Santa Barbara Strings, the music education program designed for young string players ages 5-19 years old, will hold auditions for its 16th season both by video and in-person on Aug. 24.

Visit the website santabarbarastrings.org to sign-up and for audition details.
 
Santa Barbara Strings has recently been awarded grants by the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation, the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation, the city of Buellton Arts & Culture, city of Goleta, and the Towbes Fund for the Performing Arts division of the Santa Barbara Foundation.

Young musicians perform onstage with the award-winning Santa Barbara Strings. (Courtesy photo)
Young people, ages 5-19, are eligible to try out for the award-winning Santa Barbara Strings. (Courtesy photo)

Led by artistic director, local violinist and conductor Mary Beth Woodruff, the organization is comprised of three-tiered string orchestras, chamber ensembles, and a beginning group instruction and one-on-one lessons program called the Early Strings Training Program.

Santa Barbara Strings Board of Directors, led by Gamble T. Parks, has worked to ensure that students of all socioeconomic backgrounds can participate in all facets of the program through their scholarship program.

Recent graduates of the program have been admitted to the Colburn Conservatory and the Juilliard School of Music.
 
Santa Barbara Strings holds two yearly concerts at the Music Academy of the West’s Hahn Hall, in addition to masterclasses and performances throughout the year with the quartets and trios in the chamber music ensembles program inclusive of pianists and Pascal Salomon, director of piano chamber music.

Direct inquiries to sbstrings@gmail.com.