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  • Tamara Mumford, Mezzo-Soprano

    Tamara Mumford, Mezzo-Soprano

    This season, mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford returns to the Metropolitan Opera for Wagner’s Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung, and appears in concerts with the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Berlin Philharmonic both in Berlin and on tour in Asia. She also makes her debut at the Santa Fe Opera in the world premiere of The Thirteenth Child.

    A graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Ms. Mumford made her debut there as Laura in Luisa Miller, and has since appeared in more than 140 performances with the company, some of which include the Pilgrim in the new production of Kajia Saariaho’s L’Amour de loin, Smeaton in the new production of Anna Bolena, and in productions of Rigoletto, Ariadne auf Naxos,  Il Trittico, Parsifal, Idomeneo, Cavalleria Rusticana, Nixon in China, The Queen of Spades,  the complete Ring Cycle, The Magic Flute, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Wozzeck.  

    Other recent opera engagements have included her role debut as the title role in Tancredi with Teatro Nuovo, the first ever American performances of  Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira at the Caramoor Festival, L’Amour de loin at the Festival d’opéra de Québec, Iolante at the Dallas Opera, the title role in the American premiere of Henze’s Phaedra,  the title role in The Rape of Lucretia, and the world premiere of Daniel Schnyder’s Yardbird at Opera Philadelphia;  the title role in Dido and Aeneas at the Glimmerglass Festival,  Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea at the Glyndebourne Opera Festival and the BBC Proms, Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia at the Caramoor Festival , Isabella in L’Italiana in Algeri at the Palm Beach Opera, the title role in The Rape of Lucretia, conducted by Lorin Maazel at the Castleton Festival; the title role in Carmen at the Crested Butte Music Festival, Principessa in Suor Angelica and Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi with the Orchestra Sinfonica Giuseppe Verdi di Milano in Italy; and the title role in La Cenerentola at Utah Festival Opera.

    ​Also an active concert performer and recitalist, Ms Mumford appeared with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in US and European tours of the world premiere of John Adam’s oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary and in performances of Mahler Symphony No. 3. She also appeared with the Mo. Dudamel and the LAPO in performances of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde in a production by Yuval Sharon and the Chilean theater group Teatrocinema. Other concert engagements have included appearances with the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Utah Symphony, Oregon Symphony, and Milwaukee Symphony orchestras;  the Berlin Philharmonic, the Netherland Radio Philharmonic, and at the Hollywood Bowl and the Ravinia, Tanglewood, Grand Teton, Vail, Tucson Desert Song, Britt and La Jolla Summer Music festivals.  She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2005 as part of the Richard Good and Friends concert series in Zankel Hall, and has since appeared there with James Levine and the Met Chamber Orchestra. She has also made multiple appearances in the Musicians from Marlboro’s summer festivals and US tours. In recital she has been presented in New York by the Marilyn Horne Foundation, the Frick Collection, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.

    ​Ms Mumford has appeared in the Metropolitan Opera’s Met: Live in HD series broadcasts of Anna Bolena, Das Rheingold, Gotterdämmerung, The Magic Flute, Nixon in China, Manon Lescaut, and Il Trittico.  Her recordings include Handel’s Messiah with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Momon Tabernacle Choir), Beethoven’s Cantata on the Death of Emperor Joseph II with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony (Avie), and John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Deutsche Grammophon). She was and was one of sixteen singers invited to work with Naxos Records and Yale University in a collaborative project to record the complete songs of Charles Ives.

    A native of Sandy, Utah, Ms. Mumford holds a Bachelors of Music from Utah State University and has received awards from the Opera Index Competition, Palm Beach Opera Competition, Sullivan Foundation, Connecticut Opera Guild Competition, Joyce Dutka Foundation Competition and the MacAllister Awards.

    Learn more: https://www.tamaramumford.com

  • Della Miles, Vocalist

    Della Miles, Vocalist

    Whenever there’s talk about “a song you can’t seem to get out of your head ,” chances are you are thinking about the artist as much as you are about the song itself.  Sure, there’s the melody, arrangement, lyrics, instrumentation and voice, but they are not what conveys the feeling that a certain song is actually meant for you only.  Song-craft is not mathematics, and singing is more than can be expressed in notes and scales.  Even in our technically advanced day and age there’s still no substitute for the original artist and her ability to connect with an audience of strangers.  If we’re lucky, there will never be.

    Since 2005 she has toured stadiums with one of the biggest artist in Germany “Marius Müller Weternhagen”  September 30, 2012.   Della has made her debut in her first opera (American Lulu) performed in Berlins Komische Oper.  This opportunity came just by her performance in the Berlin O-2-World Stadium.  Della says ” I was so excited about my role because I also enjoy acting”

    *The opera debut was successful and Della was asked to perform the opperetta called ELENOR where Della stood alone with a full orchestra in the Lucern Opera Festival 2015, Paris Philharmony in 2016, and will perform 2018 in Carngie Hall.

    The point in case being Della Miles from Houston Texas, who could very well wind up soundtracking your life.

    Born into an extended family of 5 brothers and sisters, Della had her musical tastes developed from an early age. “I came in touch with music through my parents, my mother played the piano in church, and directed the choir”.  

    At home Della would listen to her fathers old collection of jazz records like Miles Davis.  A successful club owner and lover of  music himself, he turned her on to the influences that can now be heard in Della’s music.  

    During her teenage years Della began performing in Houston’s night Clubs, sometimes along with her sister while simultaneously attending high school.  After some college years studying Criminal Justice Della decided that “music is all I want to do” and started out for Los Angeles.  Knowing only one person in the city, it was a scary place for a young girl to be, but Della claims she “did her research”.  “My idea was to go to night clubs and to perform at every open mic night”.  

    Della caught the attention of several music industry suits and found herself choosing between engagements.  She became one of Los Angeles top studio singers where she performed around 12 Mc Donald jingles and a few tv spot comercials.  Della has also performed on many movie tracks.  Later Della was casted in the Micheal Jackson Musical Stage Theathre piece called “Sisterella” where she played the leading role as “Ella.  Being seen in this stage play she was asked to become a backing vocalist for Whitney Houston. (“that is where I got most of my training”)  Since that time Della has been singing and writing her own songs.

    Della Miles’ songs are the kind of songs that make you notice the labour that went into their conception.  Not in a bad way, although it’s more like a labour of love.  Her last record was pervaded by purity and experience.” 

    With Della Miles, the experience is actually worthwhile and strangely inviting.   Maybe it has something to do with that formidable voice that manages to express something more about the human condition than is available with pre-fabricated entertainment tidbits.  Maybe it’s in the arrangements, all effortless amalgam of lush orchestration and vintage soul that resonates with listeners both casual and intent.  Or maybe it is the artist after all, even if he or she may decline that responsibility.  We will see as Della is currently writing her new CD.

    After asking Della about her being a singer/song writer she replied:  

    “I am always trying to develop as an artist who establish songs, and not themselves”.

    She should be looking at herself.  Then again, hers is the ultimate bias.

