Memories & Moments

“The first time I visited, in 2001, I had no idea of the beauties to be found in this eclectic small town that has played host to some of music’s greatest luminaries. 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. Singing the music of John Adams, Luciano Berio, and Osvaldo Golijov in three Ojai Festivals over the past decade has been a true highlight for me.”

–Dawn Upshaw, Music Director (2001)

“After nearly a dozen appearances at the Ojai Music Festival, it is difficult to choose highlights.  Certainly, among the brightest moments would include working with close personal friends Claire Chase and Vijay Iyer in their years as music director.  I also remember a poignant performance from the mid1990’s—the US premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Six Japanese Gardens—in which Kaija’s musical rain drops, inspired by her visit to the lush Moss Garden at Saiho-ji, were echoed by real drops from the massive oaks surrounding the Libbey Bowl in an unusual and beautiful foggy night.  But the true gift to me was the chance to be Music Director in 2015.  My favorite moment of that year was finishing a performance of Appalachian Spring a little after midnight and beginning the next concert just a few hours later for a crowd that camped out at the Arts Center.  I always wondered what it felt like for our audience to wake up to Morton Feldman’s glorious 5-hour piece, For Philip Guston. Another “only-in-Ojai” moment to add to the treasure trove of extraordinary experiences at the festival.”   

–Steven Schick, Music Director (2015)

“On June 12, 2011 I was in Libbey Bowl listening to Dawn Upshaw sing – and the Australian Chamber Orchestra play – the premier of Maria Schneider’s “Winter Morning Walks,” a piece commissioned by the Ojai Music Festival. The piece, set to the poems of Ted Kooser written on the American plains, evoked for me nostalgic images of my native Midwestern landscape. This is still one of the most memorable performances I’ve experienced, and I can still picture the stage, the orchestra, and the wintery images playing in my mind’s eye. Because of that moment, I attend Maria Schneider’s concerts any chance that I get!”  

– Kathryn Haydon, Festival Patron