The Music Academy of the West, now in its 78th season, has announced the lineup for the 2025 Summer Music Festival & School, themed Soundtrack to Summer.
The festival showcases international artists performing alongside 150 of the academy’s young musicians and 60 teaching artists in 120 one-of-a-kind performances, including orchestral and chamber programs, a full-scale opera, masterclasses, competitions, and new works.
The 2025 Summer Music Festival & School runs June 15-Aug. 9 at the Music Academy’s campus in Montecito, and throughout Santa Barbara.
The 120 live events will feature appearances by Randall Goosby, Sasha Cooke, Jeremy Denk, Christine Goerke, Andy Akiho, Stewart Copeland, and the Takács Quartet.
The Summer Music Festival opens with family-friendly programming, including the 50th-anniversary of “JAWS” at the Granada Theatre with the Academy Festival Orchestra and conductor Ben Palmer; a PercussionFest with works by rock legend Stewart Copeland, Mosher Guest Artist Andy Akiho, and teaching artists Joseph Pereira and Michael Werner; and, a bilingual production of “Peter and the Wolf” (“Pedro y el Lobo”) with conductor César Cañón and narration by Really Inventive Stuff.
The academy presents the world premiere of adapted excerpts from Huang Ruo’s new opera “The Monkey King,” and offers its first free community brass concert at the newly renovated Santa Barbara Plaza del Mar Bandshell.
The academy’s teaching artists take center stage in performances, including the Takács Quartet’s 50th-anniversary celebration, two Teaching Artist Showcases at the Lobero Theatre, and x2 Series concerts curated by Glenn Dicterow, Cynthia Phelps, and Dennis Michael.
Acclaimed pianist, author, and teaching artist Jeremy Denk will present Beethoven+, a three-part lecture-performance series highlighting the composer’s Piano Sonatas.
Mo Zhou will direct the Lehrer Vocal Institute’s reimagining of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” set in Hollywood’s Golden Age, conducted by Christian Reif.
There will be concerts by Mosher Guest Artists Randall Goosby, Christine Goerke, and Andy Akiho, and world premieres by inti figgis-vizueta, Huang Ruo, and Kamala Sankaram.
The Academy’s Music Note Gala, a celebration in support of classical music education, takes place 5 p.m. Friday, July 11 on the Montecito Club’s Upper Lawn. The gala features performances by Grammy Award-winning mandolinist Chris Thile in collaboration with the Academy Gala Orchestra and members of Sing!, conducted by Daniela Candillari.
Sponsorships and tables on sale March 19; individual tickets on sale May 1 at musicacademy.org/gala.
“We are excited to welcome the community both near and far to the Music Academy’s 2025 Summer Festival,” said Shauna Quill, Music Academy president/CEO. “With a diverse lineup of performances ranging from world premieres to timeless classics, this season offers something for everyone.”
Subscriptions for the 2025 Summer Music Festival go on sale April 10 at musicacademy.org. Individual tickets will be available starting May 1.
For tickets and moe information, email ticketoffice@musicacademy.org, or call the Ticket Office, 805-969-8787.
Community Access tickets for $10 come available for the 2025 Summer Festival at 10 a.m. June 13, subject to availability. Tickets are available in person at the Music Academy Carsey Ticket Office and online.
The Community Access Ticket program is made possible in the loving memory of Linda Sawyer Frankel.