Music Academy of the West

Beloved folk songs. A world premiere. A secret melody revealed.
Acclaimed violist Richard O’Neill and pianist-composer August Baik open the Mariposa Series with a vivid, deeply personal program about heritage, memory, and the music that lives beneath the surface. Baik’s new work draws on Korean folk songs, while Britten’s haunting Lachrymae slowly reveals a hidden song by John Dowland. Rzewski’s “Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues” transforms a folk song made famous by Pete Seeger and transforms it into a virtuosic tour de force.
The evening culminates in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s sweeping Sonata in G Minor, arranged for viola by O’Neill — a passionate, cinematic work that has shaped both artists’ lives. For Baik, it was the first major duo sonata he studied; for O’Neill, it has remained a lifelong companion since learning it during a formative and deeply emotional summer at the Music Academy under legendary mentor Donald McInnes. Returning to the sonata over the years has revealed new layers of meaning and connection, reminding both musicians that while life changes, great music evolves alongside us.
Together, O’Neill and Baik create a powerful journey of discovery and transformation, where old songs become new again.

Local Event: Tradition Transformed: Rachmaninoff, Britten & Baik

Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara

California

Tradition Transformed: Rachmaninoff, Britten &...

Beloved folk songs. A world premiere. A secret melody revealed.
Acclaimed violist Richard O’Neill and pianist-composer August...

Tradition Transformed: Rachmaninoff, Britten & Baik

Classical music with a comic twist.
Cellist, filmmaker, and Music Academy alum Nicholas Canellakis (’01) joins pianist-composer Michael Stephen Brown for an unforgettable evening that seamlessly blends chamber music, comedy, and film, including Canellakis’ short film My New Cello.
Expect moments of genuine laughter as best friends Nicholas and Michael captivate audiences with their signature comedic timing and wit. Their massively popular short films, along with their onstage rapport, are seamlessly woven into a thrilling program that includes Chopin, Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Gershwin, and their own original compositions and folk arrangements — all with the quick wit and creative spark that have made their comedy films an online sensation.

Local Event: Humor & Harmony: The Canellakis-brown Duo

Humor & Harmony: The Canellakis-brown Duo

Classical music with a comic twist.
Cellist, filmmaker, and Music Academy alum Nicholas Canellakis (’01) joins pianist-composer...

Journey through the changing light of a single day in a program that moves from sunrise to moonlit night.
The Maple Quartet, the Music Academy’s 2026 Emerging Artists String Quartet, joins sisters and Music Academy alums Julie Albers and Rebecca Albers for a luminous evening shaped by nature, time, and transformation. Following a successful summer 2026 residency under the guidance of The Takács Quartet, the Maple Quartet brings together four rising artists celebrated for their artistry, dedication, and shared vision of chamber music as a deeply collaborative art form.
One of Haydn’s radiant “Sun” quartets, Op. 20, No. 6, opens the program with warmth and brilliance. A world premiere by Maple Quartet’s John Crowley draws listeners into the shifting phases of the moon. The Albers sisters will join the Quartet for Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht — a lush, romantic masterpiece glowing with longing, intimacy, and breathtaking beauty.

Local Event: Chasing The Sun: Maple Quartet & The Albers Sisters

Chasing The Sun: Maple Quartet & The Albers...

Journey through the changing light of a single day in a program that moves from sunrise to moonlit night.
The Maple Quartet,...

Chasing The Sun: Maple Quartet & The Albers Sisters

Flutist and creative storyteller Annie Wu invites audiences into Not Too Sweet, an intimate hour-long evening where music, memory, and personal storytelling meet.
Inspired by the cheeky Chinese phrase for the perfect dessert, Not Too Sweet blends exquisite works by Fauré, Sibelius, Dvořák, and more with reflections on childhood, nostalgia, and life’s bittersweet turning points. The result is a delicate, deeply personal program that lingers like a favorite memory.
Featuring special chocolate pairings by Santa Barbara chocolatier Chocolate Maya, this one-of-a-kind performance combines music, stories, and just the right amount of sweetness.

Local Event: Not Too Sweet: A Storytelling Show By Annie Wu

Not Too Sweet: A Storytelling Show By Annie Wu

Flutist and creative storyteller Annie Wu invites audiences into Not Too Sweet, an intimate hour-long evening where music,...