     

  • Calder Quartet

    Calder Quartet

    Hailed as “Superb” and “imaginative, skillful creators” by the New York Times, the Calder Quartet captivates audiences exploring a broad spectrum of repertoire, always striving to 

     

    fulfill the composer’s vision in their performances. The group’s distinctive artistry is exemplified by a musical curiosity brought to everything they perform and has led them to be called “one of America’s most satisfying – and most enterprising – quartets”. (Los Angeles Times)

    Winners of the prestigious 2014 Avery Fisher Career Grant, they are widely known for the discovery, commissioning, recording and mentoring of some of today’s best emerging composers. In addition to performances of the complete Beethoven and Bartok quartets, the Calder Quartet’s dedication to commissioning new works has given rise to premieres of dozens of string quartets by established and up-and-coming composers including Peter Eötvös, Andrew Norman, Christopher Rouse, Ted Hearne and Christopher Cerrone. Inspired by innovative American artist Alexander Calder, the Calder Quartet’s desire to bring immediacy and context to the works they perform creates an artfully crafted musical experience.

    Recent highlights include Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Disney Hall, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, multiple performances at Wigmore Hall, Barbican, Salzburg Festival, Donaueschingen Festival, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Tonhalle Zurich, IRCAM Paris, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and the Sydney Opera House. They have performed as soloists with the Cleveland Orchestra and LA Philharmonic and have collaborated with musicians such as Thomas Adès, Peter

    Eötvös, Anders Hillborg, Daniel Bjarnasson, Andrew Norman, Audrey Luna, Johannes Moser, Joshua Bell, Menahem Pressler, Joseph Kalechstein, Paul Neubauer, Iva Bittová and Edgar Meyer. In 2017, the Calder Quartet signed an exclusive, multi-disc record deal with Pentatone with their debut recording featuring Beethoven scheduled for release in Fall 2018.

    The quartet has signed an exclusive, multi-disc record deal with Pentatone records. Their debut recording features the music of Beethoven and Swedish composer Anders Hillborg. Previously the quartet has appeared on Signum Classics, BMC records, Bridge Records and E1 recording the quartets of Peter Eötvös with Audrey Luna, Thomas Adès’ chamber music with the composer at the piano, early works of Terry Riley, the chamber music of Christopher Rouse, Mozart Piano concertos with Anne-Marie McDermott, and Ravel and Mozart quartets.

    As a side project, the quartet has collaborated with acts such as Andrew WK, Lord Huron, Vampire Weekend, and The National. Television appearances include the Late Show with David Letterman, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel, and the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as well as radio appearances on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, Performance Today, WQXR New York, KUSC Los Angeles, Colorado Public Radio, and NPR.

    In 2011 the Calder Quartet launched a non-profit dedicated to furthering its efforts in commissioning, presenting, recording, and education, collaborating with

    the Getty Museum, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and the Barbican Centre in London. The Calder Quartet formed at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and continued studies at the Colburn Conservatory of Music with Ronald Leonard, and at the Juilliard School, receiving the Artist Diploma in Chamber Music Studies as the Juilliard Graduate Resident String Quartet. The quartet regularly conducts master classes and has taught at the Colburn School, the Oberlin School the Juilliard School, Cleveland Institute of Music, University of Cincinnati College Conservatory and USC Thornton School of Music.

  • Andrew Staples, Tenor

    Andrew Staples, Tenor

     

    A prolific concert performer, Andrew has appeared with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Wiener Philharmoniker, the Akademisten Berlin, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with Sir Simon Rattle; the Orchestre de Paris, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra with Daniel Harding; the Swedish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Andrew Manze; the Gävle Symphony and Robin Ticciati; the Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest and the Philadelphia Orchestra with Yannick Nézet-Séguin; and the Accademia Santa Cecilia with Semyon Bychkov.

    Andrew made his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Jacquino Fidelio, returning for Flamand Capriccio, Tamino Die Zauberflöte, Artabenes in Arne’s Artaxerxes and Narraboth Salome. He has also appeared at the National Theatre Prague; La Monnaie  Brussels; the Salzburger Festspiele; Hamburgische Staatsoper, Theater an der Wien, the Lucerne Festival and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

    Learn more: http://www.ajrstaples.com/new-page

  • Ojai Home Tour Details

  • 2020 Composer Profile: Olga Neuwirth

    2020 Composer Profile: Olga Neuwirth

    “This remarkable creator – of orchestral pieces and chamber works as well as hybrids of film and performance art – draws on a plethora of influences, yet devises her own astonishing sound.” – The Guardian

    Olga Neuwirth studied at the Academy of Music in Vienna and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. During her stay in the States she also attended an art college, where she studied painting and film. Her private teachers in composition included Adriana Hölszky, Tristan Murail and Luigi Nono. She first burst onto the international scene in 1991, at the age of 22, when two of her mini-operas were performed at the Wiener Festwochen. Ever since her works have been presented worldwide. 

    Olga Neuwirth’s works are multi-layered and multi-sensory. Some pieces also draw on the full range of effects of both electronic and orchestral instruments as well as video, which she began integrating into some of her works in the late 1980’s. The listener is struck by the immediacy of her music, which is often dramatic and expressive as she is particularly interested in emotions and how they relate to the brain and memory.

    The Ojai Music Festival debuted her World Premiere Incidendo / fluido at the 2002 Ojai Music Festival performed by pianist Marino Formenti. For Music Director Matthias Pintscher’s upcoming Festival, June 11 to 14, 2020, Neuwirth’s music will be showcased throughout the four days. 

     

     

    Purchase 2020 series passes:

  • Ojai Festival Names New Board Leadership

    Ojai Festival Names New Board Leadership

    OJAI MUSIC FESTIVAL NAMES NEW BOARD
    CHAIR JERROLD EBERHARDT AND FY2020 SLATE OF OFFICERS

    (September 19, 2019 OJAI, CA) – The Ojai Music Festival announced its FY2020 Slate of Officers for the Board of Directors this past weekend at the annual Board meeting with Jerrold Eberhardt as Board Chair succeeding David Nygren, who remains on the Board. Other Board officers are Barry Sanders, Vice-Chair Governance; Stephan Farber, Vice-Chair Finance and Treasurer; Michele Brustin, Vice- Chair Development; and Cathryn Krause, Secretary.

    “I am deeply honored to continue to serve the Ojai Music Festival in this new capacity as Board chair, and I am humbled to succeed my dear friend David Nygren who served with distinction over the past five years. On behalf of my deeply dedicated Board colleagues, I want to thank David for his thoughtful, generous leadership,” commented Eberhardt. “The first Festival I attended was Eighth Blackbird’s in 2009. Since then, I have enjoyed magical weekends of remarkable music making in Ojai during Tom Morris’ defining tenure. Building on the Festival’s breathtaking artistic momentum, we look toward the future under the leadership of Chad Smith as Artistic Director. Chad, whose artistic genius is well known around the globe, is arguably the best in the business, and he is exactly the right visionary for the Ojai Music Festival today. Under Chad’s watch and as Ojai approaches its 75th anniversary in 2021, we are extremely optimistic about the future of this treasured Festival.”

    Jerrold L. Eberhardt had a distinguished 40-year career at Smith Barney. He and his family moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1997 when he was named Senior Executive Vice President and Divisional Director for the Western Division, which included 11 States and was expanded to include Asia and Australia. He retired in 2009. Mr. Eberhardt has been a member of the Board of Directors of Dynasty Financial Partners, LLC since 2012. Dynasty is the premier provider of integrated wealth management solutions and technology for Independent Registered Investment Advisors.  

