Music Academy of the West Announces Mariposa Concert Series 2025-2026
One-of-a-kind intimate concerts and experiences showcasing world-renowned musicians and Music Academy alums this fall through spring 2026.
SERIES TICKETS ON SALE NOW
August 8, 2025 (Santa Barbara, CA) — The Music Academy of the West proudly announces the 2025-2026 Mariposa Concert Series, a collection of intimate musical experiences held in Hahn Hall on the Academy’s Miraflores campus in Montecito. The series furthers the Academy’s mission to bring exceptional music to the community throughout the year by showcasing the artistry of world-renowned musicians, including esteemed Music Academy alums.
The Mariposa Concert Series initiative is generously supported by Kandy Budgor; Luria/Budgor Family Foundation.
The Music Academy’s 2025 Emerging Artists String Quartet, Prometheus Quartet, opens the series on October 17. On November 19, acclaimed pianist and Academy teaching artist Conor Hanick joins the Academy’s 2025 Alumni Performance Award winner clarinetist Gerbrich Meijer for a bold recital, including a world premiere by Derek Bermel, commissioned by the Academy.
The series continues in 2026 with the Lark, Roman & Meyer Trio — violinist Tessa Lark, cellist and Music Academy alum Joshua Roman, and double bassist Edgar Meyer — performing on January 8 in a thrilling program that explores the fusion of classical and folk traditions. The season concludes on April 2 and 3, with two back-to-back concerts featuring the New York Philharmonic String Quartet who are joined by pianist and Music Academy alum Han Chen on night two.
2025–2026 MARIPOSA CONCERT SERIES
All performances held in Hahn Hall at 7:30 PM
Wine receptions begin at 6:30 PM
PROMETHEUS QUARTET
2025 Emerging Artists String Quartet
Fri, Oct 17, 2025 · 7:30 PM | Hahn Hall
ARTISTS
Roger Shao violin (’25)
Anthony Chan violin (’24, ’25)
Brian Jennings viola (’25)
Wilson Vanderslice cello (’25
Meet the Prometheus Quartet — an ensemble of exceptional young Music Academy alums selected as the Academy’s inaugural Emerging Artists String Quartet. These four rising stars were chosen through a national search for their brilliance, dedication, and shared vision of chamber music as a deeply collaborative art form. United in the fall of 2023 at The Juilliard School, the Prometheus Quartet is a New York City-based string quartet inspired by the myth of Prometheus, striving to bring the gift of music to others.
As part of their fall 2025 performance, the Prometheus Quartet will present a program shaped by blueprints — exploring how musical scores are blueprints of the composers’ intentions that last over centuries. Beethoven’s String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6, provides a foundation which inspired Caroline Shaw’s Blueprint, a contemporary piece connecting past and present. Join us as we welcome back our Emerging String Quartet Artists.
PROGRAM
CAROLINE SHAW Blueprint
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6
FELIX MENDELSSOHN String Quartet No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 44, No. 2
HANICK & MEIJER
Alumni Performance Awardee Showcase
Wed, Nov 19, 2025 · 7:30 PM | Hahn Hall
Featuring a Derek Bermel world premiere
ARTISTS
Gerbrich Meijer clarinet (‘20, ‘21, ‘22)
Conor Hanick piano
Music Academy alum and clarinetist Gerbrich Meijer, winner of the Academy’s 2025 Alumni Performance Award, sponsored by the Luria/Budgor Family Foundation, returns to Hahn Hall for a boldly personal recital alongside acclaimed pianist and Music Academy teaching artist Conor Hanick. This thoughtfully curated program features the world premiere of a new Music Academy commission by composer Derek Bermel, along with 20th-century masterworks, and explores the clarinet’s full expressive range — lyrical, playful, and profound.
As part of their fall 2025 performance, the Prometheus Quartet will present a program shaped by blueprints — exploring how musical scores are blueprints of the composers’ intentions that last over centuries. Beethoven’s String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 18, No. 6, provides a foundation which inspired Caroline Shaw’s Blueprint, a contemporary piece connecting past and present. Join us as we welcome back our Emerging String Quartet Artists.
PROGRAM
MIECZYSŁAW WEINBERG Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 28
MARIE ELISABETH VON SACHSEN-MEININGEN Romanze in F Major
FRANCIS POULENC Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, FP 184
DEREK BERMEL [New Work] World Premiere – Music Academy Commission
BÉLA KOVÁCS Sholem-alekhem, rov Feidman!
