From Spain to Morehead City: AMF's artistic director expands concert vision

Musicians play at an AMF concert at First Presbyterian Church, photo courtesy of American Music Festival

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MOREHEAD CITY —  Oskar Espina Ruiz didn't plan on playing the clarinet or finding his way to Carteret County with the American Music Festival (AMF). He began performing with traditional Basque folk instruments in his village on the outskirts of Bilbao, Spain.

When a music conservatory opened in his village, the now world-class clarinetist was initially drawn to the work of Tina Turner's saxophonist and conductor/trombonist Glenn Miller. He recalls choosing the clarinet "almost by chance" because the conservatory lacked a saxophone teacher, leaving him with fewer instrument options. Among those available was the clarinet, at which he quickly became proficient.

This choice led him to perform as the youngest substitute in the Bilbao conservatory’s symphony orchestra by age 16 and later earn a grant to fund his studies at the Mannes School of Music in New York City in 1991.

After 20 years in New York City, Ruiz moved to North Carolina to serve as a clarinet artist-teacher at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. While there, he performed at the AMF, prompting AMF founder Barbara McKenzie to call him when she wanted to retire.

"She called me and asked if I would consider [taking on her role]," Ruiz explained.

The American Music Festival's mission is to present live chamber music and, more recently, jazz performances. It features "nationally and internationally renowned musicians to inspire, educate, and entertain diverse audiences while also providing special educational opportunities for school populations" in Carteret County.

By taking over McKenzie’s role as artistic director, Ruiz became responsible for programming these local performances, a task he approaches with enthusiasm. "Over time, I have become much more receptive to the audience; each place is unique and each audience is unique," Ruiz said. "You need to know your audience, so you can challenge them a little bit, but still make sure they feel like they can appreciate it. That way, they receive what they really like to hear and appreciate, but they continue to learn and they continue to be exposed to new and exciting music."

Ruiz expressed a need for what he calls "discovery pieces" in each show—something that gives the audience "a small challenge in the form of a piece that they may not have heard in the past; sometimes, it’s the music of a living composer or a less visible composer."

"I come from Spain, but...when I put on the hat of artistic director, this is not about me — this is about the audience, this is about Morehead City, Beaufort and Carteret County," he explained.

Ruiz and the AMF place particular importance on including young people in their audiences, making a concerted effort to plan performances at schools and offer free tickets for students and accompanying adults to their Saturday evening shows.

"I really have to give a shout out to Dr. Jeff Murphy, now the director of administrative operations and the arts for Carteret County Schools," Ruiz said, who he noted "has been really amazing at organizing concerts in schools. One had 400 children [in attendance]."

"This is a very important part of what we do to inspire young children; it’s a great way of complementing their great music educations," Ruiz said.

To make music more accessible to non-specialist audiences, Ruiz encourages visiting performers to introduce their pieces in their own words. "No jargon, no technical language," he explained. "They explain what makes their piece unique and what the audience can capture in their hearing, without technical knowledge."

Ruiz has a deep appreciation for Carteret County, particularly the beach, the sunsets and the view while crossing the bridge from Beaufort into Morehead, which underlines his devotion to preparing strong performances in town. "Without AMF, we wouldn’t have all these educational concerts and unique concert experiences, so I believe we are truly enriching the community," Ruiz said. "Everybody’s efforts count."

While he couldn’t comment on themes for the upcoming 2025-26 concert season, as they are designed closer to January, he imagines he’ll still be balancing well-known pieces with discovery pieces and planning for diverse ensembles — from string quartets to reed quintets — at each show. His goal is to ensure "we have a very diverse series, so we can offer something for everybody."

Ruiz’s advice for attending a concert? "Just come with an open mind," he said. "We really curate each concert to be welcoming."

The first concert will be held Saturday, Sept. 27, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Morehead City, and will feature Amit Peled on the cello and Martin Labazevitch on the piano.

Additional upcoming concert dates:

Nov. 22: 7 to 8:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church

Jan. 24, 2026: 7 to 8:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church

March 7, 2026: 7 to 8:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church