwriter Has Your Heart in a Sling. Whether or Not You Recognize the Name.
    By Jeff Wing   |   July 11, 2023

    Jimmy Webb was a 14-year-old working the family farm when he heard a Glen Campbell song on the radio. It brought him to his knees. “I was driving a tractor in the middle of a wheat field in the Oklahoma Panhandle – which is a pretty remote area – listening to my transistor radio. They […]

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