“African Queens” jump-starts MAW series

The Music Academy of the West third Mariposa Concert Series, concerts and performances – each with a connection to at least one MAW alum – at Hahn Hall on the Miraflores campus is presenting its most ambitious season yet. The array of visionary artists, with a repertoire that spans more than 700 years, most assuredly furthers MAW’s mission to expand beyond the summer festival and bring exceptional music to the community throughout the year.

The 2024-25 series launches Oct. 5 with “African Queens,” an evening-length vocal recital by soprano Karen Slack and pianist Kevin Miller of new art songs celebrating the history and legacy of seven actual African queens, weaving a historical narrative through the pieces written by some of today’s most acclaimed composers, including three recent Music Academy guest composers in Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Simon and Joel Thompson. The highly prized contemporary music specialist JACK Quartet, who played multiple concerts at the Ojai Festival a couple of years back, is next on Dec. 7. The ensemble founded by Music Academy alum Ari Streisfeld will present “Modern Medieval,” a program exploring the work of long-past European composers through the lens of contemporary American composers.

Feb. 17, 2025, brings a chamber program performed by members of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) collaborating with celebrated Music Academy Exchange (MAX) alums, continuing the LSO & MAW six-year partnership. The event precedes the LSO’s concert for CAMA the next night at the Granada. The Mariposa series closes on March 10 with yMusic, the American chamber ensemble that features MAW trumpet alum CJ Camerieri in a continuation of its collaboration with California composer Gabriella Smith, including a world premiere piece inviting commune with the fragile beauty of the natural world.

Tickets go on sale Sept. 4. Visit www.MusicAcademy.org.