If you ask Linda Kitchen what she loves most about the Music Academy, you are likely to get a five-part answer: the wondrous music, the accomplished fellows, the dedicated staff, her fellow patrons, and the Academy's unique brand of community enrichment.

For Linda, the Academy is more than just a performance venue. "The Music Academy has been very much like a family to me," she shares. "Getting to know the teaching artists and administration has been a highlight, and I have met so many interesting people along the way."

Linda and her late husband, Bill, first discovered the Academy shortly after retiring to Santa Barbara in 2004. It was a "love at first sight" connection.

"We attended a chamber music performance and were just astonished by the musicianship on display," Linda recalls. "The atmosphere was so warm and welcoming, we were immediately smitten."

Bill often noted that the Academy excelled at making classical music accessible, ensuring the Summer Festival environment always felt comfortable and congenial - a sentiment Linda carries forward today as a dedicated ticket buyer and a pillar of the Academy community.

Born in St. Louis and an alumna of the University of Arizona, Linda's affinity for the arts deepened while working at a museum in Ohio. After marrying Bill in 1984 and blending their families, the couple eventually found their "musical home" in Santa Barbara.

Linda and Bill's journey with the Academy began more than ten years ago as dedicated Friends of the Music Academy. By 2012, they had looked toward the future by joining the Encore Society and making the Academy a part of their estate plans. While Linda particularly enjoys the community found at the annual Encore Society Reception & Performance, her dedication went a step further in 2022 when she transitioned her legacy pledge into an immediate cash gift for the endowment. Linda continues to be an active, beloved presence in our community, carrying forward the spirit of the path she and Bill started together.