LARK, ROMAN & MEYER TRIO
Thu, Jan 8, 2026 · 7:30 PM | Hahn Hall
ARTISTS
Tessa Lark violin
Joshua Roman cello (’02)
Edgar Meyer double bass
Three boundary-pushing artists — Grammy-nominated violinist Tessa Lark, cellist and Music Academy alum Joshua Roman, and Grammy Award-winning double bassist Edgar Meyer, a Music Academy 2019 Mosher Guest Artist — join forces for a genre-defying evening of chamber music. With roots in classical, folk, jazz, and bluegrass, this powerhouse trio brings dazzling virtuosity and deep musical curiosity to the stage. Their improvisational spirit and shared commitment to musical storytelling create a dynamic performance that’s both refined and refreshingly unexpected
PROGRAM
J.S. BACH Sonata for Viola da Gamba in G Major, BWV 1027
EDGAR MEYER Trio 1986 | Trio 2024 | Trio 1988
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC STRING QUARTET, Night 1
Thu, Apr 2, 2026 · 7:30 PM | Hahn Hall
ARTISTS
Frank Huang violin (’98, ’99)
Qianqian Li violin
Cynthia Phelps viola (’79)
Carter Brey cello
The renowned New York Philharmonic String Quartet debuts at the Music Academy bringing its signature precision, passion, and power to Hahn Hall for an unforgettable evening of masterworks. Featuring Music Academy alum and teaching artist violist Cynthia Phelps, alum violinist Frank Huang, and stand-outs violinist Qianqian Li and cellist Carter Brey, don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the artistry of one of the world’s premier string quartets in an intimate setting.
PROGRAM
W.A. MOZART Adagio and Fugue in C Minor, K. 546
FELIX MENDELSSOHN String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44, No. 1
FRANZ SCHUBERT String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 88
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC STRING QUARTET with HAN CHEN piano, Night 2
Fri, Apr 3, 2026 · 7:30 PM | Hahn Hall
ARTISTS
Frank Huang violin (’98, ’99)
Qianqian Li violin
Cynthia Phelps viola (’79)
Carter Brey cello
Han Chen piano (’15)
Music Academy alum and pianist Han Chen, praised for his brilliant technique and adventurous spirit, returns to Hahn Hall for a special chamber music evening alongside the New York Philharmonic String Quartet. This collaborative program highlights the intimacy and intricacy of chamber music at its finest. With Chen’s expressive artistry and the quartet’s exceptional synergy, this concert promises to close the Mariposa Concert Series with warmth, depth, and brilliance.
PROGRAM
W. A. MOZART Duo No. 1 for Violin and Viola in G Major, K. 423
ERNST VON DOHNÁNYI Serenade for String Trio in C Major, Op. 10
JOHANNES BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the Mariposa Concert Series range from $55-$75 per single event, and $244-$284 (20% discount) when subscribing to the five-concert series package.
Tickets are on sale online at musicacademy.org and by phone at 805-969-8787, Monday-Friday, 10 am to 5 pm. The Music Academy is committed to ensuring the Santa Barbara community has access to music through $10 Community Access Tickets, subject to availability. Plus, young people ages 7-17 can receive a ticket free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
Each concert will include a pre-concert wine reception at 6:30 pm. For more information, visit musicacademy.org/mariposa.
THE VENUE
Known as Miraflores, the Music Academy of the West’s 10-acre campus was originally the estate of John Percival Jefferson. Its spectacular grounds and gardens are a serene space to gather before performances in the intimate Hahn Hall, which The Santa Barbara Independent calls an “ultra-luxurious jewel-box venue,” and the Los Angeles Times says “nothing gets between music and the ear.” Free, ample parking is available on campus.
ABOUT THE MUSIC ACADEMY OF THE WEST
Located in Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West provides classically trained musicians and diverse audiences with transformative educational and performance experiences. The Music Academy’s programs include an annual eight-week Summer School & Music Festival which trains up to 150 fellows ages 18-34 and presents more than 130 performances and events, competitions, and a fully staged opera; Sing!, a children’s choir that performs with local, national, and international partners; and the year-round Mariposa Concert Series featuring performances by Academy-affiliated artists. The 2026 Summer Festival & School takes place June 16 through August 9, 2026. Learn more at musicacademy.org.
For hi-res images, access the Mariposa Concert Series PRESS KIT
Press Contacts
Kerry Allen
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Music Academy of the West
kallen@musicacademy.org
805‐895-9491
Kate Oberjat
Senior Director, Marketing & Communications
Music Academy of the West
koberjat@musicacademy.org
805‐895-7908