Deadline October 23: Music Academy of the West 2018

“At the Music academy I spent 8 weeks in an atmosphere that was both musically and socially engaging, in one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. The experiences and camaraderie I’ve gained here will surely stick with me for a long time.” — 2016 Fellow

Watch 2016 Vocal Fellow Alexandra Smither describe her Academy experience here:

TRAINING

Intensive coaching in singing technique, diction, interpretation, style, and presentation, along with an exploration of literature from opera, musical theatre, and song. Plus:

Private rehearsal studio throughout summer
Weekly private lessons
Weekly masterclass instruction
Individual coaching in German, French, and Italian diction

“The Music Academy was life changing. I learned so much about myself as an artist and person. It was incredible to learn from such esteemed faculty in such an amazing setting.” — 2016 Fellow

Faculty / Teaching Artists include Deborah Voigt, Marilyn Horne, Martin Katz, James Conlon, James Darrah, John Churchwell, Nino Sanikidze, Tamara Sanikidze, Giuseppe Mentuccia, Nils Neubert, and Mary Collier.

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES

A concert of staged opera scenes
A fully-staged opera production at Santa Barbara's 1,500-seat Granada Theatre. The 2018 opera production will be Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro."
Public masterclasses
The opportunity to compete in the prestigious Marilyn Horne Song Competition. Winners receive $5,000, a national recital tour including a commissioned world premiere, career consultation with 21C Media Group, a professional photo shoot, and more!

“My Music Academy experience was life changing. I have seen so much growth in myself as a musician as well as the other fellows around me. This is a summer I will never forget.” — 2016 Fellow

REQUIREMENTS & DEADLINES

APPLICATION FEE
NEW! $50 (reduced) for fall applicants, and $75 for spring applicants (non-refundable)
Application deadlines are through 11:59 pm Pacific Time

AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR ENROLLMENT
Minimum age is 18
Maximum age is 34 (27 for string players)

ALUMNI
All alumni are welcome to re-apply. Enrollment is limited to a maximum of three summers for all studios.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
2018 Voice, Vocal Piano, and Collaborative applications are due October 23, 2017, and will receive admissions results in early December.

Voice Program applicants must first submit a Pre-Screening Round recording as part of the online application. Applicants will be notified by the first week of November if they have been advanced to the Live Audition Round.

NEW! International Voice Program Applicants: those residing overseas (outside North America) at the time of the auditions may submit a video upload audition in lieu of a live audition, if advanced to the Live Audition Round.

PRE-SCREENING RECORDING ROUND
The following two selections must be uploaded as audio or audio/video files within the online application:

1 opera aria
1 art song

INVITATION-ONLY LIVE AUDITION ROUND
The following four selections:

2 contrasting opera arias
2 art songs, one of which must be in English
Singers must demonstrate in their audition a thorough understanding of the character, dramatic situation, and meaning of each aria or song text.

The Music Academy provides the piano partner for the Live Round audition.

Singers not cast in the opera will enjoy other significant performance opportunities.