Jonas Tarm Wins National Competition

Jonas Tarm

Highland Park High School senior Jonas Tarm is making waves all over the nation. In addition to being a full time high school student, he is part of Ravinia's student marketing team, working towards developing interest in classical music for the younger generation, and studies with the Music Institute of Chicago's Academy for gifted pre-college musicians. He recently won first place in a national classical composition competition, sponsored by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). The 24,000+ member association will be sending him to New York City next month, where his winning entry will be performed at MTNA's annual convention. Tarm's piece for violin, piano, cello, and flute is a Latin-tinged chamber work named "Las Ruinas Ciculares", a musical interpretation of Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges' story "The Circular Ruins," about a man who sets out to dream another human being into existence—only to realize that he himself is a figment of someone’s dream. Just earlier this year Tarm won the Music Institute’s Generation Next Young Composer’s Competition, the Illinois Music Educators Association’s composition competition and has been a feature artist, and composer, in WFMT's program Introductions. Congratulations to Jonas Tarm on yet another amazing accomplishment!

Ravinia Salutes Black History Month

This February, for Black History Month, we want to highlight many of the artists that have shared their talents with us at Ravinia Festival. Below is a short sample of just few of the many African American artists that performed at the festival over the years. For the remainder of this month, we will continue to share more photos, a couple Spotify playlists, and some videos of some of the amazing talents we have seen perform at the festival! Enjoy!

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Week of Jan 30 in Classical Music History

January just flew by. With our schedule just a little more than a month away, it begs the question of what the future of this weekly playlist might be. Leave your feedback below and let us know if you would like this playlist to be the way it is now or possibly spread to all music genres? We would love to hear from you. Enjoy this weeks edition of Ravinia Festival: This Week in Classical Music, and listen to all your favorite works on the anniversaries of their initial premiers. Just click the Spotify logo, or the link above, and add our playlist to your library. We update our playlist every week so there will never be a need to resubscribe! Below is a day-by-day listing of the track selections for this weeks edition of the playlist. We hope you enjoy!

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Ravinia Associates Rehearse With Lawndale Choir

“The interaction with the Associates was great. It gave them a chance to see what we are doing and see the quality of the program”

The Ravinia Associates, a group of young professionals dedicated to supporting Ravinia Festival and its REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs, held their winter board meeting at the Ravinia Lawndale Family Music School in Douglas Park on Chicago’s Westside. “It wasn’t your typical meeting.  Every member was able to experience first-hand what the Family Music School is all about” remarked Associate member Dave Gaspar.  The Family Music School is part of an ongoing partnership between the Ravinia Festival and the Lawndale community.

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Ravinia Festival 2012 Poster Contest Winner

Poster Winner, Daniel Goers, with the 2012 Poster Competition Co-Chair Marilyn Vender (left) and Women’s Board Chairman, Jeanne Denison (right)

The Ravinia Festival Women's Board was founded in 1962, and for the past 40 years, one of their major tasks has been to select the Ravinia Festival poster from student submissions each year. In 2012, they are celebrating their 50th anniversary, and they decided to give you a present this year, and let you decide the winner of this years contest from three finalists selected by the board and Ravinia CEO Welz Kauffman. Hundreds of you voted for your favorite posters and, ultimately, a winner was crowned.

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Ravinia in The Community: @971TheDrive Crue

With the recent press release confirming Idina Menzel's debut at Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in July, excitement is as high as ever for the 2012 season, and with good measure. One of our major radio partners, WDRV "The Drive" 97.1FM, is going to be around town next weekend sporting the new van design featuring Ravinia Festival on it, while also giving away some great Ravinia prizes! Event information and links below!

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Week of Jan 23 in Classical Music History

Happy Lunar "Chinese" New Year! This weeks playlist is the first full week of the (lunar) year, so enjoy Ravinia Festival: This Week in Classical Music, and listen to all your favorite works on the anniversaries of their initial premiers. Just click the Spotify logo, or the link above, and add our playlist to your library. We update our playlist every week so there will never be a need to resubscribe! Below is a day-by-day listing of the track selections for this weeks edition of the playlist. We hope you enjoy!

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You Will Be Missed Etta James

It has been six years since Etta James took the stage at Ravinia Festival, opening for Tom Jones. Her health has been declining over the past couple months, and we regret to hear that Etta James has lost the fight with her health, and passed this morning. She was most famous for her single "At Last" and was considered by many to be one of the most overlooked jazz and blues musicians in music history. Her passing comes just three days after the death of the man who first discovered her talent, Johnny Otis. These talents are irreplaceable, and will never be forgotten.

Ravinia’s Angus Watson Wins a Lifetime Achievement Award

Yesterday at the INTIX (International Ticketing Association) 33^rd annual conference, Ravinia’s Director of Ticket Operations Angus Watson won the prestigious Patricia G. Spira Lifetime Achievement Award.

This award is presented to members who have been actively engaged in the direct management of a ticket operation for a minimum of twenty years, have made a major contribution to the ticketing industry by helping to set standards of excellence in all aspects of ticket management, and have been actively involved in the continuing development and organization of INTIX.

Watson exclaims, “This is Ravinia’s win!”

Way to go, Angus!



Week of Jan 16 in Classical Music History

Last week was full of surprises! First major snowfall happened in the Chicagoland area, and we missed a week of this playlist! Unfortunately the flu bug seems to be going around the office, but we're back! So, relax and tune into our spotify playlist Ravinia Festival: This Week in Classical Music, and listen to all your favorite works on the anniversaries of their initial premiers. Just click the Spotify logo, or the link above, and add our playlist to your library. We update our playlist every week so there will never be a need to resubscribe! Below is a day-by-day listing of the track selections for this weeks edition of the playlist. We hope you enjoy!

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