OJAICast Ojai Music Festival

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 PreserveNiloufar ShiriPop Up Pipa with Wu Man Francesco Turrisi: Playlist & Ojai Talk Francesco TurrisiRhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi Met Museum ConcertEmily Praetorius, host and producerLouis Ng, recording engineer
OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks
Music Excerpts in this Episode:Niloufar Shiri ImprovisationRhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi Met Museum Concert
 

Our second episode takes a look at the idea of composing across boundaries with festival composers Niloufar Nourbakhsh and Carlos Simon.
Shawn OkpebholoOjai Virtual Talks: Lei Liang and Steve SchickNiloufar Noubakhsh and IFCACarlos Simon, Requiem for the EnslavedBill Traylor 
Emily Praetorius, host and producerLouis Ng, recording engineer
OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks
Music Excerpts in this Episode:mi sueño: afro-flamenco - Shawn Okpebholo, performed by Clare Longendyke
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 GiddensUncovering the History of the Banjo with Rhiannon Giddens
Emily Praetorius, host and producerLouis Ng, recording engineer
OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks
Music Excerpts in this Episode:I’m on My Way - Rhiannon Giddens, performed by Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi
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 hostLouis Ng, sound engineer (lensonproductions.com)
OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks
Music Excerpts in Episode 4:The Book of Sounds, mvts. 1, 10, by Hans Otte     Performed by Ralph van Raat
 

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 hostLouis Ng, sound engineer (lensonproductions.com)
OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks
Music Excerpts in Episode 3:cross/collapse, by Catherine Lamb
About Bach, by Cassandra Miller     Performed by Quatuor Bozzini
Tanz Tanz, by Reiko Füting     Performed by Olivia de Prato
Prelude in G Minor, by Bach     Performed by Emi Ferguson and Ruckus
Little Jimmy, by Andrew McIntosh     Performed by Yarn/Wire

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 hostLouis Ng, sound engineer (lensonproductions.com)
OJAICast theme by Thomas Kotcheff and Louis Weeks
Music Excerpts in Episode 2:Gay Guerilla, by Julius Eastman     Performed by Julius Eastman
Stay on It, by Julius Eastman     Performed by Julius Eastman, Doug Gaston, Amrom Chodos, Dennis Kahle, Benjamin Hudson, Joseph Ford, George Mitkoff, Jan Williams, Peter Kotik
Harawi, mvts. 2, 6, 10, by Olivier Messiaen     Performed by Hetna Regitze Bruun and Kristoffer Hyldig