This season on OJAICast, we have one very special episode where Emily Praetorius gets to talk in-depth with Artistic and Executive Director Ara Guzelimian about what magic is in store for us at the 2024 Ojai Music Festival (June 6-9). From Mozart to Schoenberg and Haydn to Gubaidulina, we take a musical tour of the Festival programming with some extra insights into Music Director Mitsuko Uchida’s close connections with the fabulous roster of musicians joining her this year.

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K.453 - 3. Allegretto

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-Flat Major, K. 482 - I. Allegro

Sophia Gubaidulina: Five Etudes for Harp, Double Bass and Percussion

Schoenberg: 6 Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19 - 6. Sehr langsam

Sophia Gubaidulina: In Croce

Helmut Lachenmann: Interieur

Kaija Saariaho: Lichtbogen

György Kurtág: Kafka Fragments - No. 19

John Zorn: Road Runner

Haydn: Symphony No. 46 in B Major, Hob.I:46 - 4. Finale. Presto e scherzando

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K.453 - 3. Allegretto

Emily Praetorius, host and producer

OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks

Our final episode welcomes kamancheh player Niloufar Shiri, pipa player Wu Man, and multi-instrumetalist Francesco Turrisi to the podcast, where they discuss the history of their instruments, how they are played in contemporary music today, and what we can look forward to in this year’s festival programming.

Niloufar Shiri Performs at Ojai Meadows Preserve

OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks

Music Excerpts in this Episode:

Our second episode takes a look at the idea of composing across boundaries with festival composers Niloufar Nourbakhsh and Carlos Simon.

Shawn Okpebholo

Emily Praetorius, host and producer

OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks

Music Excerpts in this Episode:

The Willows are New - Chou Wen-Chung, performed by Gloria Cheng

Veiled - Niloufar Nourbakhsh, performed by Amanda Gookin

Between Worlds - Carlos Simon, performed by Julia Mirzoev

Our first episode gives an in-depth look into the 77th Ojai Music Festival (June 8th - 11th, 2023), curated by Music Director Rhiannon Giddens. Special guest Executive Director Ara Guzelimian will give us some insights into the creation of this year's festival programming and background on some of pieces being played.

Ojai Virtual Talks, Rhiannon Giddens

Emily Praetorius, host and producer

OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks

Music Excerpts in this Episode:

Liquid Borders - Gabriela Ortiz, performed by red fish blue fish

Clock Catcher - Flying Lotus, performed by Attacca Quartet

Ghost Opera - Tan Dun, performed by Kronos Quartet

More music, meditation, and dance plus community events end the four-day Festival starting with Meditation with the music of Julius Eastman, followed by Hans Otte’s The Book of Sounds, and two world premieres Dance in the Park and Rome is Falling. To end this jam-packed Fesrival, the Sunday Finale will display the virtuosity of all 17 AMOC members as a collective. Guests: Ara Guzelimian, Julia Eichten, and Doug Balliett.

Emily Praetorius, producer and host

OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks

Music Excerpts in Episode 4:

Let Festival weekend begin! In this episode we look at the Saturday program which is quintessential Ojai Music Festival -- music of Bach and Bach re-imagined and three premieres of some of today’s most exciting composers Matthew Aucoin, Carolyn Chen, and Andrew McIntosh. Guests: AMOC co-founder/composer Matthew Aucoin and AMOC member and violinist Miranda Cuckson.

Emily Praetorius, producer and host

OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks

Music Excerpts in Episode 3:

About Bach, by Cassandra Miller

Tanz Tanz, by Reiko Füting

Prelude in G Minor, by Bach

Little Jimmy, by Andrew McIntosh

From early morning sunrise to evening sunset, AMOC dives into the music of icons George Lewis and Roscoe Mitchell, the life and music of Julius Eastman alongside world premieres of works by Anthony Cheung and new staging of Messian’s Harawi. Guests: AMOC member and flutist Emi Ferguson and composer Anthony Cheung.

Emily Praetorius, producer and host

OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks

Music Excerpts in Episode 2:

Stay on It, by Julius Eastman

Harawi, mvts. 2, 6, 10, by Olivier Messiaen

Our first episode introduces us to our 2022 Music Director AMOC, the multidisciplinary collective which incorporates music, dance, poetry, theatre in all their work and their ambitious programming that begins on Thu June 9. Guests: Ara Guzelimian, Zack Winokur, and Keir Gogwilt

Emily Praetorius, producer and host

OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks

Music Excerpts in Episode 1:

Prelude to the Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc, by Julius Eastman

Rebonds B, by Iannis Xenakis

Gretchen am spinnrade, by Eric Wubbels

The Ojai Music Festival has been around since 1947, but rather than sticking to status quo, it continues to evolve and surprise with unusual intersections of musical styles and genres. Invited to talk about their Ojai experiences will be alum - Matthew Duvall of Eighth Blackbird, Music Director of 2009, and Steven Schick, percussionist, conductor and Music Director of 2015.

Classical music can be intimidating to newcomers and frequent concertgoers alike, even more so, new contemporary music. Host Thomas Kotcheff discusses this topic with the help from his guests, Musicologist Lance Brunner and composer Veronika Krausas, on finding meaning and confidence in the process of listening to classical music.