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July 31, 2025 (Santa Barbara, CA) — The Music Academy of the West is proud to announce the winners of its two premier summer competitions: the Duo Competition and the Marilyn Horne Song Competition, recognizing the extraordinary artistry and collaboration of its 2025 fellows. These cornerstone events of the Summer Music Festival & School offer young musicians a platform to shine through world-class performance, interpretation, and musical partnership.
2025 DUO COMPETITION
The Duo Competition highlighted the collaborative artistry between instrumental fellows and collaborative piano fellows with a focus on sonata repertoire. Awards were presented in two categories: Strings and Wind & Brass. Each winning musician received a $2,500 cash award and will perform in the Duo & Song Competition Winners Recital on Friday, August 8 at 7:30 PM at the Lobero Theatre.
The winners from the finals held on July 25th were:
The collaborative piano teaching artist — Jonathan Feldman, Natasha Kislenko, and Margaret MacDonald — adjudicated the preliminary round and provided coaching leading up to the finals. The final round was adjudicated by a panel that included Matthew Aucoin, composer/conductor and a 2018 MacArthur Fellow; Kevin Fitz-Gerald, USC Thornton School of Music professor and pianist; David Garcia, principal trombone at the Zürich Opera House; flutist Marianne Gedigian, Shepherd School of Music at Rice University faculty member; and violinist Maia Jasper White, Music Academy alumnus and co-founder and executive director of Salastina chamber ensemble.The Duo Competition was generously endowed by Leslie and Phil Bernstein, with awards sponsored by Joan Davidson.
2025 MARILYN HORNE SONG COMPETITION
The Marilyn Horne Song Competition showcased the collaborative excellence of the Lehrer Vocal Institute fellows — pairing vocal fellows with vocal piano fellows in performances of art song repertoire. One singer and one pianist were selected on July 29. The winners each received a $2,500 cash award and will perform in the Duo & Song Competition Winners Recital on Friday, August 8 at 7:30 PM at the Lobero Theatre.
The competition winners:
The competition was founded in 1997 by legendary mezzo-soprano and Music Academy alum Marilyn Horne, who served as the Academy’s Director of Voice for over two decades. Her legacy continues through this beloved tradition that celebrates the profound connection between singer and pianist.
Open to all vocal and vocal piano fellows, the competition emphasizes interpretive depth, storytelling, and expressive partnership. Participants were paired through a random drawing before the start of the summer and worked together to develop a program that met specific artistic and repertoire guidelines.
The competition was adjudicated by a distinguished panel that included Brad Moore, Music Director of the Maryland Opera and former Head of Music Staff at Houston Grand Opera; alumnus Ed Parks, Grammy Award-winning baritone and Metropolitan Opera artist; Kamala Sankaram, award-winning composer, performer, and faculty member at The Juilliard School.
“These competitions celebrate everything the Music Academy stands for — excellence, collaboration, and the remarkable artistry of the next generation,” said Nate Bachhuber, Chief Artistic Officer for the Music Academy. “We are thrilled to honor the talent and dedication of our fellows and look forward to the journeys ahead for each of the winners.”
View the complete list of 2025 Duo Competition finalists.
View the complete list of 2025 Marilyn Horne Song Competition participants.
Tickets for the Duo & Song Competition Winners Recital on August 8 are available at musicacademy.org.
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 120 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 2025 Summer Festival & School takes place June 15 through August 9, 2025. Learn more at musicacademy.org.
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