Music Academy of the West in July: Pintscher, Denk, Midori, and more
Matthias Pintscher, regarded as one of today’s most sought-after young composers, will conduct the West Coast premiere of his newest work, bereshit, at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA, on July 1. The performance in Hahn Hall with members of the Academy Festival Orchestra is just one of the myriad highlights in July at the renowned summer festival and school during its 66th season, which runs through August 10. Other highlights include Mosher Guest Artist performances by hip ensemble Brooklyn Rider (July 3), rising-star pianist Jeremy Denk (July 17), and violin luminary Midori, who will give two all-Bach solo recitals (July 29, 31). Maestro Leonard Slatkin will lead the Academy Festival Orchestra on July 13 in symphonies by Beethoven and Shostakovich, and Roberto Sierra’s Fandangos. The Marilyn Horne Song Competition will be held July 20, and the iconic mezzo-soprano also leads a masterclass on July 27.
Pintscher – who will become music director of France’s esteemed Ensemble Intercontemporain next season – conducted the world premiere of bereshit (the first word in the Torah, meaning “In the beginning”) in late May with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. A review in the Minneapolis Star Tribune described this work imagining the creation of the world as having “strong intellectual underpinnings, but carries the audience on a powerful and explicit musical journey… This is the kind of piece for people who don’t think they like contemporary music. Pintscher created nontraditional sounds but ones that made perfect sense in the riveting arc of the unfolding drama.” During the Music Academy’s July 1 concert, the German composer will also lead members of the Academy Festival Orchestra in Ravel’s Le tombeau de Couperin and Stravinsky’s Pulcinella. To read bereshit program notes, visit the July 1 event page at www.musicacademy.org.
Mosher Guest Artists
The Music Academy will host three of this summer’s four world-class Mosher Guest Artists in the month of July: Brooklyn Rider, Jeremy Denk, and Midori. Their residencies, made possible through generous support from the Samuel B. and Margaret C. Mosher Foundation, will involve public masterclasses and performances, as well as private interaction with Academy Fellows.
Marveling over the creative programming and gripping performance style of Brooklyn Rider, a writer for Strings magazine said: “Forgive the hyperbole, but I’ve seen the future of chamber music and it is Brooklyn Rider.” The Los Angeles Times declared, “Their dazzling, fingers-in-every-pie versatility is one of the wonders of contemporary music.” Reflecting the group’s eclectic programming, their July 3 concert will range from canonical string quartets by Mozart and Bartók to Lev “Ljova” Zhurbin’s Budget Bulgar and two works by Brooklyn Rider’s own Colin Jacobsen: Brooklesca and Three Miniatures for String Quartet.
According to The New York Times, Jeremy Denk – whose enthusiasms range from Bach and Beethoven to Ives and Ligeti – is “a pianist you want to hear no matter what he performs.” The repertoire for his July 17 recital will be announced. In 2012 the American pianist made his debut as a Nonesuch recording artist; in its review, BBC Music opined, “All in all, it’s a marvel.” An eloquent and thoughtful writer, he recently signed a deal with Random House to write a book based on his “Every Good Boy Does Fine” article for The New Yorker. Music critic Alex Ross has described Jeremy Denk as “a superb musician who writes with arresting sensitivity and wit.”
Midori made her solo debut 30 years ago – at age 11 – and she has since inspired superlatives around the world, including from the Chicago Tribune: “The consummate mastery of her performance fairly took one’s breath away.” Along with appearing on the world’s top stages, she is the Jascha Heifetz Professor of Music at USC’s Thornton School of Music, and she was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences last year. She will perform Bach’s complete Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo on July 29 and 31 at the Music Academy.
Voice and Vocal Piano Program
The Marilyn Horne Song Competition, on July 20, will see Fellows from the Academy’s Voice and Vocal Piano programs compete for awards given to those who excel in the performance of song repertoire and display a distinctive gift for communicating with an audience. The judging panel includes Horne, who is director of the Academy’s Voice program; Jeremy Geffen, director of artistic planning for Carnegie Hall; Barbara Hocher, consultant to the Marilyn Horne Legacy, Carnegie Hall; and Darren K. Woods, general director of Fort Worth Opera. Last year’s winners were soprano Tracy Cox and pianist Maureen Zoltek.
Orchestra Concerts
Also on July 20, American conductor Tito Muñoz will lead the Academy Festival Orchestra and talented soloists – winners of our 2013 Concerto Competition – in Concerto Night, a performance that is an annual Summer Festival highlight. The soloists and program will be announced on July 7. Muñoz is Music Director of the Opéra National de Lorraine, Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy, and New York City’s Ensemble LPR (Le Poisson Rouge). Earlier in the month – on July 13 – Leonard Slatkin, music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and France’s Orchestre National de Lyon, will conduct the Festival Orchestra.
