The Ojai Music Festival has announced mandolinist, composer, and songwriter Chris Thile as the Music Director for its 81st edition, scheduled to take place from June 10 to 13, 2027. The appointment marks Thile’s debut appearance at the festival.
The announcement was made by incoming Artistic and Executive Director Teddy Abrams, who is slated to officially assume his dual leadership role on September 1, 2026. Abrams succeeds Ara Guzelimian, who concludes his 12-year cumulative tenure following the 80th festival. Since its inception in 1947, the Ojai Music Festival has maintained a structural tradition of appointing a new music director each annual cycle to guide the artistic direction and programming of that specific year.
2027 Programming Pillars and Commissions
The 2027 festival will center on several core projects, with a specific focus on expanding the contemporary repertoire for the mandolin through new commissions. A newly commissioned solo mandolin suite by composer Andrew Norman will receive its world premiere. Norman’s previous work was featured at Ojai in 2014 under music director Jeremy Denk.
Additionally, Thile will collaborate with jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant and pianist Sullivan Fortner on a new interpretation of Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera. The project represents the first Ojai collaboration for both Salvant and Fortner. Composer and violinist Caroline Shaw will return to the festival as a resident artist and performer, alongside bassist and composer Edgar Meyer, who joins the residency roster for his first festival appearance. The East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO), a self-governing collective of musicians drawn from various international orchestras and chamber groups, will serve as the festival’s resident ensemble.
Leadership Transition and Institutional Timeline
The organizational transition occurring over the next year represents a distinct shift in Ojai’s executive and artistic framework. The upcoming 80th anniversary edition of the festival runs from June 11 to 14, 2026, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, marking the final cycle led by Ara Guzelimian. Shortly after, on July 24, 2026, Thile’s ensemble Punch Brothers will release The Unsung Adventures of Punch Brothers on Nonesuch Records ahead of their 2026–2027 tour.
Teddy Abrams officially assumes full leadership as Artistic and Executive Director on September 1, 2026, operating concurrently with his post as Music Director of the Louisville Orchestra. The festival administration is scheduled to release additional institutional collaborators and specific programming details for the 81st edition in the fall of 2026, leading into Thile’s designated festival cycle from June 10 to 13, 2027. Single tickets and passes for the 2026 edition remain available through standard box office channels.
Subscribe to our newsletter