Author: Maddy Doss

Find our curated recs for those looking for more between concerts! Check out a few of our friends and partners, as well as our staff members’ favorite places.

Friends and Partners

Beato Chocolates Tasting/Talk Experience

Gather friends for a delightful and delectable journey

Beato Chocolates is a tribute to the audacious spirit and historic relevance of Beatrice “Beato” Wood, the “Mama of Dada.” Inspired by her avant-garde legacy, our woman-owned, artist-focused brand handcrafts Fair Trade Certified chocolate bars using the finest ingredients. Each bar is a fusion of art and flavor, featuring Wood’s original artwork and witty expressions.

Using Beato chocolates (including six different Beato Bars and one sculptural chocolate) as touchpoints, we will take participants on a journey of the Dada art movement and Wood’s life story while they sample each bar. (Minimum of 4 people, $30/person)

Ojai Studio Artists Open Tour

Enter into the spaces of local visual creatives

The June Second Saturday (June 13 from 10am to 5pm) will open 10 studios across the East End and Upper Ojai, among the wide vistas, citrus orchards, and stunning mountain views of these neighborhoods.

The June 13 event, like all Second Saturdays, is entirely free – and you can find participating artists and samples of each artist’s work below, to help plan your “choose-your-own adventure” tour.

GARA Skincare Fragrance Experience

Make your own natural fragrance

GARA invites you to embark on an aromatic journey where the wisdom of the garden converges with the art of perfume-making. Immerse yourself in the enticing world of essential oils and discover their impact on the body, mind, and spirit. As we explore the basics of aromatherapy and the art of crafting a personalized scent, you’ll get to create your own bespoke fragrance with our curated selection of high-quality natural extracts and essential oils.

Staff Picks

Maddy’s Thursday Afternoon/Evening

Patron Services and Development Coordinator, Intern Alum 2021

“My ideal Thursday at the Festival would start with attending the Ojai Talks, then heading downtown to find a good parking spot between Fox and Signal Streets. I’d wander around the Ojai Community Farmer’s Market, probably buying some fresh-cut flowers and Bonito Coffee beans for the week.

I’d then meet friends for dinner at Izakaya Full Moon, an intimate spot serving Japanese favorites and an ever-rotating list of specials. The Corn Kagi-age, Agedashi Tofu, and the Chef’s Choice Nigiri are my favorite menu items. Dinner would be followed by a walk to Libbey Park, setting up a spot on the Lawn with cozy blankets and a glass of wine, and enjoying the first concert of the Ojai Music Festival.”

Anna’s Saturday Morning

Director of Philanthropy

“My perfect Saturday starts with Morning Meditation at the Ojai Meadows Preserve—there’s something peaceful and grounding about beginning the day surrounded by nature and music. Afterward, I’d head into town, find parking, and grab a coffee from the Mental Frosting coffee station in Libbey Park. After the morning concert, I’d take a scenic drive to Upper Ojai for lunch at The Summit Drive-In. My go-to is the Western BBQ bacon burger, and you have to try one of their famous milkshakes. I’d take lunch to go and drive up to Avatar Point at Meher Mount for one of the most breathtaking views in Ojai. Then, it’s time to head back into downtown Ojai for more Festival events!”

Liz’s Saturday Afternoon/Evening

Patron Services Manager, Intern Alum 2019

“For me, the best way to experience the Ojai Music Festival is by embracing the town’s natural beauty, eclectic shops, and local flavors—preferably by bike.

My day begins by browsing my favorite vintage and thrift shops on foot. Stops include Gratitude Vintage and Help of Ojai, where I dig for treasures, especially vinyl records. Just in time for the 3:30 PM Beyond the Bowl concert, I pedal over to Ojai Valley School, taking in the fresh air and rolling hills along the way.

