While it has been said that Santa Barbara lacks the change of seasons experienced in other parts of the country and globe, it’s a different story in terms of her classical music seasons. After the perennial September-to-May concert season comes to a close, summertime brings on the dense, world-class bounty of offerings and temptations courtesy of the Music Academy. For two months, which would otherwise amount to a cultural hiatus for classical music, Santa Barbara is privy to a flow of international artists, public-invited masterclasses, and a general serious music ambience and focus.
From the educational angle, visiting “fellows” are carefully picked from a huge list of applicants and invited to town, without charge. These young, emerging musicians — some already in gear in their careers — also become performers worth savoring in the Academy Festival Orchestra, the weekly Picnic Concerts, high-profile opera, and elsewhere.
Last year, the first fully fledged and live, in-person festival since the pandemic’s restrictive reign, the Academy celebrated its significant 75th anniversary. Along with a stellar program, the organization launched into the milestone year with new branding and a slimmed-down name — simply the Music Academy, versus the Music Academy of the West (with its clumsy acronym MAW).