    Throughout his business career, he was active in charitable and civic affairs in the Chicago community.  Prior to moving to Los Angeles, he was a trustee of the Ravinia Festival Association and served as vice chairman and a member of the executive committee. 

    Mr. Eberhardt is former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and currently serves as vice chairman and a member of the executive committee.  He is a member of the Board of the Music Academy of the West and serves on the executive committee. He also serves on the Board of the Music Center Foundation and is a past trustee of the Aspen Music Festival & School, having served on the Board for six years.  He is a member of The California Club and previously served on the Board of Directors and as the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Mr. Eberhardt graduated from the University of Illinois and received his MBA from the University of Cincinnati.

    Ojai Music Festival Board of Directors
    The FY2020 Board of Directors currently includes: Barry Sanders, attorney, author and civic leader (Los Angeles); Stephan Farber, founder/CEO of Sound Post Capital (Houston); Michele Brustin, civic leader (Santa Barbara); Cathryn Krause, co-founder of BST Solutions (Ojai); Sandy Buechley, business intelligence manager at Patagonia, Inc. (Ojai); NancyBell Coe, president (retired) of Music Academy of the West (Santa Barbara); James P. Drummy, principal at the law firm of Poindexter & Doutré Inc. (Los Angeles); Fred Fisher, founding architect partner of Fred Fisher & Partners (Ojai); David Nygren, founder of Nygren Consulting, LLC; David Oxtoby, president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Boston); Dr. Barry Schifrin, doctor (retired) (Los Angeles); Maurice Singer, founding principal at the Evergreen Advantage (Los Angeles/Santa Barbara); Dr. Bridget Tsao-Brockman, optometrist (Ojai); Merrill Williams, director of public relations of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa (retired) (Ojai); and the Ojai Festival Women’s Committee president Tiese Quinn (Ojai).

    Ojai Music Festival
    From its founding in 1947, the Ojai Music Festival has become a place for groundbreaking musical experiences, bringing together innovative artists and curious audiences in an intimate, idyllic setting 75 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The Festival presents broad-ranging programs in unusual ways with an eclectic mix of new and rarely performed music, as well as refreshing juxtapositions of musical styles. The four-day festival is an immersive experience with concerts, free community events, symposia, and gatherings. Considered a highlight of the international music summer season, Ojai has remained a leader in the classical music landscape for seven decades.

    Through its signature structure of the Artistic Director appointing an annual Music Director, Ojai has presented a “who’s who” of music including Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky, Michael Tilson Thomas, Kent Nagano, Pierre Boulez, John Adams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Robert Spano, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, David Robertson, Eighth Blackbird, George Benjamin, Dawn Upshaw, Leif Ove Andsnes, Mark Morris, Jeremy Denk, Steven Schick, Peter Sellars, Vijay Iyer, Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Barbara Hannigan.

    The Ojai Music Festival approaches its 75th anniversary, and looks toward the future with Artistic Director Chad Smith whose first Festival will be in June 2020 with Music Director Matthias Pintscher.  Mr. Smith succeeds Thomas W. Morris whose defining tenure spanned 16 years. 

    74th Ojai Music Festival with Matthias Pintscher
    The 74th Festival – June 11 to 14, 2020 – with Music Director Matthias Pintscher will highlight progressive and forward-thinking composers of today’s generation while paying homage to early classical roots. Featuring a vast array of composers from the past six centuries, the program will connect the traditional with the contemporary. Joining Pintscher for this adventurous musical exploration will be the Ensemble Intercontemporain in their Ojai Music Festival debut. This Paris-based world-renowned ensemble of 31 full-time musicians is dedicated to performing and promoting contemporary chamber music, which was founded by past Music Director Pierre Boulez in 1972 and now led by Pintscher. For series passes to the 2020 Festival, visit OjaiFestival.org or call 805 646 2053.

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    Contact:
    Nikki Scandalios, nikki@scandaliospr.com, (704) 340-4094
    Gina Gutierrez, ggutierrez@ojaifestival.org, (805) 646-2094

  • BRAVO Program is Back to School

    BRAVO Program is Back to School

    The BRAVO Program is looking forward to an exciting year!
    By Laura Walter, BRAVO Education Coordinator

    It’s the start of the school year and our Education Through Music (ETM) weekly classes have begun in all public Ojai elementary schools for ages four to nine. ETM is based on folk songs and increases language fluency and the ability to sing in tune. In the age of the digital brain, we nurture and educate through having aesthetic experiences—joy and beauty. Teachers comment, “I notice an improvement in their listening skills, but more importantly their ability to take turns and be happy for their friends who are chosen. Students who were inhibited the first few times, now are excited to participate!”

    Our BRAVO program is also out-and-about in the community — approaching quickly is the annual Ojai Day on October 19, where our volunteers will set up our ever-popular BRAVO Instrument Petting Zoo in Libbey Park. It’s always fun to see people of all ages try out the myriad of instruments from blowing a trumpet to banging on some boom-whackers.

    Another place to see BRAVO in action is at the Holiday Home Tour and Marketplace on November 16 and 17. Local musicians serenade tour guests with strains of Mozart, Joni Mitchell, Top Ten Renaissance favorites, and James Taylor—what a variety! This year we will also have music for the Marketplace at Libbey Park. Be on the lookout for vocal quartets, fiddlers, easy listening, and classical oboe!

    Take a musical trip to China or Indonesia in the spring by joining us at our Imagine concert! Building on last year’s vast success, we are looking forward to collaborating with Ojai Valley School and the Barbara Barnard Smith World Musics Foundation to present another world music concert for students from ten Ojai schools. We will once again add a late afternoon free community concert.

    In conjunction with Music in the Schools month, Music Van will make its way to Ojai elementary schools with the help of a dedicated team of more than 50 volunteers. We introduce children to the instruments of the orchestra: brass, winds, percussion, and strings. Each child (and volunteer!) can try every instrument and the organized cacophony is surprisingly delightful! Mostly because of the smiles and giggles from all participants. Every year we hear from teachers that many students are inspired to choose an instrument and join the music program. Many children who struggle in school can find success in music. They have a chance to excel and find something they are passionate about. Working together and striving toward beauty are a vital part of educating our future citizens. Many thanks to Santa Barbara Symphony for use of their Music Van.

    In addition to serving schoolchildren in the Ojai Valley, our Bridge Program is an inter-generational program that has third graders stepping up to interact with senior residents at the Gables of Ojai. Children, seniors, and caregivers spend time meeting each other, singing, skipping together (either on our feet, or just our hands), dancing, and finding new partners. The children are excited to meet new friends and find out about their lives. Many of the seniors remark afterward that they remember these songs from their childhood and didn’t know that children still sing them. Our time is filled with laughter, beauty, and wonder. At the end no one really wants to leave. There have been many tears of joy at these events.

    The BRAVO program is made possible with the support of generous funders – California Arts Council, the Stauffer Foundation, the City of Ojai, and the Ojai Festival Women’s Committee.

    For more information in volunteering or supporting our BRAVO program, please email info@ojafestival.org or call us at 805 646 2094 and ask for Laura Walter.

  • Stephen Gosling Plays John Zorn with JACK Quartet

    Friday, June 7, 2019: 11:00am – 11:45am – Libbey Bowl

    John Zorn is a universalist, a composer, performer, filmmaker, cultural manager, and aesthetic philosopher who has forged an independent path through stylistic domains that range from the classical avant-garde to virtually all popular idioms. This two-concert survey of his chamber music includes recent works by one of the most fertile, thought-provoking, and idiosyncratic music minds of our time.

