Music Academy of the West to Present Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE, Begin. 8/2

The Music Academy of the West will present a fully staged production of Mozart's timeless operatic masterpiece The Magic Flute - Santa Barbara's first in 15 years - at the Granada Theatre on Friday, August 2, and Sunday, August 4. Performances will take place at 7:30 pm on August 2 and at 2:30 pm on August 4. Tickets start at $15.

Academy Faculty member and acclaimed pianist Warren Jones will serve as conductor; David Paul, a Juilliard faculty member who oversaw the Music Academy's well-received production of The Rake's Progress last summer, will direct. The 23 Academy Fellows who will perform in the production - chosen from among nearly 600 applicants as part of the Academy's Voice Program audition process - represent some of today's finest young singing talent. The 45-member opera orchestra will consist of Music Academy instrumental Fellows. The production will be overseen by legendary mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, who has directed the Academy's renowned Voice Program since 1997.

Since its premiere in Vienna on September 30, 1791, The Magic Flute has become the world's most frequently performed opera. Boasting an astonishing cast of creatures and what is perhaps the art form's most popular aria (by the Queen of the Night), Mozart's final opera is endlessly inventive, charmingly fantastical, and utterly unique, blending myth, magic, and an extraordinary variety of tuneful music in a tale of romantic love and spiritual transcendence. "The Magic Flute is simply a masterpiece, and it's fresh every time you hear it! It's a great opera for the entire family," exclaimed Ms.Horne.

The Academy's production will be sung in German with English dialogue and supertitles. In addition to Music Academy Voice and Instrumental Fellows, it will feature three performers from the Los AngeLes Children's Chorus as well as ambitious staging, according to set designer Charlie Corcoran, whose credits include a recent Juilliard/Metropolitan Opera production of Mozart's Così fan tutte. "David Paul and I are approaching this production with two goals in mind: to make it 'magical' and to create the sense of a fairy tale," he explained.

Mr. Jones has been a Festival favorite since joining the Music Academy faculty in 1993. Selected to receive the 2011 Achievement Award from the Music Teachers National Association - the organization's highest honor - he serves as principal pianist with Camerata Pacifica and frequently performs with many of today's top artists. He has appeared in recital at Carnegie Hall and throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, and South America. Also a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music, Mr. Jones previously served as assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera (10 years) and San Francisco Opera (three years). His 26 recordings for all the major labels include Grammy-nominated CDs with Samuel Ramey and Håkan Hagegård. Mr. Jones currently directs the Academy's Vocal Piano and Interpretation Program. He made his Music Academy conducting debut in the Academy's production of The Barber of Seville in 2011.

Mr. Paul has worked as a director on operatic and theatrical stages throughout the United States and abroad. The New York Times hailed his recent production of Rossini's one-act operas La cambiale di matrimonio and La scala di seta at Juilliard, praising its "irresistible energy and charm." His extensive credits include a critically lauded production of Le nozze di Figaro for Washington National Opera, Walton's The Bear at the Tel Aviv Summer Opera Festival, Così fan tutte for Westminster Choir College, and The Magic Flute for the Intermezzo Festival in Belgium. The past season saw him return to North Carolina Opera for a production of Aida featuring Angela Brown in the title role. Continuing his affiliation with the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, he also directed several operatic scenes for the program's annual performance in March.

The Granada Theatre is located at 1216 State Street in Santa Barbara. The Magic Flute is the 2013 Irene Cummings Endowed Opera production at the Music Academy of the West.

Remaining highlights of the Music Academy's 2013 season include performances by violinist Midori, as well as conducting turns by Tito Muñoz, James Gaffigan, and Nicholas McGegan. 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.

Photo Courtesy of The Music Academy of the West