The 73rd edition of the Ojai Music Festival had the good fortune of having Barbara Hannigan as Music Director. Ms. Hannigan is a soprano/conductor of vast and varied talent whose performances on stage throughout the four days and three nights of this always eclectic and more often than not “cutting edge” celebration of “classical” music made for some thrilling concerts. In spite of some grumbling about a few of the programming choices (isn’t there always? Kind of goes with the territory in a Festival like this) the audience seemed pretty darned pleased with what went down. The pinnacle of the festival for many was Saturday night featuring the director’s unearthly singing in John Zorn’s “Jumalattaret” and Gérard Grisley’s “Four songs for crossing the threshold.” The first, a complex and probably un-singable-for-anyone-else piece based on a Finnish epic poem showcased her amazing vocal technique as she created sounds and vocalizations like you’ve never heard. The Grisley was eerie, hypnotic and, appropriately, a journey to the otherworldly. Herewith, a little photographic celebration of the seemingly indefatigable Barbara Hannigan who ended the festivities with a heartfelt tribute to outgoing Artistic Director of sixteen years Tom Morris followed by conducting and singing a rousing suite of hits from Gershwin’s “Girl Crazy” arranged by Bill Elliot.