    2020 Passes on sale now with Music Director Matthias Pintscher!

  • 74th Ojai Music Festival

    74th Ojai Music Festival

    2020 Music Director Matthias Pintscher is already getting started with next year’s programming of the 74th Ojai Music Festival, June 11 to 14. We are so excited to share all of the exciting pieces and ensembles he is lining up. Listen to his vision for Ojai in the video below. 

    The Festival will feature a fantastic array of contemporary works that connect back to the seminal music moments of our great tradition; moving forward with respect to what is behind us.  Featuring works by Pierre Boulez, Mozart, and Music Director Matthias Pintscher, 2020 will encompass a bridge of the classical contemporary relationship between Europe and the USA. 

    Watch the video below to hear Artistic Director Chad Smith’s 2020 vision in his own words. 

     

  • Ensemble intercontemporain

    Ensemble intercontemporain

    In 1976, Pierre Boulez founded the Ensemble intercontemporain with the support of Michel Guy (who was Minister of Culture at the time) and the collaboration and Nicholas Snowman. The Ensemble’s 31 soloists share a passion for 20th to 21st century music. They are employed on permanent contract, enabling them to fulfill the major aims of the Ensemble: performance, creation, and education for young musicians and the general public.

    Under the artistic direction of Matthias Pintscher the musicians work in close collaboration with composers, exploring instrumental techniques and developing projects that interweave music, dance, theater, film, video, and visual arts. In collaboration with IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique), the Ensemble Intercontemporain is also active in the field of synthetic sound generation. New pieces are commissioned and performed on a regular basis with the support of the Fondation Meyer.

    The Ensemble is renowned for its strong emphasis on music education: concerts for kids, creative workshops for students, training programs for future performers, conductors, and composers. Since 2004, the Ensemble soloists have been tutoring young instrumentalists, conductors and composers in the field of contemporary repertoire at the Lucerne Festival Academy, a several week educational project held by the Lucerne Festival.

    Resident of the Philharmonie de Paris, the Ensemble performs and records in France and abroad, taking part in major festivals worldwide. The Ensemble is financed by the Ministry of Culture and Communication and receives additional support from the Paris City Council. New commissions by Ensemble intercontemporain are supported by Fondation Meyer.

     

  • 2019 Audience Survey

    2019 Audience Survey

    2019 Festival finale with Barbara Hannigan and LUDWIG. Photo by Annaliese van der Vegt

    The Ojai Music Festival is long known for being a place for experimentation and discovery, and receiving feedback from our patrons is important to us. This year, we sent out an electronic audience survey to 998 emails of 2019 ticket buyers, and we had an overwhelming 41% response. For those who participated, we thank you for making the time to share your evaluations about your experience.

    As we continue to comb through the results and comments, we would like to share some initial findings. You can also read 2019 press reviews and view the 2019 photo gallery.

    [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”116″ display=”basic_slideshow”] Select memorable moments of patrons from the survey:

    “The “Gershwin” belongs here… an absolute “slam dunk” rivaling anything I’ve seen anywhere… (Lady Gaga… watch your step!) but really, the most memorable “moment” was:  Barbara Hannigan.  I cannot recall ever experiencing any one person with more depth, comprehensiveness, vision and creativity that what I feel when I hear her sing, conduct or just talk about music.    Thank you so much for this year!”

    “Finding out that I liked some of Zorn and a lot of Knussen. My time at Ojai each year is a time of musical discovery and a challenge to myself to be open and listening deep.”

    “The Rake’s Progress, also meeting old and new friends at the Picnic suppers in the Park.”

    “The energy throughout the weekend from the staff, volunteers and concertgoers was infectious.”

    “Being reminded how wonderful it is to see friends and acquaintances over and over again, and the accessibility of even the most well-known of the artists.”

    “Sun coming through later half of program and a chorus of birds. Vivier’s Lonely Child was a highly inspiring experience seen live.  Rake’s Progress.  I wept throughout the last third of it.”

     

  • 2019 Festival Reviews

    2019 Festival Reviews

    Ojai Music Festival. – “The Rake’s Progresss” 6/6/19 Libby Bowl by David Bazemore

    The 2019 Ojai Music Festival with Music Director Barbara Hannigan brought a new experience to this year’s listeners, as she showcased her numerous skills as “a fearless femme fatale actress, dancer, athlete, sports psychologist, educator, cook and rising star conductor”. (Read the rest of this article here).  Relive the 2019 Festival anytime by watching our archived live streaming concerts. 

    Feedback from our audience, artists, and members of the press is important to us. Read review excerpts below. We will continue to update these next few as reviews come in.

    Download PDF of reviews here

    “an ironwoman musical triathlon of exacting singing, vital conducting and inspiring mentoring” LA Times

    “Hannigan thrust her arm to the sky in a gesture of pure triumph, all you could say was, “Wow!” SFCV

    “Ojai Music Festival — a utopia where open-minded audiences welcome adventurous works presented against a backdrop of green hills, bird song and Pixie tangerines.”  NY Times

    “a Coachella for classical and new-music fans.” LA Weekly

    “Here was Ms. Hannigan in all her polymathic glory: the impresario who commissioned the piece; the conductor whose persuasive authority demonstrated that it was no vanity project; and the alluring singer, bright and magnetic, who wasn’t above ending on a literal high note.”  NY Times

    “It is still the quirkiest major music festival in America.” LA Times

    “Over its four movements, Schoenberg makes the transition from Wagnerian chromaticism into free-floating atonal space, with a soprano adding a text in the final two movements. Hannigan made it sound downright operatic, pushing her voice to expressionistic limits with a rapid flutter as the members of the JACK bore down.” – Musical America

    “Suddenly, in the past few years, the jazz portion of the (contemporary music-geared Ojai Music Festival) story has been shifting and expanding in relevant ways… this year’s roster included jazz- related artists John Zorn, Tyshawn Sorey, and Mark-Anthony Turnage.” – All About jazz

    “one of America’s most daring and contemporary-oriented festivals, well-known around internationally.” – Santa Barbara Independent 

    “If music is a journey, then the Ojai Music Festivalis a serendipitous and often indirect one.” – Los Angeles Review of Books

    In Hannigan’s sensitive hands, Vivier’s incantatory 22-minute score, which he called “a long song of solitude,” made touching emotional and narrative sense and conjured arresting timbres from the percussion instruments, including chimes and bass drum. – Classical Voice North America

  • LUDWIG’s Ojai Experience

    LUDWIG’s Ojai Experience

    “Once upon a time I have played in the Ojai Music Festival. It was like being in Paradise.’ 
    – Marieke Stordiau, LUDWIG musician 

    Many Ojai Music Festival artists who step onto the Libbey Bowl stage for the first time are instantly smitten with the enchanting intimate setting of shaded trees and a symphony of birds and crickets as accompanists, and equally so with the curious and enthusiastic audience members who are ready to listen with ears and minds wide open. 

    Members of LUDWIG – the 2019 ensemble in residence – needless to say had the same experience. Take a look at their journey from Europe to California with photos by Annelies van der Vegt.

    [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”115″ display=”basic_thumbnail”]

  • Meet the 2019 Interns

     

    2019 Ojai Music Festival Interns

    We are so happy to welcome the 2019 Class of Festival Interns! Learn more about them below. 

