The long-running Ojai Art Center hosts four classic chamber music concerts
each year on selected Sunday afternoons.
The Ojai Art Center Welcomes...
An Afternoon of Compositions by John Biggs
Sunday, March 8th, 2026, at 3:00 pm
Suggested donation $25
Composer John Biggs has brought his life's work most recently to Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, functioning as a de facto composer in residence to the Tri-County area. It would be a rare musician, orchestra or choir who has not played one or more of his works, and a rare audience member of classical music who has not heard his lively and effective pieces. His works have been performed from coast to coast, and his skills as vocalist have infused and inspired his works for voice and choir. His interest and grasp of early music took him touring with his John Biggs Consort as he spread his enthusiasm for the music of the Renaissance and Middle Ages. Don't miss this event, as the Ojai Art Center welcomes him as composer with his performing musical family for a celebration concert of his creative output Sunday March 8 at 3pm. 113 Montgomery St. in Ojai. $25 donation suggested at the door. First come parking across the street at HELP of Ojai. For more information call (805) 640-1158.
Born in Los Angeles on October 18, 1932, composer John Biggs received his master's degree in composition from UCLA. He furthered his studies at USC and the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp, Belgium. His teachers include Roy Harris, Lukas Foss, Ingolf Dahl, Flor Peeters, Halsey Stevens, and Leonard Stein. He taught at Los Angeles City College, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. And also served as composer-in-residence to six colleges in Kansas under a grant from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. As a performer, he founded the John Biggs Consort, specializing in medieval, renaissance, and 20th century music, touring the world under Columbia Artists. As a composer, he won numerous awards and honors including a Rockefeller Grant, Fulbright Grant, Atwater-Kent Award, ASCAP “Serious Music Award” every year since 1974, and several “Meet the Composer” grants. This afternoon's selections of his original music are a celebration of four generations of a musical family, performed by his violinist daughter, Jennifer Walton, and cellist grandson, Oliver Walton. The family is joined by pianist John Rusnak.
Violinist Jennifer Walton's musical life was propelled forward by her mother, Grammy Award-winning vocalist and arranger, Salli Terri, as well as her father, John Biggs, composer and founder of the John Biggs Consort. At age four, they started her on violin and never let up. In her teens, she toured throughout South America and Asia with her father's ensemble. With a piano scholarship at California State University, Fullerton, she double majored briefly before earning her Bachelor's Degree in Violin Performance. Jennifer has been teaching violin, piano, and composition since 1981.
Jennifer has appeared on camera on television shows such as Friends and Seinfeld, and played for the Emmy Awards and The Tonight Show. She is heard on CDs for Michael Jackson, Diana Krall, Nora Jones, Ray Charles, Barry Manilow, Faith Hill, Deadmau5 and hundreds of motion picture soundtracks.
Jennifer is especially proud of her Instrumental Casting business that provides musicians and their instruments for commercials, movies, television, music videos, print, and live events.
Born into tonight's musical Biggs/Walton family, cellist Oliver Walton was destined to be a musician. With an Associate Degree in Music he then studied privately with Dennis Karmazyan. He has worked in the music industry since age 15.
Since then, Oliver has played recording sessions, live concerts and musicals. Oliver has been soloist and/or principal cello for shows including Les Misérables, Candide, West Side Story, Wicked, Into the Woods, Sweeny Todd, Evita, Cinderella, Green Day’s American Idiot, Hands on a Hardbody, Damn Yankees and many others. He has played with LA Symphony, Downey Symphony, West LA Symphony, Golden State Pops Orchestra, Korean American Youth Symphony Orchestra, Ventura College Orchestra, and Hollywood Pops Orchestra. Oliver has performed in Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl with “Pink Martini”. He has played in full orchestra shows with EDM artist Deadmau5 Live at the Wiltern Theater and also with Persian Pop Star Shahkar, accompanied by guest artist Andrea Bocelli at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
Oliver is Principal cello for Pacific Opera Project in LA performing Lolanta, Pirates of Penzance, Barber of Seville, Die Fledermaus, Madama Butterly, Don Bucefalo, La Scuola de’ Gelosi, HMS Pinafore, Fra Diavolo, Abduction from the Seraglio and most recently, Turandot.
John Rusnak is a pianist, composer, music director and producer. He is the Founder/CEO of Visionmark Records. He has recorded for films and television, with clients including Sony, Warner Brothers, MGM, PBS, Hollywood Pictures, Rysher, CW Network, and others. He has released three commercial solo albums: Chopin Etudes, Bach Goldberg Variations, and the album Blue, a CD of his original film score music. John’s Chopin and Bach CDs were featured on the CW hit TV series Smallville.
John recorded piano for the recent film Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Modern Masterpiece, narrated by Oscar Winning actor Brad Pitt. He also recorded Beethoven's “Moonlight Sonata” for the Emmy Nominated 2019 PBS American Experience series Chasing The Moon, and he composed the music score for the award winning movie Sin Fronteras. The Sony movie Searching and the film Unthinkable, starring Samuel L. Jackson, features his credited piano solo work.
