In Thursday’s (11/10) Ventura County Star (California), Lisa McKinnon writes, “The Ojai Music Festival will feature one American premiere, debut appearances by a passel of Norwegians and a free concert by more than 45 percussionists and piccolo players stationed around Libbey Park. Norwegian pianist and festival first-timer Leif Ove Andsnes will serve as music director of the June 7-10 festival. He also will perform as soloist in the U.S. premiere of Norwegian composer Bent Srensen’s Piano Concerto No. 2 ‘La Mattina,’ festival organizers announced Wednesday. Mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn will make her first festival appearance in an opening-night concert that includes the Dmitri Shostakovich song cycle ‘Six Poems of Mariana Tsvetaeva,’ Op. 143. Also making their debuts at the festival known for its blending of classical and contemporary music will be pianist Marc-André Hamelin, clarinetist Martin Fröst, violist Antoine Tamestit, conductor-composer Reinbert de Leeuw and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. … Other events will include the free, West Coast premiere performance June 7 of ‘Inuksuit,’ a percussion-and-piccolo piece written by John Luther Adams for percussionist and conductor Steven Schick, who will direct. The piece will feature 48 musicians playing in Libbey Park and on the Libbey Bowl stage as audience members wander among them.”
Posted November 10, 2011