     

     

    Glenna Adkins is a musician and writer studying at Sarah Lawrence College, and a recent recipient of the Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award for Music. As a cellist, improviser, and avid music listener, Glenna is passionate about the performance of new music and the collaborative efforts of artists playing and experimenting together. Inspired by the intersection of different art forms, she has created and performed music for various productions of devised theater and dance, exploring ideas of musical narrative through improvised sound. As a writer, Glenna finds inspiration in ideas of time and memory, in music, and the liminal spaces connecting these curiosities. When not in school, Glenna lives in Los Angeles where she teaches cello and finishes novels she mistakenly thought she’d have time to read during the school year. She is very happy to return to Ojai for her second summer as a Festival intern.

    Oliver Jung, originally from Santa Monica, CA, is a producer of Wave and Bass music, and an audio engineer. He is currently pursuing a BFA in Music Technology at California Institute of the Arts (Calarts) with a minor in Digital Arts. His work explores the dark, distorted, and ethereal, focusing on bringing beauty to the offensive. Accidentally falling into the world of live sound, Oliver has staged 200+ events for the likes of John Mayer and Carlos Vives. Moving forward, he continues producing for himself, as well as for collaborations and installations.

    Maddi Baird is a Music Composition student at San Diego State University. Maddi emphasizes in multimedia scoring and sound design, as well as the creation of sound installations. Having a strong passion for music technology, synthesis and analog gear, she focuses on creating unique and textured soundscapes while utilizing modular synthesis and software such as MAX. Maddi currently serves as the Chief Engineer for KCR College Radio and works as the Student Engineer for KPBS where she is able to blend her interests in technology, music, and public radio. Maddi plays in the SDSU Javanese Gamelan, as well playing bass guitar and synthesizer in the experimental duo Pastel Set. Following the Ojai Festival in 2019, she will study composition in France with Laurel Halo.

    Ryan Schmidt‘s philosophy for navigating a career is the ideal of citizen-artistry. He carries a background of music and the nonprofit sector with the desire to uplift and inspire hope and well-being. An avid contemporary music performer, he was a Performer-Fellow at the Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival last summer and toured five National Parks with the Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble.  He is a Teaching Artist Assistant at a Michigan nonprofit organization called Artists Creating Together which serves individuals with disabilities through visual and performing art programs. He looks forward to meeting and serving the Ojai Music Festival community! 

    Paul Seitz, a native of Chicago, Illinois, Is currently a rising sophomore at Boston University where he studies Trombone Performance with a minor in Arts Leadership. Paul Has been a student worker at the International Trombone Festival and an Audition Ambassador at Boston University. Paul hopes to one day play trombone professionally In orchestra, opera, solo and chamber music settings. In addition, Paul hopes to develop skills in the fields of arts leadership and Administration. Paul enjoys romantic era classical music and his favorite composers are Mahler, Shostakovich and Hindemith. In his free time, Paul enjoys biking, swimming, running and strength training. Paul is excited for the opportunity to be a intern at Ojai Music Festival.

    Bree Fotheringham is a student at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles where she studies with Robert Lipsett. An accomplished violinist, Bree has made solo appearances with many orchestras, including the Utah Symphony and has been awarded several competition prizes including the grand prize at the 2018 North American Recovered Voices competition. She has performed with world-class artists including Joseph Silverstein, and Andrew Marriner. Bree is currently the assistant concertmaster of the American Youth Symphony and an orchestral leadership fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, where she will serve as concertmaster of the Philharmonic beginning in June. Passionate about community engagement, Bree makes a conscious effort to make classical music more accessible in her community by organizing several community concerts a year through Colburn’s Center for Innovation and Community Impact. She has performed with the Colburn Orchestra during the school’s community engagement week and chamber performances as an artist-in-residence at Street Symphony. 

    Sierra Dudas is the Marketing and PR intern for the 2019 Ojai Music Festival. After spending her childhood surrounded by music, Sierra decided to pursue her dream as a Music Industry student at the University of Southern California. Eager to learn as much as possible about the music business, she has worked with the Guild of Music Supervisors, Grammy U, and Coyote Country Radio Station. Sierra is also a Showrunner for the USC Speakers Committee, a group that brings guests such as Ken Jeong of Crazy Rich Asians and Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye onto campus. In her free time, Sierra loves to paint, eat brunch, and host Bachelor viewing parties for her friends.

    Sarah Voshall is currently a fourth year piano major at the California Institute of the Arts studying with Ming Tsu and Vicki Ray. Her current project for this summer is producing a one-day piano festival in Antelope Valley, CA for student pianists. She has recently completed a business affairs internship at Alfred Music in Van Nuys where she worked in license administration. When she’s not practicing furiously for her upcoming graduation recital, she spends her time reading, taking photos, playing cajon, and day tripping all over southern California. Upon graduation, her plan is to pursue graduate studies in business or systems engineering with a focus on nonprofit arts organizations. 

  • 2020 Music Director: Matthias Pintscher

    “It is a tremendous pleasure and incredible honor to be music director for the 2020 Ojai Festival, something I have dreamed about since moving to New York twelve years ago. I feel a combination of joy and responsibility to showcase composers and works that create something like an INVISIBLE BRIDGE between the two continents in which I am living and working: Europe and the USA. I have realized that my role as musical communicator – as composer, conductor, educator, and festival di- rector – is to actively strengthen the interactions and connections between the music of today and its heritage in the US and on the “old continent”. As a European living in New York and Paris, I want to explore this INVISIBLE BRIDGE as one of the key elements for my programming of the 2020 Ojai Festival: thoughtful, innovative, loving, provocative, and poetic. Music speaks most directly from hu- man to human, and Ojai is a perfect place to showcase this. I am excited. See you in 2020.” – Matthias Pintscher, 2020 Music Director

    Matthias Pintscher is the Music Director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the world’s leading contemporary music ensemble founded by Pierre Boulez. In addition to a robust concert season in Paris, he toured extensively with them throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States this season including concerts in Berlin, Brussels, Russia, and the United States. Known equally as one of to-day’s foremost composers, Mr. Pintscher will conduct the premiere of his new work for baritone, chorus, and orchestra, performed by Georg Nigl and the Chorus and Symphonieorchester des Bayer- ischen Rundfunks at their Musica Viva festival in February 2020.

    In the 2019/20 season, Mr. Pintscher makes debuts with the symphony orchestras of Montreal, Baltimore, Houston, Pittsburgh, and with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen. He also makes his debut at the Vienna State Opera conducting the premiere of Olga Neuwirth’s new opera Orlando, and returns to the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin to conduct performances of Beat Furrer’s Violetter Schnee, which he premiered in January 2019. Re-invitations this season include the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. In summer 2020, Mr. Pintscher will serve as Music Director of the 74th Ojai Music Festival.

    Highlights of Mr. Pintscher’s 2018/19 season included serving as the Season Creative Chair for the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, as Artist-in-Residence at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and con- cluding a nine-year term as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s Artist-in-Association. Last season, Mr. Pintscher made his debuts with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and the Staatsoper Berlin, and returned to the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, the New York Philharmonic, the New World Symphony in Miami, and the Music Academy of the West. In Europe, he conducted the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the Edinburgh International Festival and returned to the Orchestre de Paris, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and Helsinki Philharmonic. Mr. Pintscher also conducted the premiere of his work Nur, a new concerto for piano and ensemble, performed by Daniel Barenboim and the Boulez Ensemble in January 2018. An enthusiastic supporter of and mentor to students and young musicians, Mr. Pintscher served as Principal Conductor of the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra from 2016- 2018 and worked with the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic in their 2017/18 season, culminating in a concert at the Philharmonie.