For dinner, my go-to is Zadiee’s at Soule Park Golf Course, located at the eastern end of the bike path. If the weather’s warm, I always request a patio seat for the stunning views. My usual order? An iced tea and either the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich or the Baja Tacos. As the sun sets, I meander back along the bike path toward Libbey Park, where I unwind in the Green Room in the Park, hoping to catch a surprise musical pop-up before the 8PM Libbey Bowl concert.

It’s a perfect Ojai day—one filled with music, nature, and the town’s unique charm.”

Fiona’s Sunday Afternoon

Producer and Artistic Administrator.

“I’d start my day by attending the Morning Meditation. From there, I’d head up to Shelf Road for an easy hike with a great view of Ojai that isn’t too far out of town.

Then it’s back into downtown to spend some time shopping at the upstairs portion of Bungalow, a local shop featuring handmade goods and gifts. The upstairs room has amazingly high-quality clothing items.

Then, I’d end the morning with a 30-minute chair massage at the Relaxing Station before the Festival’s final concert.”

Since the Ojai Music Festival’s founding in 1947, volunteers have ensured the enduring success of the organization, from our renowned four-day Festival and our acclaimed BRAVO music education program.

Volunteer opportunities range from ushering, administrative office work, concessions to housing Festival artists and production team. The Festival is fortunate to have a large community of volunteers.

Besides receiving benefits to volunteer that include lawn tickets, a festival commemorative t-shirt and invitations to events, volunteers get to enjoy the camaraderie of working together and meeting interesting music enthusiasts like Jodine Hammerand!

JODINE HAMMERAND: A Return to Ojai and the Music Festival!

What brought you to Ojai? 
My family was living in Los Angeles when my parents took my siblings and I to Ojai for the week of Spring Break. We all fell in love with Ojai and our family moved here in 1972.

When did you start your involvement in the Music Festival? 
I started at Nordhoff High School as a freshman. It was probably my junior year when I started volunteering for the Ojai Music Festival as an usher. I will never forget watching a run-through with the LA Philharmonic that was being conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas!

When did you make your way back to Ojai?
After retiring from Alaska Airlines, I ultimately chose to move back to Ojai right at the height of the pandemic. I was interested in volunteering again and finally was able to usher for the 2022 Ojai Music Festival, then again in 2023. It felt like a happy reunion!

What is a recent fond memory of the Festival?
I am a lover of all music genres, especially the Blues. I really enjoyed Rhiannon Giddens being the music director in 2023 with her banjo playing. She also introduced the pipa and the  kora, two great instruments rooted deep in history. ‘The roots of the present are deep in the past’ my high school history teacher used to always say! I attended the performance of Ghost Opera and enjoyed listening to the pipa with all the instruments. I ushered at the performance of Omar’s Journey and heard the kora played by Seckou Keita. I arrived before the concert as ushers do to prepare the Libbey Bowl. I was walking down the center aisle of seats when I saw Seckou practicing on stage. When he was finished, he looked my way, and I gave him a thumbs up indicating how beautiful he played. He smiled his big smile and that made me very happy, and I will never forget it. 

I look forward to volunteering for the Ojai Music Festival. It is a joy every year, no matter the style of music. In addition, I enjoy every year when the staff and volunteers gather together before the Festival, to listen to Ara Guzelimian with his knowledge of the musicians. He is an asset as artistic and executive director.

Our favorite pre-Festival tradition returns with our Virtual Ojai Talks. At Virtual Talks, we get an inside look at the creative process with Festival composers, artists, innovators, and musical thinkers. Virtual Talks are free and open to the musically curious!

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PAST TALKS

Violinist Leila Josefowicz

WED March 18 @ 5:30PM PT on Zoom

Composer/conductor John Adams

WED December 10 @ 5:30PM PT on Zoom

March 7, 2026 | 5PM | Krotona Institute

Ojai Music Festival presents Tesserae Baroque‘s program Meera Kahe. The concert features a new work by Reena Esmail, setting the Hindi texts of 16th-century saint-poet Mirabai. The ensemble—baroque violin, flute, cello, harpsichord—joins Hindustani vocalist Saili Oak and tabla player Rohit Panchakshari.

