The mission of the Ojai Music Festival is to present an internationally influential festival that furthers artistic freedom and exploration of classical and contemporary music for performers, composers, and audiences alike. Of note, the June 2022 Festival marked the completion of Ojai Music Festival’s 75th Anniversary celebration.

Founded in 1947, the Ojai Music Festival is a leader in showcasing the best of classical and contemporary music. For four days each June, the entire city of Ojai becomes the stage for innovative symphonic and chamber music, jazz, world music, opera, and a series of lectures and discussions. Concerts begin early in the morning and run throughout the day and into the night.

Each year, the Festival selects a different prominent artist to serve as the Festival’s Music Director. The Festival’s freedom to experiment is renowned and has attracted some of the greatest national and international artists of our time including Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, Pierre Boulez, Arnold Schoenberg, Lou Harrison, Olivier Messiaen, and Peter Sellars. Recent Music Directors include Vijay Iyer (2017), Patricia Kopatchinskaja (2018), Barbara Hannigan (2019), Matthias Pintscher (2020), John Adams (2021), and American Modern Opera Company (2022).

The Ojai Music Festival’s BRAVO Education and Community Programs provide free access to imaginative concerts and unique musical events for residents from the Ojai Valley community throughout the year. In addition, BRAVO programs bring a range of free, high-quality musical experiences to about 2,000 students annually, making our organization the largest provider of music education in the Ojai Valley.