    Matthias Pintscher began his musical training in conducting, studying with Pierre Boulez and Peter Eötvös in his early twenties, during which time composing took a more prominent role in his life. He rapidly gained critical acclaim in both areas of activity, and continues to compose in addition to his conducting career. As a composer, Mr. Pintscher’s music is championed by some of today’s finest performing artists, orchestras, and conductors. His works have been performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Paris, among many others. Bärenreiter is his exclusive publisher, and recordings of his compositions can be found on Kairos, EMI, Teldec, Wergo, and Winter & Winter. Mr. Pintscher has been on the composition faculty of The Juilliard School since 2014.

  • 2019 Festival Gallery

    The 2019 Ojai Music Festival was a memorable four-day collective experience. Check out our gallery below to relive all the fun!

    Photos by David Bazemore and Sierra Dudas

  • Rewatch Your Favorite Concerts

    Rewatch Your Favorite Concerts

    Although the 2019 Ojai Music Festival has come to a close, you can still relive every wonderful moment by rewatching your favorite concerts. 

  • Welcome to Ojai! An All-Access Guide to the Sights and Spots

    Welcome to Ojai! An All-Access Guide to the Sights and Spots

    Festival season is almost upon us! Artists, interns, production staff, and festival goers have begun to flood the gorgeous city of Ojai, eagerly anticipating all that the town has to offer. Here is our curated guide to the best restaurants, shops, and other hot spots to check out during your stay in Ojai. (Plus some other favorites outside of the valley to check out!)

     

    Food & Drink

    Agave Maria: Authentic Mexican cuisine with great patio seating. 

    Bonnie Lu’s: Country-style diner serving up Americana favorites. 

    Farmer & the Cook: Farm-fresh food with an emphasis on organic ingredients. 

    Jim & Rob’s: Healthy and fresh burritos and burgers. 

    Rainbow Bridge: Market featuring healthy grab-n-go options. 

    Ranch House: A romantic spot serving farm-to-table cuisine. 

    Retail

    Gem Quest Jewelers: Jewelry and repair store with handmade designs. 

    Serendipity Toys: One of the last old-school toy shops featuring retro and contemporary playthings from around the world. 

    Sespe Creek: Voted Ventura County’s #1 cannabis dispensary. 

    BookEnds Book Store: Selling books in a renovated former church. 

    Cattywampus Crafts: An assortment of natural materials and craft supplies. 

    Shangri-La Care: Cannabis dispensary voted 2018 Small Business of the Year. 

    Barbara Bowman: Internationally inspired jewelry. 

    Bart’s Books: World-renowned outdoor bookstore. 

    photo by Ray Powers

    Activities

    Ojai Valley Trail Riding: Horse ranch featuring trail rides throughout the Enchanted Forest and Ventura River Valley. 

    Old Creek Ranch: 850-acre cattle ranch featuring a winery and fruit orchards. 

    Porch Gallery: Art gallery featuring contemporary artwork. 

    Bamboo Creek Spa: Massage therapists trained in China. 

    Brittany Davis Gallery: A classical gallery with a twist. 

    Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza: Performing Arts Center with live music, comedy shows, movie nights, and dance performances.

    Agora Foundation: Offering book seminars, panels, and more. 

    Music Academy of West: Summer music conservatory offering numerous concert series, masterclasses, and film screenings. 

    Pacific Opera Project: Offering affordable and accessible opera performances. 

    UCSB Arts & Lectures: Hosting dance performances, concerts, movie screenings, and lectures in the Santa Barbara area. 

    Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum: Arts Center performing classic theater. 

    Canvas & Paper: Exhibition space for paintings and drawings. 

    Human Arts Gallery: Representing over 130 American artists. 

    Realty & Organizations

    Joan Roberts: Former state director for the California Association of Realtors. 

    Sharon MaHarry: President of the Ojai Valley Board of Realtors. 

    The Artesian: Innovative senior living for those engaged in the community. 

    The Gables: Compassionate assisted living facility. 

    Blue Iguana Inn:  A bohemian boutique inn featuring lush gardens. 

    Nora Davis: An accomplished Ojai real estate agent for more than 30 years. 

    Michael Malone: A financial advisor with a love for volunteering. 

    Patty Waltcher: Coldwell Banker Previews Specialist. 

    Monica Ros School: Providing a magical education for Ojai’s children. 

    Ojai Hospital Foundation: Investing in the health of Ojai residents. 

    Ojai Valley School: A private college prep day and boarding school. 

    Oak Grove School: A progressive boarding school in Ojai. 

    Villanova Prep: A Catholic boarding school in Augustinian tradition. 

    Thacher School: A college preparatory boarding school in Ojai. 

    We hope you enjoy your stay In the beautiful town of Ojai. Don’t forget to come back for Ojai Day, a family-friendly extravaganza occurring Saturday October 19, and the 20th Annual Ojai Film Festival, occurring October 31 through November 10! 

     

  • 2019 Live Stream Schedule

    2019 Live Stream Schedule

     

    The Ojai Music Festival allows the world beyond Ojai’s Libbey Bowl to experience the music and ideas expressed at the Festival through state-of-the art live streaming access during the four-day event. In addition to the concerts, you can also watch our live stream interviews with hosts Steven Smith of National Sawdust and Thomas Kotcheff of Classical KUSC.
    Please join us for the 2019 Ojai Music Festival live broadcast!

    Thursday, June 6 2019

    Start Time Event
    7:00 pm Pre-Show with hosts Smith & Kotcheff
    7:30 pm The Rake’s Progress

    Friday, June 7 2019

    Morning

    Start Time Event
    3:00 pm Pre-Show & Barbara Hannigan Interview
    3:30 pm  The Music of John Zorn Part 1
    4:30 pm Concert Recap & Interview with Peppie Wiersma of LUDWIG
    5:00 pm The Music of John Zorn Part 2
    5:55 pm Concert Recap & Ojai Talks with Barbara Hannigan

    Evening

    Start Time Event
    7:00 pm Pre-Show & Interview with Bill Elliott
    7:30 pm  Part 1: Debussy, Ravel, Messiaen, & Schoenberg
    8:30 pm Concert Recap & Interview with Edo Frenkel
    9:00 pm Part 2: Schoenberg, Debussy, Vivier
    10:00 pm Concert Recap 

    Saturday, June 8 2019

    Morning

    Start Time Event
    3:00 pm Pre-Show & Interview with Elgan Lyr Thomas of EQ 
    3:30 pm Part 1: Tribute to Oliver Knussen
    4:20 pm Concert Recap & Interview with Aphrodite Patoulidou of EQ
    4:50 pm Part 2: Rachmaninoff, Turnage
    5:50 pm Concert Recap & Ojai Talks with Thomas W. Morris

