Ojai: Talk of the Town

Ara Guzelimian on the Ojai Music Festival, Rhiannon Giddens and More


Listen Later

The Ojai Music Festival's Artistic Director Ara Guzelimian was well situated to lead the festival through the tumult of the past three years. He's certainly looking forward to the June 8-11 festival this year and a return to something more closely resembling normal and worrying more about the music and less about the logistics of managing this premier festival of modern contemporary music through a global pandemic.

He will be helped this year by returning guest Rhiannon Giddens (ep. 70), as Music Director. Giddens, a generational talent whose broad interests are well-suited to Ojai's spirit of musical adventure and exploration, was so charmed by Ojai in 2020 (the festival was held in September that covid-19 year) that she was eager to return. Ara didn't have to ask her twice to partner with him on programming. Among the audience offerings this year will be a chamber and voice ensemble performing Giddens' "Omar's Journey," from her opera about the Islamic scholar who was sold into bondage in the 19th century and continued his scholarly pursuits despite the horrors of slavery.

Of course, there will also be the wide range of pieces performed which characterize the festival, from Bach to John Adams to ancient Chinese music to folk ballads to rapper DJ Flying Lotus.

Guzelimian was formerly the artistic director in the 1990s, and recently retired as Dean of The Julliard School, perhaps the most prestigious music school in the country. He has conducted the popular "chalk talks" before the performances for decades. We talked about his journey to Ojai, his brilliant career and Ojai's mystical nature. We also talked about John Luther Adams, Harry Partsch and why Ojai remains so important to global culture. We did not talk about FDR's campaign against Alf Landon, Neopolitan pizza culture or sportfishing for Nile perch on Lake Tanganyika.

Check out this year's schedule at ...

https://www.ojaifestival.org/2023-festival-schedule/

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Ojai: Talk of the TownBy Bret Bradigan

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

14 ratings


More shows like Ojai: Talk of the Town

View all
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,713 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,949 Listeners

Marketplace by Marketplace

Marketplace

8,680 Listeners

The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan

The Joe Rogan Experience

226,832 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,483 Listeners

Pivot by New York Magazine

Pivot

9,257 Listeners

Pod Save America by Crooked Media

Pod Save America

86,750 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,917 Listeners

SmartLess by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett

SmartLess

58,143 Listeners

On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

On with Kara Swisher

3,365 Listeners