蜜桃传媒 alumnus and local resident 鈥�18 has returned to campus as a fellow of the Music Academy of the West. Each summer since 2016, 蜜桃传媒 has housed 140 exceptional young classical musicians for the academy, which provides live events through Aug. 3. Visit for a full calendar of concerts.
鈥淚 have lots of memories embedded throughout 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 campus from my time as an undergrad,鈥� he says. 鈥淏eing back with a different organization and as a different person myself feels quite surreal, as the old memories bleed into the present. I鈥檓 glad to be back, and I look forward to making more great memories in this beautiful setting.鈥�
Beccue, who completed a master鈥檚 degree in cello performance at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, wanted to continue to grow as a performer through the summer. 鈥淚 had my eye on this particular festival in part because Santa Barbara is my home,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to perform where I can invite my family and friends to attend.鈥�
He looks forward to a repertoire he describes as wonderfully challenging, both in quantity and quality. 鈥淲ith orchestra concerts every week, I鈥檒l get the chance to perform so many incredible works,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 especially excited for Dvorak鈥檚 鈥楽ymphony No. 9鈥� from the 鈥楴ew World Symphony,鈥� and Mahler鈥檚 鈥楽ymphony No. 6.鈥� Perhaps it will be like drinking from a firehose, but I can鈥檛 wait.鈥�
In keeping with 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 mission as a liberal arts college, Beccue graduated with a degree in physics while playing in the college鈥檚 orchestra. He took the initiative to learn how to take photos with the Keck Telescope on campus. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a fun toy, and I had it all to myself,鈥� he says. See the images he created at .
After graduating, he got a software position with Las Cumbres Observatory in Santa Barbara, a small nonprofit with a worldwide network of robotically operated telescopes that astronomy researchers use to monitor targets and events. 鈥淪oftware engineering felt like a natural continuation of my physics background,鈥� he says.
Next year, Beccue returns to Baltimore for a string quartet residency with Mount Vernon Virtuosi, an organization founded by his former teacher, Amit Peled. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited because I鈥檝e always dreamed of playing in a fulltime string quartet and I value the program鈥檚 unique vision for musicians to live and work in underserved communities in Baltimore,鈥� he says.