Conductor Nicholas McGegan Returns to the Music Academy

Conductor Nicholas McGegan will bring his trademark infectious energy to Santa Barbara's First Presbyterian Church on Saturday, August 3, for an enjoyable evening of Classical and Baroque treasures with members of the Academy Festival Orchestra. Featuring the suite from Rameau's Platée, and pair of works by Vivaldi (Concerto for Violin and Echo, and Concerto for Violin, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, and 2 Bassoons), and Haydn's Symphony No. 100, Military, the concert will begin at 8 pm. Tickets cost $45.

Renowned for his irrepressible wit and vivacity as an interpreter of a wide range of classical music, Mr. McGegan has earned wide acclaim for performances that match authority with enthusiasm, and curatorial responsibility with evangelical exuberance. Last season he led the Academy Chamber Orchestra in one of the most talked-about performances of the 2012 Festival. Mr. McGegan serves as music director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (PBO) in San Francisco, where hechampions Baroque masters such as Handel, Rameau, Bach, and Vivaldi. According to The New York Times, "When it comes to conveying the vital spark in Handel's music, Mr. McGegan has few peers." His repertoire also encompasses Mozart and Haydn, the complete symphonies of Beethoven, and extends to Stravinsky, Britten, Tippett, and Glass.

Mr. McGegan has established the PBO as the leading period performance ensemble in the United States, positioning it at the forefront of the "historical" movement worldwide thanks to notable appearances at Carnegie Hall, the London Proms, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the International Handel Festival Gottingen, where he was artistic director for 20 years. In Gottingen and with the PBO he has defined an approach to period style that sets the current standard: probing, serious but undogmatic, cognizant that the music of the past doesn't belong in a museum or in academia but in vigorous engagement with an audience, for pleasure and delight on both sides of the platform edge.

Active in opera as well as the concert hall, Mr. McGegan was principal conductor at Sweden's Drottningholm Court Theatre from 1993 to 1996, running the annual festival there. He has also guest-conducted symphony orchestras including the New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong philharmonics, as well as opera orchestras including Covent Garden, San Francisco, and Washington.

Mr. McGegan's discography of more than 100 releases includes the world premiere recording of Handel's Susanna, which garnered both a Gramophone Award and a Grammy nomination. Among his other rediscoveries is the first performance in modern times of Handel's masterly but mislaid Gloria. And he has broken new ground in experimental dance-collaborations with Mark Morris, notably at festivals including Edinburgh, Ravinia, and Mostly Mozart in New York.

First Presbyterian Church is located at 21 East Constance Avenue in Santa Barbara. The concert is supported by a gift from Robert W. Weinman.

Remaining highlights of the Music Academy's 2013 season include an ambitious new production of Mozart's beloved operaThe Magic Flute, as well as performances by violinist Midori and conductor James Gaffigan. Featuring the Academy's exceptionally talented Fellows, together with illustrious guest performers and faculty, the events are being presented at the Academy's scenic Miraflores campus and in venues throughout Santa Barbara. The Music Academy's 66th annual Summer Festival concludes August 10.

For tickets and information, call 805.969.8787. Information is also available online at www.musicacademy.org.

Founded in 1947, the Music Academy of the West is among the nation's preeminent summer schools and festivals for gifted young classical musicians. The Academy provides these promising musicians with the opportunity for advanced study and frequent performance under the guidance of internationally renowned faculty artists, guest conductors, and soloists. Admission to the Academy is strictly merit based, and Fellows receive full scholarships (tuition, room, and board). Academy alumni are members of major symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, ensembles, opera companies, and university and conservatory faculties throughout the world. Many enjoy careers as prominent solo artists. Based in Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West presents more than 200 public events annually, including performances by faculty, visiting artists, and Fellows; masterclasses; orchestra and chamber music concerts; and fully staged opera. The Music Academy began broadcasting live, high-definition simulcasts by the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera at Hahn Hall in October 2008. For more information, visit www.musicacademy.org.