    Evening

    Start Time Event
    7:00 pm Concert Recap & Interview with Jay Campbell & Christopher Otto of JACK Quartet
    7:30 pm Part 1: Zorn Jumalattaret
    8:00 pm Concert Recap 
    8:15 pm Part 2: Rites of Passage
    9:00 pm Concert Recap & Interview with Stephan Farber
    9:30 pm Part 3: Gerard Grisey
    10:00 pm Concert Recap

    Sunday, June 9 2019

    Morning

    Start Time Event
    10:30 am Pre-Show & Interview with Chad Smith
    11:00 am Part 1: Walton
    11:45 am Concert Recap & Interview with Molly Sheridan
    12:15 pm Part 2: Terry Riley
    1:05 pm Concert Recap
    1:15 pm Replay of Ojai Talks

    Evening

    Start Time Event
    3:45 pm Pre-Show & Interview Thomas W. Morris
    4:30 pm Part 1: Stravinsky
    5:05 pm Concert Recap
    5:25 pm Part 2: Hadyn, Gershwin
    6:10 pm Festival Recap 

     

  • Ojai Gallery Walk

    [pdf-embedder url=”https://dev.ojaifestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Discover-art-in-ojai-2.pdf” title=”Discover art in ojai-2″]

  • 2019 Open Rehearsal Schedule

    [pdf-embedder url=”https://dev.ojaifestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Open-rehearsal-schedule8.pdf” title=”Open rehearsal schedule8″] 

  • Thank You To Our Media Partner KUSC

    Thank You To Our Media Partner KUSC

  • 2020 Music Director Matthias Pintscher Shares Initial Programming

    2020 Music Director Matthias Pintscher Shares Initial Programming

    Incoming Artistic Director Chad Smith and Matthias Pintscher Announce
    the 74th Festival, June 11 to 14, 2020

    Download Press Release PDF Version

    “It is a tremendous pleasure and incredible honor to be music director for the 2020 Ojai Festival, something I have dreamed about since moving to New York twelve years ago.  I feel a combination of joy and responsibility to showcase composers and works that create something like an INVISIBLE BRIDGE between the two continents in which I am living and working: Europe and the USA. I have realized that my role as musical communicator – as composer, conductor, educator, and festival director – is to actively strengthen the interactions and connections between the music of today and its heritage in the US and on the “old continent”. As a European living in New York and Paris, I want to explore this INVISIBLE BRIDGE as one of the key elements for my programming of the 2020 Ojai Festival: thoughtful, innovative, loving, provocative, and poetic. Music speaks most directly from human to human, and Ojai is a perfect place to showcase this. I am excited. See you in 2020. – Matthias Pintscher, 2020 Music Director 

    (May 30, 2019 – Ojai, California) – As the Ojai Music Festival anticipates the upcoming 73rd Festival (June 6 to 9, 2019) with Music Director Barbara Hannigan, the Festival’s 2020 Music Director Matthias Pintscher and incoming Artistic Director Chad Smith share initial programming for the 74th Festival, June 11 to 14, 2020. 

    Chad Smith begins his tenure as the Ojai Music Festival’s Artistic Director with the 2020 Festival in partnership with 2020 Music Director Matthias Pintscher. Mr. Smith succeeds Thomas W. Morris, who has shaped Ojai’s artistic direction for sixteen years and will be retiring from the Festival following the upcoming 73rd edition.

    “For nearly 75 years, the Ojai Music Festival has been Southern California’s home for the most probing, adventurous, and visionary musicians, and I couldn’t be more excited to be joining this organization as its next Artistic Director. I first experienced the unique spirit of Ojai in 2001, when Esa-Pekka Salonen was the Festival’s Music Director. I was struck by the uncompromising programming, the incredibly devoted and informed audience, and the pure joy in the performances emanating from Libbey Bowl. In that weekend, in that first experience with Ojai, I came to understand the special nature of making music in this part of the world, and I was hooked. From my seat in Los Angeles, I have watched as Tom Morris has expanded the possibilities of what this Festival could be, making it more international, more inclusive, and ultimately more relevant year by year. Tom is one of the lions in our field, and I could not be more humbled, but also inspired, to take the reins from him. This Festival is poised for even greater things; I am thrilled to be a part of that future. To imagine the start of my tenure with Ojai, I can’t think of a more fitting partner than my good friend, conductor and composer Matthias Pintscher. We are excited to share initial plans for our 2020 Festival,” said Chad Smith, incoming Artistic Director.

    Programming for the 2020 Festival will feature the music of Pierre Boulez, Chaya Czernowin, Helmut Lachenmann, Olga Neuwirth, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, and several works by Pintscher, among many others. Ojai will welcome the Ensemble Intercontemporain, of which Mr. Pintscher is music director, as the 2020 Festival’s ensemble-in-residence. Founded by Pierre Boulez, the world-renowned Ensemble Intercontemporain and Pintscher collaborate closely with composers to explore instrumental techniques and develop projects which interweave music, dance, theater, film, and the visual arts. This will mark the Ensemble’s first appearance in Ojai. Additionally, members of IRCAM, the Paris-based Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music, will collaborate on several 2020 Festival performances. Programming details for Ojai 2020 will be announced in the fall.

    Matthias Pintscher, 2020 Music Director
    Matthias Pintscher is the Music Director of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, the world’s leading contemporary music ensemble founded by Pierre Boulez. In addition to a robust concert season in Paris, he toured extensively with them throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States this season including concerts in Berlin, Brussels, Russia, and the United States. Known equally as one of today’s foremost composers, Mr. Pintscher will conduct the premiere of his new work for baritone, chorus, and orchestra, performed by Georg Nigl and the Chorus and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks at their Musica Viva festival in February 2020.

    In the 2019/20 season, Mr. Pintscher makes debuts with the symphony orchestras of Montreal, Baltimore, Houston, Pittsburgh, and with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen. He also makes his debut at the Vienna State Opera conducting the premiere of Olga Neuwirth’s new opera Orlando, and returns to the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin to conduct performances of Beat Furrer’s Violetter Schnee, which he premiered in January 2019. Re-invitations this season include the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. In summer 2020, Mr. Pintscher will serve as Music Director of the 74thOjai Music Festival.

    Highlights of Mr. Pintscher’s 2018/19 season included serving as the Season Creative Chair for the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, as Artist-in-Residence at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and concluding a nine-year term as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s Artist-in-Association. Last season, Mr. Pintscher made his debuts with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and the Staatsoper Berlin, and returned to the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, the New York Philharmonic, the New World Symphony in Miami, and the Music Academy of the West. In Europe, he conducted the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the Edinburgh International Festival and returned to the Orchestre de Paris, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and Helsinki Philharmonic. Mr. Pintscher also conducted the premiere of his work Nur, a new concerto for piano and ensemble, performed by Daniel Barenboim and the Boulez Ensemble in January 2018. An enthusiastic supporter of and mentor to students and young musicians, Mr. Pintscher served as Principal Conductor of the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra from 2016-2018 and worked with the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic in their 2017/18 season, culminating in a concert at the Philharmonie.

    Matthias Pintscher began his musical training in conducting, studying with Pierre Boulez and Peter Eötvös in his early twenties, during which time composing took a more prominent role in his life. He rapidly gained critical acclaim in both areas of activity, and continues to compose in addition to his conducting career. As a composer, Mr. Pintscher’s music is championed by some of today’s finest performing artists, orchestras, and conductors. His works have been performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Paris, among many others. Bärenreiter is his exclusive publisher, and recordings of his compositions can be found on Kairos, EMI, Teldec, Wergo, and Winter & Winter. Mr. Pintscher has been on the composition faculty of The Juilliard School since 2014.