The program also features French Baroque selections by Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre and François Couperin, plus a solo Hindustani vocal set by Saili Oak with tabla accompaniment.

We invite ticket holders to arrive at 3:30PM for garden tours of the Krotona Institute Garden, over 100 acres of natural beauty, and light refreshments. 

Enjoy this gallery from both weeks of the 2025 BRAVO Art & Music Camp, just one of the many BRAVO Education & Community Programs that serve children and adults throughout the Ojai Valley.

Photos by Rosanne Forgette

Dear Ojai Festival friends,

We began the summer with the sad news of the passing of Jamie Bennett, a key figure in the Festival’s recent history as both a Board member and, for five years, our President and CEO. Jamie was a treasured friend to many in our extended Festival community in both Los Angeles and Ojai, bringing the same immediacy and warmth to all, whether they were of long-standing history or recent acquaintance.

Jamie brought a wealth of professional expertise from his many years in media and non-profit management, working for organizations such as the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Disney, and CBS where his time included a term as General Manager of KCBS-TV. Jamie came to the Festival first as a Board member and then took a staff leadership role as President and CEO from 2015 until 2020, helping to navigate the complicated early days of the pandemic and that year’s online Festival. Happily, for all of us, he returned to the Board after his work as CEO and remained deeply engaged in all dimensions of the Festival’s progress. He remained active until his last days, making calls, and sending helpful notes to the end.

I first met Jamie at the beginning of my return as Artistic and Executive Director in 2020. He was extremely helpful in providing grounding and much information to get me started. He was also an extraordinary ambassador to the Festival with his natural knack for putting people together. I have numerous rewarding recent friendships that began with Jamie saying, “You should meet this person, I think you would like them.” He was right in each case. His devotion to community in both his home cities of Los Angeles and Ojai led to his generous involvement in many worthy civic organizations and causes. We will miss him.

Savoring the Festival

I have been traveling extensively for both professional and personal reasons in the weeks following the Festival, which has given me the time, distance, and perspective to reflect on our wonderful time together in June. There are so many memories and experiences that remain in such sharp focus. We can relive the Libbey Bowl concerts by way of our treasure-trove archive of livestreams on demand:

One of my favorite newer Festival traditions is that of our free Morning Meditations, which this year took place in the atmospheric Chaparral Auditorium as well as most memorably at the Ojai Meadows Preserve in an extremely happy and fruitful collaboration with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. My OVLC colleagues and I watched with delight as several hundred people streamed into the grove of trees with mountain panoramas as backdrop.

The morning began with Susie Ibarra’s Sunbird, originally a multi-tracked solo flute piece for Claire Chase, here specially arranged for the occasion for four players – Claire, Joshua Rubin, Michael Matsuno, and M.A. Tiesenga.

Although the complex logistics prevent livestreams of these early morning concerts, we can find some of the works on recordings by the same artists. Here is the original flute version of Sunbird for us to savor:

The next day, the Sunday morning meditation at Chaparral ended in a mesmerizing way with Anna Thorvaldsdottir’s Sola, played by violist Leilehua Lanzilotti. Happily, Leilehua’s studio recording of the work allows all of us to hear it.

We will continue to revisit some special moments of this past June throughout the summer even as we focus work on planning the 2026 Festival with Esa-Pekka Salonen, which will be our 80th Anniversary. Because of the June timing of the Festival, our fiscal year ends on August 31. Like so many of our colleagues in arts organizations, we are facing significant financial challenges with reductions or even elimination of arts funding in our ever-changing national landscape. We hugely thank our devoted supporters and ask those have not yet done so to consider making a gift prior to August 31 to help us close out what has been a most rewarding year artistically. We need all of you!

With much gratitude and good wishes,

Ara Guzelimian
Artistic and Executive Director