Music Academy of the West Announces 2026 Summer Music Festival & School
By Afton Markay(Photo credit: Music Academy of the West)
The Music Academy of the West announces its 2026 Summer Music Festival and School under the theme, “American Mosaic.”
Here’s a look at the classical voice events.
“Oh Beautiful: Songs from Home” features the Music Academy’s Lehrer Vocal Institute fellows performing art songs from their native land.
Performance Date: July 1, 2026
The Lehrer Vocal Institute Masterclass Series features clinicians Paul Curran, John Churchwell, Sasha Cooke, Stephanie Blythe, and Martin Katz.
Performance Dates: July 9 – August 6, 2026
Missy Mazzoli’s “In Her Own Words” features vocal performances by soprano fellow Tracy Waagner with pianist Nino Sanikidze.
Performance Date: July 10, 2026
Lehrer Vocal Institute fellows perform in “The Art of the Duet,” featuring opera scenes reimagined by director Paul Curran.
Performance Date: July 14, 2026
Sasha Cooke performs in Jasmine Arielle Barnes’ “American Lament.”
Performance Date: July 18, 2026
Soprano fellows Jordan Twaddle and Tracy Waagner present Shostakovich’s “Seven Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok.”
Performance Date: July 23, 2026
Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s “Elizabeth Cree” is directed by Luisa Muller and conducted by Benjamin Manis.
Performance Dates: July 23 & 26, 2026
The concert, “Mirrors, Mars & Eternity” stars tenor fellows Chris Leimgruber and Alec Fore with instrumentalists John Churchwell, Robyn Bollinger, and Alan Stepansky, as well as mezzo-soprano fellow Maiya Williams with instrumentalist Milan Milisavljević and Tamar Sanikidze.
Performance Date: July 30, 2026
Mosher Guest Artist, Stephanie Blythe performs with select fellows in an all-American program of 1930’s selections from the Great American Songbook and Tin Pan Alley, paired with Alan Louis Smith’s “Vignettes: Ellis Island.”
Performance Date: August 4, 2026
The Marilyn Horne Song Competition takes place.
Performance Date: August 7, 2026
Audra Mcdonald stars in the Music Note Gala.
Performance Date: August 14, 2026
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