On this outdoor stage in this scenic boutique amphitheater in Ojai’s Libbey Park, cellist Jay Campbell is playing a composition written by Esa-Pekka Salonen – the former Musical Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic — and he’s also taken the helm of this year’s Ojai Music festival as music director.
"What artists love about it is you can dream up anything that you would otherwise be inhibited and say, 'oh, that'll never work', and try it here," said the festival’s Artistic and Executive Director, Ara Guzelimian.
Each year the festival rotates the music director role and that’s one of the unique reasons this music festival, which is in its 80th year, is known for such adventurous programming.
"It's created an expectation of no expectations. So it's one of the most open audiences I've ever encountered anywhere after 80 years of this festival. Somebody described it as an immersion experience — you just go with what's coming at you," he told KCLU.
"There's something about the informality and the beauty of the setting. We're not in some fancy concert hall, and that, in a strange way, I find focuses the listening," he said.
"I still think of this as the little festival that could. It's amazing to me that it was founded in this heavenly town of 8,000 people and there's literally been a parade of pretty much every major musical figure of the last 80 years here," he said.
Many of the visitors bring a lawn chair or a blanket and take in the music, without knowing exactly what to expect, beyond a world-class festival.
"It's just a lovely, challenging, exciting musical home," said one festival goer.
Another explained, "It introduces me to all kinds of new music that I wouldn't ordinarily have listened to myself. It's challenging at times. Some of the pieces I actually don't like, but some of them I love, so it's quite a variety in that sense."
"I've been coming here probably six years," said another. "It's a highlight of the year. And I think in part it reminds me of the rich cultural life of New York. And here I get to be among the beautiful trees and hear fabulous music. So it's very exciting to me. I look forward to it."
And the Ojai Music Festival also features a number of free community events including a family concert on Sunday at noon.
