Encounter: California Dreaming: Exiles and Emigrés

In the 1930s and ’40s, an extraordinary array of artists fled wartime Europe to make a new home in the promised land of Southern California.

Everyone from Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Alma Mahler and Rachmaninoff to Max Reinhardt, Billy Wilder, Hedy Lamarr and Peter Lorre intersected under the sun, drawn by the lure of the palm trees, the Pacific and the creative promise of the young film industry.

With Ara Guzelimian, the Artistic and Executive Director of the Ojai Festival in California, we explore this remarkable community through personal memoirs, rare films, and musical performances by festival artists.

Encounters are free afternoon events, featuring intriguing lectures, discussions, performances, and diverse perspectives. Encounters reveal fascinating insights into the ways in which music is created, influenced, interpreted, and performed. Registration required.