Academy Alumnus in Residence
Celebrated cellist Joshua Roman will inaugurate a new alumni residency program at the Academy this summer. From July 15-25, he will curate his own curriculum to inspire Fellows, teaching a masterclass, performing, and participating in special projects. Since attending the Music Academy in 2002, Roman has enjoyed remarkable success both as a performing artist and as a programmer committed to engaging and expanding the classical music audience. The San Francisco Chronicle has described him as “a cellist of extraordinary technical and musical gifts.”
Ongoing Programs
Chamber music, solo recitals, masterclasses… All are daily occurrences during the Music Academy’s eight-week Summer Festival and School, and masterclasses are hallmarks of the Music Academy experience. Faculty and guest artists present more than 100 public masterclasses over the course of the summer. Masterclasses in July include those by the Mosher Guest Artists Brooklyn Rider (July 4), Jeremy Denk (July 15), and Midori (July 30), as well as a String Chamber Masterclass with guest artist Glenn Dicterow (July 30), who will join the Music Academy’s faculty after his retirement as Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic at the end of the 2013-14 season.
About Music Academy of the West
Founded in 1947 by a group of Southern California arts patrons and musicians that included Lotte Lehmann and Otto Klemperer, the Music Academy of the West is among the nation’s preeminent summer schools and festivals for gifted young classical musicians. The Academy provides these promising musicians with the opportunity for advanced study and frequent performance under the guidance of internationally recognized faculty artists, guest conductors and soloists. Admission to the Academy is strictly merit based, and Fellows receive full scholarships (tuition, room and board). Based in Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West presents more than 200 public events annually, including performances by faculty, visiting artists, and Fellows; masterclasses; orchestra and chamber music concerts; and a fully staged opera.
A list of the Music Academy of the West’s upcoming events can be found below, and further details are available on the web by visiting www.musicacademy.org.
Music Academy of the West 2013 Festival Highlights
“Magic, Legend, and Ritual”
July 1: Matthias Pintscher w/Academy Festival Orchestra (bereshit West Coast premiere)
July 3: Brooklyn Rider
July 8, 10: Opera Scenes
July 13: Leonard Slatkin w/ Academy Festival Orchestra
July 17: Jeremy Denk, piano
July 20: Tito Muñoz w/ Academy Festival Orchestra – “Concerto Night”
July 20: Marilyn Horne Song Competition
July 22: Academy Percussion Ensemble
July 27: Marilyn Horne Masterclass
July 29, 31: Midori, violin
Aug 2, 4: The Magic Flute – new production (David Paul, director; Warren Jones, conductor)
Aug 3: Nicholas McGegan w/Academy Festival Orchestra
Aug 10: James Gaffigan w/Academy Festival Orchestra
Full Calendar of Events
July 1
Solo Piano Masterclass 3 with Jerome Lowenthal
Flute Masterclass with Timothy Day
Brass Ensemble Masterclass with Mark H. Lawrence
Violin Masterclass with Glenn Dicterow
Members of the Academy Festival Orchestra with Matthias Pintscher, conductor
Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin
Pintscher: bereshit (West Coast Premiere)
Stravinsky: Pulcinella
July 2
Trombone & Tuba Masterclass with Mark H. Lawrence
Viola Masterclass with Donald McInnes
Tuesdays @ 8 Concert 2
Danzi: Quintet in B-flat Major
Brahms: Cello Sonata in E minor
Martinu: Nonet
Debussy: Violin Sonata
July 3
Cello Masterclass with Alan Stepansky
Oboe Masterclass with Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida
Vocal Masterclass with Marilyn Horne
Double Bass Masterclass with Nico Abondolo
Mosher Guest Artist Recital with Brooklyn Rider
Mozart: String Quartet in D Minor, K. 421
Colin Jacobsen: Three Miniatures for String Quartet
Ljova: Budget Bulgar
Bartók: String Quartet No. 2
Colin Jacobsen: Brooklesca
July 4
Piano Chamber Masterclass with Jerome Lowenthal
Bassoon Masterclass with Dennis Michel
Collaborative Piano Masterclass with Jonathan Feldman, director
String Chamber Masterclass with Brooklyn Rider
July 5
Clarinet Masterclass with Richie Hawley
Trumpet Masterclass with Paul Merkelo
Horn Masterclass with Julie Landsman
Vocal Masterclass with Gregory Fortner
Picnic Concert 1
July 6
Concerto Competition Finals (9:30 a.m.)
