The Ojai Music Festival has announced that Esa-Pekka Salonen will serve as music director for its 80th edition, scheduled for June 11–14, 2026. The festival states that Salonen will curate the programming, continuing its tradition of spotlighting innovative and contemporary music.
Salonen previously collaborated with the Ojai Music Festival as Music Director for the 1999 and 2001 Festivals
This announcement comes as Salonen prepares to leave his position as music director of the San Francisco Symphony at the end of the 2024–25 season, when his current contract expires in June 2025.
Further details about the programming will be announced at a later date. More information is available on the festival’s official website.
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