New Music & Meditation Series Launches in Santa Barbara – Dec. 5 at Music Academy of the West

A Community Event Blending Mindfulness and Live Music Debuts December 5, 2025

A new local concert series, Music & Meditation Santa Barbara, debuts Friday, December 5, 2025 at 2:00 PM in Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West (1070 Fairway Rd). 
Created by pianist and composer Antonio Artese and mindfulness guide Jessica Kolbe, the program invites audiences to slow down and experience the union of stillness and sound.

Each one-hour event blends guided meditation and live classical music performance in an intimate format designed to restore balance and deepen listening. 
The opening program features a guided meditation with Jessica Kolbe, one of Santa Barbara’s leading mindfulness instructors and senior trainer with the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi, followed by Antonio Artese, piano solo, performing music by J.S. Bach, Edvard Grieg, Alexander Scriabin, and Valentin Silvestrov.

“Our intention is to offer Santa Barbara a place of clarity and beauty,” says Antonio Artese, Artistic Director and founder. “With a quiet mind, every note resonates more fully, and the music reveals its most human and profound side.”
“This series is truly about community,” adds Jessica Kolbe, co-founder and meditation leader. “People come to pause, breathe, and reconnect. Music helps us remember that harmony begins within ourselves.”

Rooted in Santa Barbara’s rich cultural life, Music & Meditation Santa Barbara aims to grow into a regular series in 2026, hosting collaborations with local and international musicians and wellness practitioners.

Tickets are $25, available at www.musicandmeditationsb.com or Eventbrite, with seating limited to 60 guests.

Event Details
What: Music & Meditation Santa Barbara – Opening Event
Who: Antonio Artese, piano; Jessica Kolbe, guided meditation
When: Friday, December 5, 2025 – 2:00 PM – doors at 1:45 PM
Where: Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Rd, Santa Barbara
Tickets: $25 – musicandmeditationsb.com

About the Series
Music & Meditation Santa Barbara is a new cultural initiative created by pianist Antonio Artese and meditation teacher Jessica Kolbe to explore the intersection of mindfulness and music. Each event offers a reflective journey through silence, breath, and sound — inspiring connection, presence, and peace.