Name: Teaching Artists Showcase: Mozart & Ravel
Start: 2025-06-26T19:30:00
Location: Lobero Theatre

The Music Academy's Summer Music Festival, nestled in the vibrant heart of downtown Santa Barbara, brings an exquisite array of chamber music to life through the talents of the renowned Takács Quartet and the masterful teaching artists. This year, celebrate the Takács Quartet's 50th Anniversary and experience the artistry of musicians like Sasha Cooke and Jeremy Denk. Later, the Takács Quartet will also grace Philadelphia with a rich tapestry of compositions, including works by Beethoven, Haydn, Janáček, and a new piece by Clarice Assad.

A Symphony of Strings: The Takács Quartet and Teaching Artists Illuminate Santa Barbara and Philadelphia

June 2025 promises a cultural explosion at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, CA. The month kicks off with Matt Stone's electrifying tribute to Elvis, followed by the exuberant dance spectacle, The Voltage Gala. Rock, folk, chamber music, and dance enthusiasts alike will find their spirits lifted with performances by Jackson Browne, the Takács Quartet, and many more. Read on to discover the captivating details of each event that make this lineup a must-attend.

Unveiling the Artistic Wonders of the Lobero Theatre: A June to Remember

Sasha Cooke

Jeremy Denk

Julie Albers

Richie Hawley

Music Academy Of The West

Lobero Theatre

Takács Quartet

Prometheus Quartet

In our ‘Journey through Jazz!’ residency program, students are taken on a musical and narrative trek from early Dixieland to today’s Fusion jazz, while learning basic singing and performance skills, jazz terms, American jazz history, and ethnic/music diversity. The residency closes with a school assembly and performance, and a FREE public performance at the historic Lobero Theatre!

Journey through Jazz

Booker T. Jones is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, and arranger. Best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.’s, he has worked with countless award-winning artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Jones is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Musicians Hall of Fame inductee, GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and arguably the most famous Hammond B3 player in history. He continues to record and tour internationally, both as a solo artist and as head of the Booker T’s Stax Revue.

Booker T. Jones

With five GRAMMYS®, 14 Blues Foundation Awards, and a groundbreaking career spanning nearly 50 years under his belt, Keb’ Mo’ stands as one of the most accomplished and respected artists working in contemporary roots music today. Keb’ got his start working behind the scenes as a guitarist, songwriter, and arranger before breaking out internationally with the release of his 1994 self-titled debut, which earned widespread acclaim for its genre-bending take on old school sounds.

Keb’ Mo’

Having chalked up more than fifty years at the peak of the music and entertainment industry, Justin Hayward’s voice and guitar playing has been heard the world over. Known principally as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer for The Moody Blues, he is an enduring talent that has helped to define the times in which he worked.

Possessing one of the most distinctive voices in rock music, as well as being the driving force behind The Moody Blues, Justin penned classics like “Nights in White Satin,” “Question,” “New Horizons,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Story In Your Eyes,” “The Voice,” and “Your Wildest Dreams.”

Over the last five and a half decades, the band has sold upwards of fifty-five million albums and, along with Justin as a solo artist and writer, received numerous awards. The Moody Blues was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, whilst Justin was personally honored in 2022 with an OBE. He’ll be performing with a full band, holding a live Q & A, and sharing stories from his seminal music career.

Justin Hayward

For nearly two decades Donavon Frankenreiter has been traveling the globe, first as a professional surfer and now as a musician. Born in Southern California, Donavon spent most of his youth chasing waves, turning pro at the age of 16.

These days instead of surf competitions, it’s concert halls that bring Frankenreiter to town, where he entertains audiences with his unique blend of laid-back grooves, philosophical lyrics and soulful delivery.

The Ask me Anything Tour is a seated, interactive, concert experience. Guests will be able to ask questions during the set, hear stories Donavon has never told before, come up on stage to jam for a song, request songs you’ve always wanted Donavon to play, and so much more.

Exclusive merch items, original paintings by Donavon, and clothing from The Barn 808 will be available! Don’t miss it!

Donavon Frankenreiter

Richard Thompson’s musical influence cannot be overstated. Having co-founded the groundbreaking group Fairport Convention as a teenager in the ‘60s, he and his bandmates invented the distinctive strain of British Folk Rock. Thompson, who has spent over 30 years as a highly successful solo artist, received an OBE (Order of the British Empire), has been hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “the finest rock songwriter after Dylan and the best electric guitarist since Hendrix,” and Rolling Stone has named him one of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time. The artist has received lifetime achievement awards for songwriting from the BBC Radio 2 Awards, the Americana Music Association, and was awarded the prestigious Ivor Novello Award.

