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OJAI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2021
In 1947, gas cost 15 cents a gallon, harry s. truman was president, india and pakistan gained independence from great britain, chuck yeager broke the sound barrier, jackie robinson became the first black man to play major league baseball, the future queen elizabeth married philip mountbatten, and charles ives won the pulitzer prize for music. In May of that year, an event less celebrated around the world took place: the inaugural Ojai Music Festival. Perhaps the lack of attention was shortsighted. The Ojai Music Festival, celebrating its 75th year in 2021, has become renowned around the world for showcasing the most innovative music, by the most visionary performers and composers, for the most receptive audiences, in the most picturesque place. The music director in 1947 was Thor Johnson, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; he returned to Ojai nearly every year through 1953. In 1954, the festival’s first artistic director, Lawrence Morton, started two traditions: focusing on new music and appointing a different distinguished music director each year (although some have returned more than once), including Igor Stravinsky, Robert Craft, Aaron Copland, Pierre Boulez, Michael Tilson Thomas, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Calvin Simmons, Peter Maxwell Davies, Eighth Blackbird (sextet), Dawn Upshaw, Peter Sellars and John Adams. As the festival celebrates its 75th year, it has a new artistic director, Ara Guzelimian, who also held that position from 1992-97. Guzelimian, who just stepped down as provost and dean of The Juilliard School, and also served as artistic adviser at Carnegie Hall, is familiar to festival goers for his “Ara Talks” discussions with festival participants. Guzelimian takes over from Chad Smith, who was appointed in 2018 but announced his departure in 2019 after being promoted to chief executive of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Guzelimian has great respect for his predecessors, especially Morton. “Lawrence was, in many ways, the founding spirit of the festival,” Guzelimian said. “He wasn’t the literal founder, but when he took over, he created this pattern of a very inventive festival. I knew Lawrence at the end of his life; he was a huge influence in his fierce devotion to adventurous music and exploration.” Guzelimian doesn’t plan to do a lot of reminiscing, however. For the 2021 festival, he wants to follow the lead of Lawrence and his other predecessors who have all “honored the spirit of what’s preceded them, yet expanded what was possible.” This year, that includes a new date for the festival. To allow for the most optimal health and safety conditions due to the coronavirus, the event, originally scheduled for June 10-13 (online if that had been necessary), will instead take place Sept. 16-19, in person. All the original performers agreed to the rescheduled date. Patrons can still enjoy festival activities throughout the summer, however.
“It’s making a closer connection to and acknowledging the setting of the festival within Ojai ... physically, spiritually and in the community,” — Guzelimian.
