Ojai Music Festival leaders highlight community programs, local ticket growth and free events

The Ojai Music Festival told the Ojai Arts Commission on a presentation that its recent work has focused on strengthening ties in Ojai while maintaining a regional and national audience.

Artistic and executive director Ara Guzelimian, speaking by Zoom, said the festival has shifted toward greater local attendance: "roughly 40% Los Angeles and Orange County, taken together… roughly 40% what I call 805… and then about 20% that's elsewhere in California," with the largest segment of the 805 audience coming from Ojai itself. Guzelimian said the festival’s board of 21 members now includes eight Ojai residents.

Guzelimian emphasized the festival’s year-round and school-focused programming. He described the Bravo program as providing “really the only source of music education from kindergarten to third grade” in local schools and noted additional initiatives including a composition program for high school students and the Imagine Concert at Libbey Bowl, which he said will reach roughly 800 fourth-to-sixth-grade students from Ojai public and private schools and two Ventura-area schools.

The festival is planning multiple free community events during the June run, Guzelimian said. The program list includes an 8 a.m. “morning meditations” concert at the Ojai Meadows Preserve produced in partnership with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, a free community concert in the fountain area, and film showings at the Ojai Playhouse connected to festival artists. Guzelimian also noted collaborations with the Ventura Museum and Ventura College and a recent presentation at Matilija campus.

Guzelimian named Claire Chase as the festival music director for this year and said the program will include landscape- and nature-related works reflecting her affinity for the local chaparral. He added that coverage is expected from national press outlets, and he named Esa-Pekka Salonen as the festival’s music director for the following year.

Commissioners and staff responded with praise for the festival’s local partnerships and the Bravo program; several commissioners referenced past board members and long-term institutional ties. Commissioners and staff also thanked festival representatives for providing brochures and a Bravo flyer for distribution.

The commission did not take any formal action on the presentation.

The commission suggested continued collaboration between the festival and city programs and noted interest in strengthening local arts funding to support activities like Bravo and school presentations.