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Music & Meditation Santa Barbara continues its Fall 2026 Season on Friday, October 23 at 2:00 PM at Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West, with clarinetist Nancy Mathison and pianist and artistic director Antonio Artese.
The intimate one-hour program brings together guided meditation, intentional silence, and live performance, with music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Robert Schumann, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and John Coltrane.
Throughout the program, Mathison will perform on B-flat and A clarinets as well as bass clarinet, revealing the remarkable range of colors and registers of the clarinet family—from its lyrical and transparent upper voice to the dark, resonant sonority of the bass clarinet.
Moving across centuries and musical traditions, the program reflects the spirit of Music & Meditation Santa Barbara: approaching familiar and unexpected repertoire through attentive listening, stillness, and presence. The inclusion of John Coltrane extends that exploration beyond the classical tradition, connecting the program to another musical world in which improvisation, spirituality, and deep listening have long been intertwined.
Founded by pianist and composer Antonio Artese in collaboration with meditation guide Jessica Kolbe, Music & Meditation Santa Barbara offers a distinctive concert experience where exceptional live music meets contemplative practice. Each program invites audiences to step away from the pace of everyday life and experience music with renewed attention.
“The clarinet has an extraordinary ability to move between intimacy, warmth, darkness, and brilliance,” says Antonio Artese, founder and artistic director. “With Nancy performing on three different instruments, this program gives us an opportunity to hear that remarkable spectrum of sound through music spanning several centuries.”
ABOUT NANCY MATHISON
Southern California native Nancy Mathison is a member of the New West Symphony, McCallum Theatre Orchestra, Santa Maria Philharmonic, San Luis Obispo Master Chorale Orchestra, and Santa Barbara Chamber Players, and performs regularly with ensembles throughout California’s South and Central Coasts. She has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Her career has included performances with Leonard Bernstein, Houston Grand Opera, American Ballet Theatre, Rudolf Nureyev Ballet, Andrea Bocelli, and The Temptations. She previously served as assistant principal and E-flat clarinetist with the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra and for 20 years as principal clarinet and reeds with the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera.
Mathison is also deeply engaged in music education and the Santa Barbara community. In 2022, she founded the South Coast Youth Band, a nonprofit after-school program for elementary school students, and in 2023 co-founded the Santa Barbara Chamber Players, where she serves as Chair and CEO.
A former student at the Music Academy of the West, Mathison holds degrees in Clarinet Performance from the University of Southern California and UC Santa Barbara. In January 2027, she will appear as soloist in Max Bruch’s Double Concerto for Clarinet, Viola, and Orchestra with the San Luis Obispo Chamber Orchestra.
EVENT INFORMATION
Music & Meditation Santa Barbara — Fall 2026 Season
NANCY MATHISON, CLARINET
Antonio Artese, piano Friday, October 23, 2026 — 2:00 PM Doors open at 1:30 PM
Music by J.S. Bach, Mozart, Schumann, Vaughan Williams, and Coltrane
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West 1070 Fairway Road – Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Tickets start at $30.
Tickets and information are available at musicandmeditationsb.com or on Eventbrite at: https://musicandmeditationsb-
