GOINGS ON : An Affair of Note Will Boost Music Education : Classical artists will perform at a concert to benefit the conservatory for Santa Barbara area students.

New York-based pianist Lincoln Mayorga feels strongly about supporting musical education for today’s youth.

“It’s a big concern all over the country. I’m particularly concerned about school music programs, which are continuing to lose ground,” said the former Camarillo resident and onetime student at Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West. “Anything I can do to help, I will.”

Which is why he’s making a homecoming of sorts, with his participation in “A Celebration of Music & Youth,” a concert at the Lobero Theatre on Sunday, to benefit the Music and Arts Conservatory for Santa Barbara area junior and high school students.

“I’ll be playing music close to me, by Brahms and by Gershwin,” said the versatile musician, whose credits include film and television soundtracks and an extensive touring schedule. “I really do cross over in the truest sense. When I give recitals, I try to make the connections between American popular music and its European cousins.”

Violinist Gilles Apap, the Santa Barbara Symphony concertmaster, will join Mayorga in concert, as will the Anacapa String Quartet and members of the music conservatory. Violinist Nina Bodnar, who made her debut with the Santa Barbara Symphony at age 8 and now serves as concertmaster of the St. Louis Symphony, will also be in attendance.

In addition to Brahms and Gershwin, the program will also include pieces by Mozart and a Gypsy trio. The concert will begin at 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 (general), $50 (preferred seating and post-show reception). Call 963-0761. The theater is located at 33 E. Canon Perdido St.

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Documentary filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau, photographer Bob Talbot and video producer Earl Richmond will present an evening of underwater exploration in a show at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on Friday. Proceeds will benefit the Marine Mammal Center of Santa Barbara.

Cousteau will present two films--one showing how fish attack their prey and defend themselves, the other on tropical sea snakes. Talbot will focus on the dolphins native to New Zealand, and Richmond will present “Blues in the Backyard,” a film about blue whales in the local channels. Show time is 7 p.m. General admission is $15, with tickets available at the door. The museum is located at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road. Call 964-0905 for more information.

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Delila Moseley and her Montecito School of Ballet will present a staging of the Clement Moore poem “The Night Before Christmas” on Friday and Saturday at the Lobero Theatre. Show times are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $9.75 (adults), $8 (seniors), and $6.75 (children). Call 963-0761.

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The Santa Barbara Men’s and Women’s Ensemble will present the holiday concert “The Joy of Christmas” on Saturday at St. Anthony’s Seminary. Four choruses will perform music ranging from medieval to modern. The show will include a candlelight procession. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $9 to $15. Call 966-2020. The seminary is at 2300 Garden St.

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What, no “Nutcracker” this week? Don’t be silly, of course there’s a “Nutcracker,” this one performed by students of the Ellen Schipper Classical Ballet studio Saturday and Sunday at UC Santa Barbara’s Campbell Hall. Show times are Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $7 to $15. Call 583-8700.

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The Santa Barbara Country Dance Society will present a benefit contra dance (a style similar to square dance) Sunday at the Carrillo Ballroom. Instruction begins at 6:30 p.m., with the dance beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door, with proceeds benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties. The Carrillo Ballroom is at 100 E. Carrillo St. For more information call Michael Edick at 683-3900 or 968-5332, Ext. 234.

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Local band Queen Mab will play Celtic and European music Wednesday evening in a performance at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The ensemble specializes in ballads and dance tunes from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. General admission is $8 and $4, with tickets available at the door. Call 682-4711 for more information. The museum is located at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road.