Concerto Competition Finals (1:45 p.m.)
July 8
Solo Piano Masterclass 4 with Jerome Lowenthal
Flute Masterclass with Timothy Day
Brass Ensemble Masterclass with Mark H. Lawrence
Violin Masterclass with Kathleen Winkler
Opera Scenes with Gregory Fortner, Jonathan Kelly, and John Churchwell
July 9
String Chamber Masterclass with Erin Keefe
Trombone & Tuba Masterclass with Mark H. Lawrence
Viola Masterclass with Donald McInnes
Tuesdays @ 8 Concert 3
Brahms: Five Songs arr. for Horn and Trombone
Brahms: Piano Trio No. 3
Mendelssohn: Concert piece for Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8, arr. for Brass Quintet
July 10
Cello Masterclass with Alan Stepansky
Oboe Masterclass with Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida
Double Bass Masterclass with Nico Abondolo
Opera Scenes with Gregory Fortner, Jonathan Kelly, and John Churchwell
July 11
Bassoon Masterclass with Benjamin Kamins
Piano Chamber Masterclass with Jerome Lowenthal
Downtown Community Concert
Collaborative Piano Masterclass with Jonathan Feldman
Harp Masterclass with JoAnn Turovsky
Percussion Masterclass with Edward Atkatz
Masterclass Sampler with Jerome Lowenthal, Carrie-Ann Matheson, Kathleen Winkler
July 12
MERIT Recital
Clarinet Masterclass with Richie Hawley
Trumpet Masterclass with Paul Merkelo
Horn Masterclass with Julie Landsman
Vocal Masterclass with John Churchwell
Picnic Concert 2
July 13
Academy Festival Orchestra with Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Roberto Sierra: Fandangos
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
July 15
Flute Masterclass with Timothy Day
Solo Piano Masterclass 5 with Jeremy Denk
Brass Ensemble Masterclass with Mark H. Lawrence
Violin Masterclass with Brian Lewis
July 16
String Chamber Masterclass Cynthia Phelps
Trombone & Tuba Masterclass with Mark H. Lawrence
Viola Masterclass with Donald McInnes
Tuesdays @ 8 Concert 4
Edward Atkatz: Turn Key Hotel
Ravel: Sonatine
Britten: Lachrymae
Debussy: Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp
Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
July 17
Cello Masterclass with Joshua Roman, Academy Alumnus in Residence
Oboe Masterclass with David Weiss
Double Bass Masterclass with Nico Abondolo
Vocal Masterclass with Carrie-Ann Matheson
Mosher Guest Artist Recital with Jeremy Denk
July 18
Bassoon Masterclass with Benjamin Kamins
Piano Chamber Masterclass with Jeremy Denk
Collaborative Piano Masterclass with Jeremy Denk
Percussion Masterclass with Michael Werner
Downtown Community Concert
Academy Brass Ensemble in Concert with Mark H. Lawrence, conductor
Strauss: Vienna Fanfare
John Williams: Sound the Bells
Jan Koetsier: Brass Symphony
July 19
Clarinet Masterclass with Richie Hawley
Trumpet Masterclass with Paul Merkelo
Horn Masterclass with Eli Epstein
Vocal Masterclass with Warren Jones
Picnic Concert 3
July 20
Marilyn Horne Song Competition (10 a.m.)
Marilyn Horne Song Competition (1 p.m.)
Concerto Night with Tito Muñoz, conductor
July 21
Academy Fellows Concert, curated by Joshua Roman, Academy Alumnus in Residence
July 22
Flute Masterclass with Timothy Day
Solo Piano Masterclass 6 with Jerome Lowenthal
Brass Ensemble Masterclass with Eli Epstein and Ralph Sauer
Violin Masterclass with Kathleen Winkler
Academy Percussion Ensemble in Concert
July 23
String Chamber Masterclass with Peter Salaff
Trombone & Tuba Masterclass with Ralph Sauer
Viola Masterclass with Roger Myers
Opera Covers Performance (The Magic Flute)
Tuesdays @ 8 Concert 5
Mozart: String Duo No. 1 in G Major
Brahms: Sonata in E Minor
Britten: Phantasy Quartet
Weber: Clarinet Quintet
July 24
Cello Masterclass with Alan Stepansky
Oboe Masterclass with David Weiss
Double Bass Masterclass with Nico Abondolo
Cello Recital with Joshua Roman, Academy Alumnus in Residence
July 25
Bassoon Masterclass with Benjamin Kamins
Piano Chamber Masterclass with Jerome Lowenthal
Collaborative Piano Masterclass with Jonathan Feldman
Percussion Masterclass with Michael Werner
Downtown Community Concert
Vocal Chamber Music Concert with Warren Jones, director
Vaughan Williams: Selections from Ten Blake Songs
Previn: Four Songs
Donizetti: “Dirti addio”
Ponchielli: “Eternamente” and “Piangea”
Crumb: Madrigals, Book IV
Britten: Canticle III: Still Falls the Rain
Chausson: “Chanson perpétuelle”
July 26
Clarinet Masterclass with Richie Hawley
Trumpet Masterclass with Paul Merkelo
Horn Masterclass with Eli Epstein
Opera Preview: The Magic Flute (new production)
Picnic Concert 4
July 27
Chamber Music Marathon (10 a.m.)