    Ensemble Intercontemporain

    Ensemble intercontemporain

    In 1976, Pierre Boulez founded the Ensemble Intercontemporain with the support of Michel Guy (who was Minister of Culture at the time) and the collaboration and Nicholas Snowman. The Ensemble’s 31 soloists share a passion for 20th to 21st century music. They are employed on permanent contract, enabling them to fulfill the major aims of the Ensemble: performance, creation, and education for young musicians and the general public.    

    Under the artistic direction of Matthias Pintscher the musicians work in close collaboration with composers, exploring instrumental techniques and developing projects that interweave music, dance, theater, film, video, and visual arts. In collaboration with IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique), the Ensemble Intercontemporain is also active in the field of synthetic sound generation. New pieces are commissioned and performed on a regular basis with the support of the Fondation Meyer.

    The Ensemble is renowned for its strong emphasis on music education: concerts for kids, creative workshops for students, training programs for future performers, conductors, and composers.  Since 2004, the Ensemble soloists have been tutoring young instrumentalists, conductors and composers in the field of contemporary repertoire at the Lucerne Festival Academy, a several week educational project held by the Lucerne Festival.

    Resident of the Philharmonie de Paris, the Ensemble performs and records in France and abroad, taking part in major festivals worldwide. The Ensemble is financed by the Ministry of Culture and Communication and receives additional support from the Paris City Council. New commissions by Ensemble Intercontemporain are supported by Fondation Meyer.

    IRCAM, the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music
    IRCAM, the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music directed by Frank Madlener, is one of the world’s largest public research centers dedicated to both musical expression and scientific research. This unique location where artistic sensibilities collide with scientific and technological innovation brings together over 160 collaborators.

    IRCAM’s three principal activities – creation, research, transmission – are visible in IRCAM’s Parisian concert season, its productions throughout France and abroad, and in its two annual rendezvous: ManiFeste, which combines an international festival with a multidisciplinary academy, and the Vertigo forum, which presents technical mutations and their tangible effects on artistic creation.

    Founded by Pierre Boulez, IRCAM is associated with the Centre Pompidou, under the tutelage of the French Ministry of Culture. The mixed STMS research lab (Sciences and Technologies for Music and Sound), housed by IRCAM, also benefits from the support of the CNRS and Sorbonne University.

    Incoming Artistic Director Chad Smith_image by Cindy Pitou Burton

    Chad Smith, Incoming Artistic Director
    Chad Smith is the Chief Operating Officer for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. Mr. Smith joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association in 2002, serving as VP of artistic planning for over a decade before becoming COO in 2015. As COO, he is responsible for the artistic oversight and coordination of the orchestra’s programming, as well as the organization’s strategic planning, marketing, PR, production, orchestra operations, media, and educational initiatives.

    During his tenure, Mr. Smith has implemented an expansive vision of what an orchestra can be through a deep commitment to living composers, the development of multi-disciplinary collaborations, and thematic festivals which have positioned the Philharmonic at the center of the city’s cultural discourse. Committed to making classical music more inclusive, he has overseen the launch of many of the organization’s defining educational programs, including YOLA, a program which has provided daily after-school music training to thousands of children in several of LA’s most underserved communities.

    He currently serves as a trustee of the New England Conservatory of Music, as a member of Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Prize executive committee, and on the artistic advisory board for the Music Academy of the West. Mr. Smith began his career in 2000 at the New World Symphony, after receiving his B.M. (Vocal Performance) and B.A. (European History) in the NEC/Tufts dual degree program. He received his M.M. in 1998 in Vocal Performance from NEC.

    The Ojai Music Festival
    From its founding in 1947, the Ojai Music Festival has become a place for groundbreaking musical experiences, bringing together innovative artists and curious audiences in an intimate, idyllic setting 75 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The Festival presents broad-ranging programs in unusual ways with an eclectic mix of new and rarely performed music, as well as refreshing juxtapositions of musical styles. The four-day festival is an immersive experience with concerts, free community events, symposia, and gatherings. Considered a highlight of the international music summer season, Ojai has remained a leader in the classical music landscape for seven decades.

    Through its signature structure of the Artistic Director appointing an annual Music Director, Ojai has presented a “who’s who” of music including Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky, Michael Tilson Thomas, Kent Nagano, Pierre Boulez, John Adams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Robert Spano, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, David Robertson, Eighth Blackbird, George Benjamin, Dawn Upshaw, Leif Ove Andsnes, Mark Morris, Jeremy Denk, Steven Schick, Peter Sellars, Vijay Iyer, and Patricia Kopatchinskaja. Following Barbara Hannigan’s 2019 Festival, Ojai welcomes Mathias Pintscher as its 2020 Music Director.

    As the Ojai Music Festival approaches its 75th anniversary and looks toward the future with incoming Artistic Director Chad Smith, the innumerable contributions of outgoing Artistic Director Thomas W. Morris over his sixteen-year tenure will continue to be felt through the 2019 Festival and beyond.

    Live video streaming of the Ojai Music Festival
    The Ojai Music Festival continues to draw thousands of curious and engaged music enthusiasts from across the country. Ojai includes free access to the Festival experience through live and archived video streaming online at OjaiFestival.org. This year’s live streaming runs June 6 through June 9 and will include guest interviews throughout the webcasts. Hosting this year will be Director of Publications for National Sawdust and longtime journalist Steve Smith and Los Angeles-based composer and Classical KUSC host Thomas Kotcheff.

    Series Passes for 2020 Ojai Music Festival
    Advance 2020 series subscriptions will be available for purchase during the 2019 Festival and online at OjaiFestival.org.

    Single Tickets for 2019 Ojai Music Festival with Music Director Barbara Hannigan
    2019 Festival single tickets are available and may be purchased online at OjaiFestival.org or by calling (805) 646-2053. 2019 Ojai Music Festival ticket prices range from $45 to $150 for reserved seating and lawn tickets are $20. Student discounts are available.

  • A Grand Finale: Barbara Hannigan

    A Grand Finale: Barbara Hannigan

    This year’s closing concert highlights that music, to thrive, must always be about the joyous urgency of now. With a series of contrasting pieces, festival director Barbara Hannigan celebrates the “synthesis of dark and light: chiaroscuro,” as she puts it.

    Haydn’s Symphony No. 49, composed in 1768, demonstrates the process in which old and new huddle together at the threshold of change. The orchestration and structure are conventional and yet the content reflects the unprecedented emotional turbulence of Haydn’s Sturm und Drang period: dynamic extremes, dramatic melodic leaps, and unexpected accents and silences. Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, a ballet interspersed with songs featuring stock characters, echoes Baroque composer Pergolesi and creates new perspectives for the present.

    George Gershwin’s Girl Crazy, inspired by jazz, Tin Pan alley, and Broadway theater, premiered in 1930 and featured an all-star cast that included Ethel Merman and Ginger Rogers, and a pit orchestra teeming with luminaries. Featuring Barbara Hannigan as both conductor and soprano, Bill Elliott’s Girl Crazy Suite enfolds the show’s hits in a series of droll arrangements that extend from gauzy impressionism to brassy Broadway swagger, bringing the dramatic finale of this year’s festival to a fitting close.