Ojai 2021

Good news from southern California: the Ojai Festival, music director John Adams, will take place this year, in September rather than June. There will be several world premieres (Sunt Lacrimae Rerum (these are the tears of things) by Dylan Mattingly and the revised version of Gabriela Ortiz’s La Calaca, along with the West Coast Premiere of Samuel Adams’ Chamber Concerto and the first concert performance of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Objets Trouvés) and a typically rich schedule, which is below the cut. The festival's dates are September 16 to 19, 2021.

Thurs, Sept 09.16.21 

9pm, Libbey Bowl 

Ojai Mix - Prelude to a Festival 

Miranda Cuckson, violin 

Amy Schroeder, violin 

Nathan Schram, viola 

Anna Margules, recorder 

Attacca Quartet 

STRAVINSKY Elegie  

Gabriela ORTIZ Huitzitl 

Carlos SIMON Between Worlds 

Timo ANDRES Early to Rise 

Dylan MATTINGLY Magnolia 

Samuel ADAMS Violin Diptych 

Gabriella SMITH Maré 

Fri, Sept 09.17.21 

8am, location TBD 

Ojai Talks 

Chumash stories with Chumash Elder Julie Tumamait 

Fri, Sept 09.17.21 

11am, Libbey Bowl 

Attacca Quartet with Rhiannon Giddens 

Rhiannon Giddens, vocalist 

Attacca Quartet 

John ADAMS Selections from Book of Alleged Dances 

Paul WIANCKO Benkei's Standing Death 

Caroline SHAW Plan and Elevation 

Jessie MONTGOMERY Strum 

Rhiannon GIDDENS Factory Girl 

Rhiannon GIDDENS Build a House 

Rhiannon GIDDENS At the Purchaser's Option 

Gabriella SMITH Carrot Revolution 

Fri, Sept 09.17.21 

3pm-4:30pm, location TBD 

OJAI TALKS 

Sessions will include conversations with Music Director John Adams and Festival composers along with brief performances 

Fri, Sept 09.17.21 

8pm, Libbey Bowl 

John Adams conducts the Ojai Festival Orchestra 

Julie Tumamait, Chumash Elder 

Miranda Cuckson, violin 

Timo Andres, piano 

Emily Levin, harp 

John Adams, conductor 

Ojai Festival Orchestra 

Chumash Welcome 

DEBUSSY Danse sacrée et danse profane 

Samuel ADAMS Chamber Concerto West Coast Premiere 

Esa-Pekka SALONEN FOG 

Ingram MARSHALL Flow 

Timo ANDRES Running Theme 

Sat, Sept 09.18.21 

8am, location TBD 

Ojai Dawns 

Anna Margules, recorder 

Mario LAVISTA Ofrenda 

Gabriela ORTIZ Huitzitl 

Manuel ROCHA Trama de tramas 

Arturo FUENTES Toro Mariposa 

Gabriela ORTIZ Canto en Soledad

Alejandra HERNÁNDEZ Veulos 

Gabriela ORTIZ Canto a hanna 

Sat, Sept 09.18.21 

11am. Libbey Bowl 

Víkingur Ólafsson in recital 

Víkingur Ólafsson, piano 

Music by Philip Glass, Bach, Debussy, and Rameau  

Sat, Sept 09.18.21 

4:30pm, location TBD 

Dusk Concert 

Miranda Cuckson, violin 

Anthony CHEUNG Character Studies Mvnt one - Dramatis Personnae, Mvnt two - [untitled] Dai FUJIKURA Prism Spectra 

J.S. BACH D Minor Partita No.2. Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, & Gigue 

Kaija SAARIAHO Frises 

Sat, Sept 09.18.21 

8pm, Libbey Bowl 

They’re Calling Me Home 

Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi 

Having spent the past year away from in-person concerts, Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi found them selves drawn to the music of their native and adoptive countries of America, Italy, and Ireland. The result is their latest album, They’re Calling Me Home, which speaks of the longing for the comfort of home as well as the meta phorical “call home” of death, which has been a tragic reality for so many throughout the past year. 

Sun, Sept 09.19.21 

8am, Libbey Bowl 

I Still Play 

Timo Andres, piano 

Philip GLASS Evening Song No. 2 

Nico MUHLY Move 

Timo ANDRES Wise Words 

Steve REICH For Bob 

Louis ANDRIESSON Rimsky or La Monte Young 

Laurie ANDERSON Song for Bob 

Donnacha DENNEHY Her Wits (About Him) 

Brad MEHLDAU LA Pastorale 

John ADAMS I Still Play 

Samuel ADAMS Impromptus 

Gabriella SMITH Pancake Revolution

Sun, Sept 09.19.21 

11am, Libbey Bowl 

LA Phil New Music Group 

LA Phil New Music Group 

Gabriela ORTIZ Rió de las Mariposas 

inti figgis-vizueta To give you form and breath 

John ADAMS Hallelujah Junction 

Esa-Pekka SALONEN Objets Trouvés First concert performance 

Dylan MATTINGLY Sunt Lacrimae Rerum (these are the tears of things) World Premiere 

Sun, Sept 09.19.21 

5:30pm, Libbey Bowl 

Festival Finale 

Rhiannon Giddens, vocalist 

Víkingur Ólafsson, piano 

John Adams, conductor  

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra 

Carlos SIMON Fate Now Conquers 

MOZART Piano Concerto in C minor, K491 

John ADAMS Am I in Your Light (from Dr Atomic) 

John ADAMS Consuelo's Dream (from I was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I saw the sky) Gabriela ORTIZ La Calaca World Premiere of revised version 

Programs and artists are subject to change.