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.
Described as ‘mighty yet nimble’ (San Diego Story), Tesserae Baroque is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting and versatile period instrument ensembles in the US, receiving invitations to perform across the US. Past highlights include Tesserae’s performance of Handel and Rameau under the direction of Christophe Rousset, performances of Palestrina with Folger Consort and Stile Antico at the National Cathedral, a performance of the Monteverdi Vespers under the direction of Stephen Stubbs, and a 27-person performance of works by Giovanni Gabrieli, featuring Bruce Dickey. Most recently, Tesserae joined forces with Colburn Baroque to perform music by Hasse, Zelenka and Pisendel under the direction of Rachael Podger.
Tesserae has performed for San Francisco Early Music Society, Arizona Early Music Festival, and the Corona del Mar Baroque Festival. Tesserae is the resident ensemble for Cal Poly Bach Week.
Visit the Tesserae website.
Saili Oak, Hindustani soprano
Rohit Panchakshari, tabla
Vijay Gupta, baroque violin
Christopher Matthews, baroque flute
Eva Lymenstull, baroque cello
Ian Pritchard, harpsichord
Reena Esmail’s music weaves together the traditions of Hindustani and Western classical music, drawing musicians from many perspectives into shared creative spaces.
Esmail divides her attention evenly between orchestral, chamber and choral work. She has written commissions for ensembles including the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Seattle Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony and her music has featured on multiple Grammy-nominated albums, including The Singing Guitar by Conspirare, BRUITS by Imani Winds, and Healing Modes by Brooklyn Rider. Many of her choral works are published by Oxford University Press, and her piece TaReKiTa has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.
Read more on Reena Esmail’s website.