SEASON 5
Welcome to OJAICAST, where we pull back the curtain to take a sneak-peek at the upcoming Ojai Music Festival, June 5 to 8, in beautiful Ojai Valley, California. All are welcome here, from newcomers to long-time music fans. In-depth insights and special guests will help introduce this year’s programming and whet your musical appetites for what’s to come with host Christopher Noxon.
EPISODE 3
This week we look behind the scenes of how the Ojai Music Festival is curated with this year’s Music Director, Claire Chase and the Festival’s Artistic and Executive Director, Ara Guzelimian. Claire tells the story of this year’s Pulitzer Prize winning piece, Sky Islands by Susie Ibarra. She also demonstrates some of her exotic flute sounds and techniques.
Music featured –
1. Pan – Death of Pan composed by Marcos Balter and performed by Claire Chase
2. Pan – Pan’s Flute composed by Marcos Balter and performed by Claire Chase
3. Pan – Harmony of the Spheres composed by Marcos Balter and performed by Claire Chase
4. Holy Liftoff composed by Terry Riley and performed by Claire Chase, unreleased
5. Sex Magic: II. Oracles I “Salutations to the Cowrie Shells composed by Liza Lim, performed by Claire Chase & Senem Pirler
6. Sky Islands composed by Susie Ibarra and performed by Claire Chase, unreleased
7. Sunbird composed by Susie Ibarra and performed by Claire Chase, unreleased
8. On the Overgrown Path, JW VIII/17, Book 1: I. Our Evenings composed by Leos Janacek and performed by Rudolf Firkusny
9. Yenna performed by Ali Farka Touré
10. Horse Sings From Cloud composed and performed by Pauline Oliveros
Will Thomas, Writer & Producer
Christopher Noxon, Host
Claire Chase and Ara Guzelimian, Guests
OJAICAST theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks
EPISODE 2
In this episode, cellist Jay Campbell discusses the adventurous programming of the Ojai Music Festival (June 5-8) and his recurring role on the Libbey Bowl stage with the JACK Quartet. Composer Annea Lockwood then takes us on an aural journey down rivers and bayous as she shares about her decades-long trials of recording the wind.
Music featured –
1. Chambers composed by Marcos Balter and performed by the JACK Quartet, unreleased recording
2. The Holy Presence of Joan D’Arc composed by Julius Eastman and performed by Seth Parker Woods/Wild Up
3. Sky Islands composed by Susie Ibarra, unreleased recording
4. Eastre composed by Autechre
5. Bayou-Borne composed by Annea Lockwood and performed by Ensemble Maze
6. Housatonic River Recording by composer Annea Lockwood, unreleased
7. Wind by composer Cathy Lane
8. Arctic Winds by composer Maggi Payne
Will Thomas, Writer & Producer
Christopher Noxon, Host
Jay Campbell & Annea Lockwood, Guests
OJAICAST theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks
EPISODE 1
We launch season five of OJAICAST as your host Christopher Noxon dives into the lineup of the 2025 Ojai Music Festival (June 5-8). He joins composer-in-residence Marcos Balter and talks about writing music at a young age, audience participation in his music, and collaborating with this year’s Music Director and longtime friend Claire Chase.
Music featured –
1. Processional performed by Claire Chase (composer Marcos Balter)
2. Pan’s Flute performed by Claire Chase (composer Marcos Balter)
3. Harmony of the Spheres performed by Claire Chase (composer Marcos Balter)
4. Alone performed by Claire Chase (composer Marcos Balter), unreleased
5. Chambers performed by Spektral Quartet (composer Marcos Balter)
6. Sugarcane Fields Forever by Caetano Veloso
7. Processional performed by Claire Chase (composer Marcos Balter)
Will Thomas, Writer & Producer
Christopher Noxon, Host
Marcos Balter, Guest
OJAICAST theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks
Also available on SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS and YOUTUBE
OJAICAST SEASON 4
OJAICAST SEASON 3
OJAICAST SEASON 2
OJAICAST SEASON 1
Stay tuned for Episode 4!
ABOUT OUR HOST
Christopher Noxon writes and paints in Ojai, CA. His solo show “Terra Incognita” opens at Oxford House Projects in LA on May 17. He’s on the board of the Ojai Valley Museum and the Ojai Studio Artists. He’s the author and illustrator of Good Trouble: Lessons from the Civil Rights Playbook, Plus One: A Novel and Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons Cupcakes and the Reinvention of the American Grown-Up. His work has been featured in the New Yorker, the Atlantic and the New York Times Magazine.
ABOUT OUR WRITER & PRODUCER
Will Thomas is a composer, producer and sound artist based in Ojai, CA. He has composed music for TV, Film scores, movie trailers and has released multiple albums on labels Thrill Jockey, Hydrogen Dukebox and his own Neutral Music imprint. He is a frequent collaborator including works with Joseph Arthur, Roger Eno, Natalie Walker, and Jason Bentley. His music has been featured in countless programs on Netflix, HBO, SyFy, NBC, and he won the award for Best Score at the Filmquest Film Festival for The Haunted Swordsman. Most recently, he has experimented with mechanical instrument making and sound art installations.