That’s a Lot of Litter
By Richard Mineards   |   March 5, 2024

It’s undoubtedly one of our Eden by the Beach’s most expensive properties. An 11-acre Hope Ranch oceanside estate, consisting of three parcels, is up for grabs for $88 million. It was formerly owned by an old friend, Betty Stephens, whose husband founded Jonny Cat litter, and has a 7,265 square foot main house built in […]

A Romantic Serenade
By Richard Mineards   |   February 27, 2024

It was the musical version of pouring a gallon into a pint pot when Santa Barbara Symphony under maestro Nir Kabaretti performed “Serenade for Romance” at the 604-seat Lobero, having moved the show from the 1,553-seat Granada after a sprinkler mishap soaked the capacious stage. The decidedly cozy concert featured violinist Sirena Huang, artist-in-residence for […]

 

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Lotusland Love
By Richard Mineards   |   February 27, 2024

Romance was definitely in the air when Lotusland, the 37-acre Montecito botanical paradise, hosted a Valentine’s Day event for 25 couples, one of whom was enjoying their 51st big day together. The tony twosomes quaffed flutes of champagne and enjoyed the self-guided tour of the exquisite gardens accompanied by flamenco-Latino music from Santa Barbara guitarist […]

The Universal Language
By Richard Mineards   |   February 27, 2024

It wasn’t exactly Dr. Dolittle, but Montecito oceanographer resident Dove Joans, who writes under the pseudonym Dolphingirl, claims to be able to communicate with animals, particularly whales and dolphins. In 2019, she wrote We Are the Ocean: 50 Waves to Wonder! and has just published the second edition of Dolphin Talk, which she wrote in […]

Harpsichord in the Hall
By Richard Mineards   |   February 27, 2024

Camerata Pacifica debuted its latest import-flutist Sébastian Jacot in a most impressive concert at the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall, with a program including music by Bach, Haydn, and Jolivet. Geneva-born Jacot, who began studying music at the age of six, also holds the position as principal flute at the prestigious Berliner Philharmoniker. He plays a […]

Super Bowl Party Pile Up
By Richard Mineards   |   February 20, 2024

Sports fans galore descended on the George Washington Smith Montecito estate of technology executive Howard Cannon, just a tiara’s toss from the home of singer Katy Perry and her British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom, for Cannon’s popular seventh annual Super Bowl party. With commercial time during the CBS broadcast of the matchup between the Kansas […]

A Verdi Good Show
By Richard Mineards   |   February 20, 2024

Opera Santa Barbara’s newest production – Verdi’s historical melodrama Il Trovatore, a story of superstition, revenge, and ill-fated love in medieval Spain, including the famous “Anvil Chorus” – was an absolute delight. Featuring a powerhouse cast at the Lobero with tenor Harold Meers, soprano Karin Wolverton, baritone Timothy Mix, bass Andrew Potter, with mezzo soprano […]

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  • A Heartfelt Lunch
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 20, 2024

    The three-year-old charity Hearts Aligned, which supports critically ill children, had a record sold-out turnout for its second annual Hearts to Hearts Valentine’s lunch at the oceanside Cabrillo Pavilion. More than 180 guests raised around $150,000 for the organization founded by Vivian Solodkin who, along with David Edelman and Brigitte Welty, co-chaired the boffo bash. […]

    New Chief Artistic Officer Appointed
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 20, 2024

    Montecito’s Music Academy has appointed Nate Bachhuber as Chief Artistic Officer. He is recognized for his collaborative and strategic approach to artistic planning with prestigious performing arts organizations, including the L.A. Philharmonic, and St. Louis and Cincinnati symphony orchestras. Bachhuber has wide experience in public relations and digital strategy at New York’s Carnegie Hall and […]

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    A Seaside Silver Jubilee
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 13, 2024

    Montecito’s Friendship Center, founded in 1976 and now with a satellite location in Goleta, marked the Silver Jubilee of its annual Festival of Hearts with a seaside elegance-themed lunch at the Rosewood Miramar for 230 guests. The lunch raised around $75,000 for the nonprofit, which offers supervised and engaging activities for adults living with dementia […]

    Around the World with Renée
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 13, 2024

    Singer Renée Fleming, who has performed at the world’s greatest opera houses and concert halls, was at the top of her game when she made her second appearance as part of UCSB’s Arts & Lectures series at the Arlington, after the performance was switched from the Granada following the sprinkler disaster. Fleming, who became the […]

    Far Fung Fun
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 13, 2024

    The week kicked off with another UCSB Arts & Lectures concert at the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall with cellist Zlatomir Fung and pianist Benjamin Hochman with a mixed program featuring works by Britten, Schumann, Tsintsadze, and Marshall Estrin, a longtime collaborator of Fung’s. Estrin’s composition “Cinematheque” was based on the creative pair’s mutual love of […]

    The Moving ‘Willesden Lane’
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 13, 2024

    Ensemble Theatre Company’s latest New Vic production The Pianist of Willesden Lane, a true story about a young Jewish musician navigating the Nazi regime in Vienna and London during the Blitzkrieg, is a truly thought-provoking show. Told by Mona Golabek, a world-renowned Grammy nominated pianist and the daughter of Lisa Jura – a pianist who, […]

    Heading Home
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 13, 2024

    Prince Harry is flying home to London to be with his father King Charles III, 75, in the wake of His Majesty’s cancer diagnosis. The Duke of Sussex, 35, left for Windsor Castle on Monday and has already spoken to the monarch following his diagnosis, according to the New York Post’s Page Six. Harry’s wife, […]

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