Ojai Music Festival

A principal solo artist for more than two decades, Leighton has performed with many of the world’s eminent conductors, including Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, the late Lorin Maazel, Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel, Bramwell Tovey and the late Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. Her opera credits include principal appearances with New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Köln Opera, Paris Opera and Glyndebourne. She has recorded more films with composers John Williams, James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard, Henry Jackman, Mark Mancina, Dennis McCarthy, Nick Glennie Smith, Steven Jablonsky, and Christophe Beck, and her voice can be heard on more than 85 major motion picture soundtracks. Most recently she worked on Small Foot, Venom, and Wreck It Ralph 3. Read More

Pianist Stephen Gosling is a ubiquitous presence on the New York new music scene, and has also performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia. His playing has been hailed as “brilliant,” “electric,” and “luminous and poised” (New York Times), possessing “utter clarity and conviction” (Washington Post) and “extraordinary virtuosity” (Houston Chronicle).

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Los Robles Master Chorale (LRMC), led by Artistic Director Lesley Leighton and lauded for its “robust choral tapestry” (Artillery), is one of Southern California’s premier choirs. Celebrating a rich legacy and hailed for its remarkable sound, striking versatility, and commitment to commissioning new choral works, the 100+voice chorus harnesses the power of music to enrich people of all ages. With repertoire ranging from early music and great choral masterworks to folk, contemporary and world music, LRMC presents its own concert series each season and performs with leading music organizations across the Southland in such iconic venues as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl and Royce Hall. The chorale has recently appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, the New West Symphony, among others.

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Percussionist, conductor, and author Steven Schick was born in Iowa and raised in a farming family.  Hailed by Alex Ross in the New Yorker as, “one of our supreme living virtuosos, not just of percussion but of any instrument,” he has championed contemporary percussion music by commissioning or premiering more than one hundred-fifty new works. The most important of these have become core repertory for solo percussion. Schick was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2014. He was also music director of the 2015 Ojai Music Festival.

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JACK Quartet: Christopher Otto, Austin Wulliman, John Pickford Richards, Jay Campbell

Deemed “superheroes of the new music world” (Boston Globe), the JACK Quartet is “the go-to quartet for contemporary music, tying impeccable musicianship to intellectual ferocity and a take-no-prisoners sense of commitment.” (Washington Post) “They are a musical vehicle of choice to the next great composers who walk among us.” (Toronto Star)

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In 2012, six Dutch orchestral musicians defied prevailing trends and created a new musical collective. They wanted an ensemble which would distinguish itself not only artistically, but in its range and flexibility. LUDWIG – the name of course refers to the cultural entrepreneur in classical music – varies in size from a single soloist to full-scale symphonic orchestra. Their dream became reality: in no time at all the collective, with its fearless elan and contemporary vision for established repertoire, shot to prominence in the Netherlands.

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In January 2017, Barbara Hannigan launched the Equilibrium Initiative (EQ) to mentor 21 young professional musicians in the first substantial phase of their careers. EQ includes intensive workshop retreats, which focus on developing and strengthening the skills needed for sustaining a fulfilling career, as well as offering performance opportunities with Ms. Hannigan and others. EQ artists are selected from an international field of applicants for their talent, musicianship, passion, drive, curiosity, discipline, versatility, and creativity. Meet the seven singers who will be joining us in 2019.

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