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“African Queens” opens the series on October 5 in Hahn Hall featuring soprano Karen Slack and pianist Kevin Miller. Tickets On Sale September 4 |
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SANTA BARBARA — The Music Academy of the West proudly announces the 2024-25 Mariposa Concert Series, a collection of concerts and experiences held in the intimate Hahn Hall, on the Music Academy’s lush Miraflores campus. The series opens on Saturday, October 5 with “African Queens,” celebrating the legacy of seven revered African Queens, featuring soprano Karen Slack and pianist Kevin Miller. The Mariposa Concert Series, which debuted in 2022, furthers the Music Academy of the West’s mission to bring exceptional music to the community throughout the year. The series showcases the artistry of world-renowned musicians, including esteemed Music Academy alums, in unique musical experiences and events this fall through spring 2025. Featuring visionary artists, these performances offer fresh context and perspective on music spanning more than 700 years — from 1390 to 2025! Each concert will include a pre-concert wine reception at 6:30 pm. For more information, visit musicacademy.org/MARIPOSA. |
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2024-25 Mariposa Concert Series |
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An evening-length vocal recital of brilliantly curated new art songs celebrating the history and legacy of seven African Queens, revered as rulers but not widely heralded in the Western world. The program weaves this historical narrative through eight songs written for soprano Karen Slack by some of today’s most acclaimed composers, including three recent Music Academy guest composers, Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Simon, andJoel Thompson, along with Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, Shawn Okpebholo, and Dave Ragland, with text by Lorene Cary, Alicia Haymer, Tsitsi Ella Jaji, and Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton, and Creative Collaborator for the African Queens project, Jay Saint Flono, performed in collaboration with pianist Kevin Miller. Each song reflects the beauty, humility, passion, and power of each Queen being celebrated. |
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“One of contemporary music’s indispensable ensembles” (The New York Times), JACK Quartet, founded by Music Academy alum Ari Streisfeld, presents “Modern Medieval,” a program exploring the work of long-past European composers through the lens of contemporary American composition, including music by Juri Seo, Austin Wulliman, and works by Christopher Otto based on Rodericus, Solage, and Nathaniel Giles. ARTISTS The neglected, though not forgotten rites of the Medieval musical arts illuminate the musical manuscript anew as JACK explores the connections of musicality and thought between European composers of the past and the voices of American music today. The mysterious Rodericus and satirical Solage are viewed anew through the lens of JACK’s own masterful arranger Chris Otto. Meanwhile, pieces by JACK’s friends connect us to our musical forebears, using ancient harmonies, imitations, games, and secret messages as the jumping off point for unexpected journeys through magical, amorous, and dangerous tales. |
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As part of a Santa Barbara winter residency, London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) musicians collaborate with celebrated MAX (Music Academy Exchange) alums to create an unforgettable evening of chamber music. The MAX program represents the Music Academy of the West and the London Symphony Orchestra’s six-year vibrant partnership, providing 75 Music Academy alums with an opportunity to work with some of the world’s top conductors, perform with LSO musicians, experience the European approach to music making, and share best practices in education and community engagement. (More about MAX here.) In addition to the Music Academy February 17 performance, the legendary London Symphony Orchestra will offer a special concert on February 18, co-presented by Community Arts Music Association and the Music Academy of the West. Support for the London Symphony Orchestra partnership was provided in part by Linda and Michael Keston. |
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yMusic, the genre-leading American chamber ensemble, featuring Music Academy trumpet alum CJ Camerieri,continues its collaboration with sensational California composer Gabriella Smith, performing a new work that invites us to commune with the fragile beauty of the natural world.
ABOUT THE PREMIERE ARTISTS Alex Sopp flute Mark Dover clarinet CJ Camerieri trumpet (Music Academy of the West alum) Rob Moose violin Nadia Sirota viola Gabriel Cabezas cello |
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Mariposa Concert Series Lead Sponsor: Ticket Information Tickets for the 2024-25 Mariposa Concert Series are $65 per single event, and $240 when subscribing to the four-concert series package. Tickets are on sale online at musicacademy.org and by phone at 805-969-8787, Monday-Friday, 10 am to 5 pm. The Music Academy is committed to ensuring low-to-moderate income households in Santa Barbara County have access to the magic of music through $10 Community Access Tickets, subject to availability. Plus, young people ages 7-17 can receive a ticket free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult. The Community Access Ticket program is made possible in the loving memory of Linda Sawyer Frankel.
THE VENUE Known as Miraflores, the Music Academy of the West’s 10-acre campus was originally the estate of John Percival Jefferson. Its spectacular grounds and gardens are a serene space to gather before performances in the intimate Hahn Hall, which The Santa Barbara Independent calls an “ultra-luxurious jewel-box venue,” and the Los Angeles Times says “nothing gets between music and the ear.” Free, ample parking is available on campus. |
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For more information, programming, and hi-res images, |
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About the Music Academy of the West
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Located in Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West creates a space where exceptional talent can thrive by encouraging artists to stretch, experiment, improvise, and play. The Music Academy provides artists with the tools they need to become not just great musicians but great leaders. The Music Academy’s programs include the annual eight-week Summer School & Music Festival which trains up to 150 fellows ages 18-34 and presents more than 130 performances and events, competitions, and a fully staged opera; Sing!, a children’s choir that performs with local, national, and international partners; the MAX (Music Academy Exchange) partnership with international orchestras; the innovative Alumni Enterprise Awards; and the Mariposa Series of concerts by Academy-affiliated artists. Learn more at musicacademy.org |
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