Thanks to a strong tradition of thoughtful programming and the loyalty of one of the world’s most sophisticated audiences, the Ojai Music Festival consistently delivers a uniquely satisfying experience, and this year, after an 18-month COVID delay, was no exception. John Adams made an ideal music director for this homecoming-themed edition, and his decision to use the occasion to highlight the work of a new generation of composers was brilliantly on target. After living through a live music drought of unprecedented length and proportions, coming back to the serene beauty of Libbey Bowl to hear so much great work for the first time felt just right.
Beyond the sheer pleasure this decision granted to listeners was the sensitivity shown to the COVID-battered dreams of this talented cohort of musicians in their thirties. It’s one thing to lose a season when you have already had a few to get your bearings in the musical world, and quite another to see a year and a half slip by in which you expected to establish yourself.
The West Coast premiere of Samuel Adams’s Chamber Concerto on Friday, September 17, left no doubt that this second generation of Adams composers has what it takes to move music forward. Mesmerizing, soulful, and structurally sound, the piece will enter the standard repertoire. Violinist Miranda Cuckson was splendid as the soloist, returning after the short interval to play a section of a Bach partita while standing offstage under a tree — a very Ojai touch.