Live concert performances include the Finzi Eclogue for Piano and Strings, Shostakovich Piano Concerto in C Minor, Frank Martin’s Petite Symphonie Concertante,(harpsichord solo with Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra) and Beethoven’s “Archduke” Trio. Published as a songwriter with Warner Brothers Publications, Bourne Company and others, he composes in many styles.
John is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, earning a BFA in Piano Performance.
The Art Center is located at 113 South Montgomery.
Recommended donation is $25 at the door, and concert parking is first come across the street at HELP of Ojai.
Born in Los Angeles on October 18, 1932, composer John Biggs received his master's degree in composition from UCLA. He furthered his studies at USC and the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp, Belgium. His teachers include Roy Harris, Lukas Foss, Ingolf Dahl, Flor Peeters, Halsey Stevens, and Leonard Stein. He taught at Los Angeles City College, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. And also served as composer-in-residence to six colleges in Kansas under a grant from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. As a performer, he founded the John Biggs Consort, specializing in medieval, renaissance, and 20th century music, touring the world under Columbia Artists. As a composer, he won numerous awards and honors including a Rockefeller Grant, Fulbright Grant, Atwater-Kent Award, ASCAP “Serious Music Award” every year since 1974, and several “Meet the Composer” grants. This afternoon's selections of his original music are a celebration of four generations of a musical family, performed by his violinist daughter, Jennifer Walton, and cellist grandson, Oliver Walton. The family is joined by pianist John Rusnak.
Violinist Jennifer Walton's musical life was propelled forward by her mother, Grammy Award-winning vocalist and arranger, Salli Terri, as well as her father, John Biggs, composer and founder of the John Biggs Consort. At age four, they started her on violin and never let up. In her teens, she toured throughout South America and Asia with her father's ensemble. With a piano scholarship at California State University, Fullerton, she double majored briefly before earning her Bachelor's Degree in Violin Performance. Jennifer has been teaching violin, piano, and composition since 1981.
Jennifer has appeared on camera on television shows such as Friends and Seinfeld, and played for the Emmy Awards and The Tonight Show. She is heard on CDs for Michael Jackson, Diana Krall, Nora Jones, Ray Charles, Barry Manilow, Faith Hill, Deadmau5 and hundreds of motion picture soundtracks.
Jennifer is especially proud of her Instrumental Casting business that provides musicians and their instruments for commercials, movies, television, music videos, print, and live events.
Born into tonight's musical Biggs/Walton family, cellist Oliver Walton was destined to be a musician. With an Associate Degree in Music he then studied privately with Dennis Karmazyan. He has worked in the music industry since age 15.
Since then, Oliver has played recording sessions, live concerts and musicals. Oliver has been soloist and/or principal cello for shows including Les Misérables, Candide, West Side Story, Wicked, Into the Woods, Sweeny Todd, Evita, Cinderella, Green Day’s American Idiot, Hands on a Hardbody, Damn Yankees and many others. He has played with LA Symphony, Downey Symphony, West LA Symphony, Golden State Pops Orchestra, Korean American Youth Symphony Orchestra, Ventura College Orchestra, and Hollywood Pops Orchestra. Oliver has performed in Disney Hall and the Hollywood Bowl with “Pink Martini”. He has played in full orchestra shows with EDM artist Deadmau5 Live at the Wiltern Theater and also with Persian Pop Star Shahkar, accompanied by guest artist Andrea Bocelli at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
Oliver is Principal cello for Pacific Opera Project in LA performing Lolanta, Pirates of Penzance, Barber of Seville, Die Fledermaus, Madama Butterly, Don Bucefalo, La Scuola de’ Gelosi, HMS Pinafore, Fra Diavolo, Abduction from the Seraglio and most recently, Turandot.
John Rusnak is a pianist, composer, music director and producer. He is the Founder/CEO of Visionmark Records. He has recorded for films and television, with clients including Sony, Warner Brothers, MGM, PBS, Hollywood Pictures, Rysher, CW Network, and others. He has released three commercial solo albums: Chopin Etudes, Bach Goldberg Variations, and the album Blue, a CD of his original film score music. John’s Chopin and Bach CDs were featured on the CW hit TV series Smallville.
John recorded piano for the recent film Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Modern Masterpiece, narrated by Oscar Winning actor Brad Pitt. He also recorded Beethoven's “Moonlight Sonata” for the Emmy Nominated 2019 PBS American Experience series Chasing The Moon, and he composed the music score for the award winning movie Sin Fronteras. The Sony movie Searching and the film Unthinkable, starring Samuel L. Jackson, features his credited piano solo work.
Live concert performances include the Finzi Eclogue for Piano and Strings, Shostakovich Piano Concerto in C Minor, Frank Martin’s Petite Symphonie Concertante,(harpsichord solo with Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra) and Beethoven’s “Archduke” Trio. Published as a songwriter with Warner Brothers Publications, Bourne Company and others, he composes in many styles.
John is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, earning a BFA in Piano Performance.
The Art Center is located at 113 South Montgomery.
Recommended donation is $25 at the door, and concert parking is first come across the street at HELP of Ojai.
Please enjoy these short films of some of our wonderful past Music Branch performances. Thank you for your support, and stay safe!
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