Claire Chase, the music director at this year's Ojai Music Festival, brings a unique blend of activism and artistry, showcasing her powerful flute performances. She curated a festival focusing on eco-sonics, drawing attention to the beauty of nature while also highlighting the significance of mental well-being through music. The four-day event featured innovative works like Susie Ibarra's 'Sky Islands,' reflecting Chase's commitment to diverse musical explorations. Through her initiatives, Chase has significantly revived interest in contemporary composers, engaging both musicians and audiences alike in a communal experience of sound and nature.
"Chase is also a joyous and entrepreneurial music activist, MacArthur 'genius,' educator, founder of New York's impressive International Contemporary Ensemble and commissioner of a vastly imaginative new flute repertory in her ongoing Density 2036 project."
"For Ojai, Chase collected concerned composers on a quest for a kind of eco-sonics capable of conjuring up the pleasure of nature and, in the process, saving our sanity."
"The festival's proudest moment (30 minutes to be precise) was the West Coast premiere of Susie Ibarra's 'Sky Islands.' It was the last work in a resplendent Sunday morning program that Chase described as 'multi-spiritual' and 'multi-species.'"
"Over four days of concerts mostly in the rustic Libbey Bowl, the names of many of the works gave away the game, such as 'The Holy Liftoff,' 'Horse Sings From Cloud,' and 'How Forests Think.'"
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