Westmont Welcomes MAW Fellows as Residents

Westmont will host 140 fellows from the Music Academy of the West in residence during the academy’s eight-week summer music festivals beginning in summer 2016. The academy fellows will reside in Clark and Armington Halls at Westmont.

“We’re excited to establish a long-term partnership with this outstanding institution in our community,” says Westmont President Gayle D. Beebe. “The Music Academy is a world-class, internationally known organization that shares our appreciation for classical music and commitment to excellence in the arts.”

“We’re committed to creating the highest quality experience for our fellows both on and off stage,” says Scott Reed, president and CEO of the academy. “The Westmont campus, an all-Steinway institution with superb facilities, helps us achieve that goal. The close proximity is ideal for our fellows and faculty, who travel frequently to our campus near Butterfly Beach and downtown Santa Barbara.”

The Music Academy’s 2016 Summer School and Festival will present more than 200 public events, nearly half of them free of charge, from June 13 to Aug. 6 at the academy’s scenic Miraflores campus and in venues throughout Santa Barbara. These include performances by faculty, visiting artists and fellows; masterclasses; orchestra and chamber music concerts; and a fully staged opera. The academy’s roster of distinguished teaching artists has included famed soprano Lotte Lehmann, composers Darius Milhaud and Arnold Schoenberg, cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, pianist Jeremy Denk, and current Voice Program Director Marilyn Horne.

The academy ranks among the nation’s preeminent summer schools and festivals for exceptional young classical musicians ages 18-34. Admission is strictly merit-based; fellows receive full scholarships, including tuition, room and board.

Westmont Conference Services hosts groups of all sizes from mid-May through early August. The Westmont campus offers an ideal setting for a retreat or working conference away from the bustle of town but still close to local amenities and attractions. This past summer, Conference Services hosted more than 30 groups, including100 Special Olympics athletes and coaches, Westmont Summer Scholars, Project Grad, MVP Baseball and Snow Valley Basketball Camps. The campus also housed the Pacific Coast Japanese Conference, the Oriental Missionaries Society, and professional groups such as the Lead Where You Stand conference.

For more information, visit musicacademy.org or westmont.edu.