A wide range of musicians have recorded Thompson’s songs including Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Jones, David Byrne, Don Henley, Los Lobos, and many more. His massive body of work includes many GRAMMY® nominated albums as well as numerous soundtracks. His genre defying mastery of both acoustic and electric guitar along with engaging energy and onstage wit continue to earn him new fans and a place as one of the most distinctive virtuosos and writers in Folk Rock history. In May of 2024, Thompson released the anticipated Ship To Shore, his first studio album in six years.

Zara Phillips is a singer/songwriter, actor, author, and activist. As an adoptee herself, much of her work is centered around the adoption world and is focused on improving understanding the lifelong impact of adoption. She is a mother of three and tours with her husband, musician Richard Thompson. She divides her time between London and New Jersey.

Richard Thompson with Zara Phillips

The Santa Barbara-based Doublewide Kings have earned their reputation as one of the South Coast’s most beloved live acts, delivering a unique blend of original music and classic covers that brings new energy to roots-rock, Americana, country-blues, and the glory days of ’70s FM radio. Known for their tight harmonies, masterful musicianship, and infectious stage presence, the Kings create a joyful, high-energy experience that keeps audiences dancing and singing along from the first note to the last.

This special evening supports the More Mesa Preservation Coalition, a dedicated group of concerned citizens working to preserve More Mesa as public open space. For over 25 years, MMPC has championed this treasured 325-acre coastal landscape, beloved by hikers, runners, beach goers, dog walkers, birdwatchers, cyclists, and equestrians.

More Mesa stands at a critical crossroads. While 36 acres were recently protected through a conservation easement, the remaining 265 acres of privately-owned land – including the entire coastal bluff-top – remains vulnerable to development and is currently on the market for $65 million. The More Mesa Preservation Coalition is now gearing up for an ambitious campaign to acquire and permanently protect More Mesa as public open space for current and future generations.

Doublewide Kings  Benefit Concert for the More Mesa Preservation Coalition

Travel with the Prime Time Band on a grand musical journey as you relive the grandeur of epic movie themes from the ’60s and ’70s. Award winning scores from such films as Lawrence of Arabia and Romeo and Juliet will thrill you, along with many other musical surprises from jazz and pop to classics. Discover Epic Journeys – Nostalgia and More in this FREE concert as dynamic director Dr. Paul Mori brings enthusiasm, charisma and energy to the podium.

Prime Time Band is a vibrant group of more than seventy-five amateur musicians (ages 40-90+) with a mission to provide free concerts for the greater Santa Barbara Community. Highlights of the 2026 concert schedule year include the 4th of July Concert at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, an outdoor September Stow House Concert, a November Fall Concert and a Downtown Holiday Concert and Sing-Along on the steps of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in December.

Prime Time Band Spring Concert: Legendary Movie Music and More

The band celebrates the 30th anniversary of their breakout album, Nerf Herder, rocking all tracks – plus, beloved fan favorites from their multi-album catalog.

Originally released on Joey Cape’s pioneering punk label My Records, the eponymous album told tales of absurd joy and self-deprecating humor through witty high-energy songs like, “Down On Haley” and “Diana.” Upon release, lead single “Van Halen” rose to the top on San Francisco’s Live105, then spread nationwide, making Billboard’s alternative chart. The album and band were soon snapped up by Clive Davis for his Arista Records. MTV videos for “Van Halen” and “Sorry” quickly followed, as did their theme for Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and national and international tours with Weezer, The Bloodhound Gang, and more.

Nerf Herder

Please join us for the feel-good event of the year-AHA!’s Sing It Out! A dozen teen performers take to the stage and bust out a solo song backed by a live band-truly a process of transformation. They learn to overcome fears and individual challenges and also learn to support their peers, accept support from peers and trusted adult facilitators and coaches, and to stand tall and sing their hearts open in the face of fear.

AHA! Sing It Out!

First-ever duo album, Memory Bank, became the longest-charting release at Americana radio and was the soundtrack to their sold-out North American tour, further affirming their unique synergy and appeal. The Never Going To Let You Go Tour brings Drew and Ellie back to those intimate, connection-driven evenings—melding original storytelling, harmony-rich performances, and the warmth that has made their music a fixture in fans’ hearts.

Drew & Ellie Holcomb

Greed, lust, and old-time religion burst into flames in Aldridge and Garfein’s gospel-infused opera, based on Sinclair Lewis’ satirical novel and the movie that won Burt Lancaster his first Oscar.

Elmer Gantry

Experience the Music Academy’s Summer Music Festival in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara as their unrivaled teaching artists bring chamber music treasures to life. Vibrant artistic conversations emerge as profound musical relationships unfold before your eyes and ears.

Teaching Artists Showcase: Mozart & Ravel

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