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- About Us
Beautiful Beachside Campus in Santa Barbara, CA.
- Programs
Summer Music Festival & School
- Perform in concerts, masterclasses, competitions & more
- Learn from the top teaching artists in the field
- Create a lifelong network of exceptional musicians
Sing!
- Tuition-free choral program for grades 1-10
- Foster a lifelong love for listening to and making music
- Admissions
2026 Summer Music Festival & School Admissions
Fellowship Institute
- Ages 18-34
- 6 Weeks
- Full-Scholarship
High School Intensive
- Ages 14-18
- 2 Weeks
- Tuition-Based
Teaching Artists
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Ticket Office
805-969-8787
ticketoffice@musicacademy.org
Return Ticket Hotline
805-565-5400Main Office
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Susan Berger
Board Member
Susan Black Berger spent 15 years in the financial services industry as an analyst and due diligence officer with various Los Angeles-based firms including Bateman Eichler, Citibank, Capital Group’s American Funds and Financial Network, before relocating to Philadelphia in 1995 to join Delaware funds.
Raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, Susan began her college journey at UMass Amherst before attending a theater program at Webster University in St. Louis. She graduated from the University of Southern California with dual degrees in Economics and East Asian Studies. After her children were of school-age, Susan returned to her entrepreneurial roots and pursued her love of food and catering first by working as a chef for Wolfgang Puck Catering and then starting her own catering business. As her children grew up, she shifted more of her time to volunteer work and philanthropy including working with The Fulfillment Fund.
She has also served on an advisory committee for the American Contemporary Ballet company in Los Angeles. Susan currently lives in Santa Bargara with her husband, where Susan has contributed her time and resources to various community organizations such as Newcomers, The Santa Barbara Symphony, Music Academy of the West, and The Women’s Fund. Susan and her husband have been members of the Young Presidents’ Organization for over 25 years. Susan enjoys tending to her micro-farm and cooking, biking, sailing, theater, music, and extensive travel.