Chamber Music Marathon (1 p.m.)
Masterclass with Marilyn Horne, voice program director
July 29
Flute Masterclass with Jeanne Baxtresser
Solo Piano Masterclass 7 with Jerome Lowenthal
Brass Ensemble Masterclass with Barbara Butler and Charles Geyer
Viola Masterclass with Roger Myers
Mosher Guest Artist Recital with Midori
J.S. Bach: Sonata No. 1 in G Major
Sonata No. 3 in C Major
Partita No. 2 in D Minor
July 30
String Chamber Masterclass with Karen Dreyfus and Glenn Dicterow
Trombone & Tuba Masterclass with Ralph Sauer
Trumpet Masterclass with Barbara Butler
Violin Masterclass with Midori
Tuesdays @ 8 Concert 6*
Vivaldi: Concerto RV 103
Bach/Vivaldi: Concerto in D Major
Shostakovich: Viola Sonata*
Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor
*Baroque chamber music performed by Academy faculty artists and Nicholas McGegan
July 31
Cello Masterclass with David Geber
Oboe Masterclass with David Weiss
Double Bass Masterclass with Nico Abondolo
Mosher Guest Artist Recital with Midori
J.S. Bach: Sonata No. 2 in A Minor
Partita No. 1 in B Minor
Partita No. 3 in E Major
August 1
Bassoon Masterclass with Benjamin Kamins
Piano Chamber Masterclass with Jerome Lowenthal
Collaborative Piano Masterclass with Jonathan Feldman
Downtown Community Concert
Picnic Concert 5
August 2
Clarinet Masterclass with Richie Hawley
Trumpet Masterclass with Charles Geyer
Horn Masterclass with Eli Epstein
Mozart: The Magic Flute with David Paul, director and Warren Jones, conductor (new production)
August 3
Members of the Academy Festival Orchestra with Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Rameau: Suite from Platée
Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin and Echo
Vivaldi: Concerto for Violin, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Bassoons
Haydn: Symphony No. 100 “Military”
August 4
Mozart: The Magic Flute with David Paul, director and Warren Jones, conductor (new production)
August 5
Flute Masterclass with Jeanne Baxtresser
Solo Piano Masterclass 8 with Jerome Lowenthal
Brass Ensemble Masterclass with Ralph Sauer and Eli Epstein
Violin Masterclass with Glenn Dicterow
August 6
Trombone & Tuba Masterclass with Ralph Sauer
Viola Masterclass with Roger Myers
Tuesdays @ 8 Concert 7
Bartók: Out of Doors
Bach: Contrapunctus and Chorale for Brass Quintet
Klein: String Trio
Dohnányi: Piano Quintet No. 1
August 7
Cello Masterclass with David Gerber
Oboe Masterclass with David Weiss
Double Bass Masterclass with Nico Abondolo
Vocal Masterclass with Marilyn Horne
August 8
Bassoon Masterclass with Dennis Michel
Piano Chamber Masterclass with Jerome Lowenthal
Collaborative Piano Masterclass with Jonathan Feldman
Harp Masterclass with JoAnn Turovsky
Percussion Masterclass with Michael Werner
Downtown Community Concert
Cabaret, the Music Academy’s Signature Gala
August 9
Clarinet Masterclass with Richie Hawley
Trumpet Masterclass with Josef Burgstaller
Horn Masterclass with Eli Epstein
Solo Piano Studio Presentation with Jerome Lowenthal
Picnic Concert 6
August 10
Festival Finale: Academy Festival Orchestra & Academy Voice with James Gaffigan, conductor
Wagner: Overture to Rienzi
Mahler: Songs from Des knaben wunderhorn
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique
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For further information, contact:
Glenn Petry, 21C Media Group: [email protected]; 212-625-2038
Tim Dougherty, Music Academy of the West Communications Manager: [email protected]; 805-695-7908
© 21C Media Group, June 2013