OJAI MUSIC FESTIVAL 80 –
Eight Decades of Discovery, Creativity, Community
John Bauer first dreamed of the Festival and shared with a small group of Ojai patrons in 1947—it was to be a place for experimentation and artistic freedom. Fast forward to now, and the Ojai Festival remains an open welcoming space for today and tomorrow’s gifted musicians, composers, and musical thinkers in the company of an equally open-minded audience. We’ve enjoyed collecting favorite moments and inspiring music as we celebrate yesterday and look forward to what’s next…
80 Years of Milestones
Everyone’s favorite Igor Stravinky photo peeking outside the green room tent, Esa-Pekka Salonen in the famed “bunny suit” and much more.
“Ojai is very different, of course. It’s really predicated upon the notion of a very intelligent, musically aware audience that is interested in hearing unusual works.”
– John Adams, Music Director (1984, 2021)
Program Archives
Dive into more Festival history through hand-selected notes from the eight decades by Lawrence Morton and other Festival writers.
“I also remember… the US premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Six Japanese Gardens. Kaija’s musical rain drops… were echoed by real drops from the massive oaks surrounding the Libbey Bowl in an unusual and beautiful foggy night.”
– Steven Schick, Music Director (2015)
Memories & Moments
“That’s so Ojai” is something we hear often from artists and audiences. Take a look at some favorite stories and photos.
“There is a very special spirit of collaboration here, fostered in part by the gorgeous natural setting and also by the friendly engagement of everyone involved. ”
– Dawn Upshaw, Music Director (2001)
