Congratulations to our Women’s Board on a Great Gershwin Gala

Congratulations to our Women's Board at Ravinia Festival for creating a truly remarkable gala benefit last night, raising over a million dollars to support the nonprofit festival and our mission of bringing music back to budget-strapped schools. Hope you were there to hear the unparalleled Chicago Symphony Orchestra recreate George Gershwin's only Ravinia appearance (1936).

The evening began with a cocktail party that gave everyone a chance to socialize in their red-carpet finery. The party then moved to the real main course of the evening, the CSO concert that featured soloists Sylvia McNair, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Kelli O’Hara singing the great Gershwin songs like “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.” The Orchestra opened the evening with the Cuban Overture and returned for what Hedy Weiss in the Chicago Sun-Times called “a giddy, exuberant, razor-sharp rendering of An American in Paris.” The concert ended with Kevin Cole, who plays Gershwin like no one else, performing “Rhapsody in Blue.” It was that piece that had audiences clambering into the trees to get a glimpse of the great Gershwin when he played the piece himself here in 1936. David Alan Miller proved a popular last-minute replacement on the podium for James Conlon, who was ill.

With over 800 guests in attendance, I had the great good fortune at the black-tie dinner of sitting between Col. James Pritzker and Broadway sensation (and star of the evening) Kelli O’Hara, who is even more ravishing up close. Dinner, with each course themed to the music on the program (for example, Rhapsody in Blueberries) was catered by Food for Thought. The gala Marquee was decorated by Event Creative and featured elegant gold draping and towering centerpieces of green hydrangeas and yellow calla lilies.

The 2011 Gala Benefit Evening was overseen by the Women’s Board committee headed by Gala Co-chairmen Gail Hodges and Susan Schmitt. Sarah Barden, Jean Berghoff and Annette Dezelan served as the Gala Benefactor co-chairmen. Jeanne Denison is the Women’s Board chairman. Kelly Grier, Rick Lenny and Mike Murray served as the Trustee Benefactor co-chairmen.

The annual gala is the only performance fund-raiser thrown for the not-for-profit festival, but is just one of the myriad activities, including the oversight of Ravinia Gifts, that make the Women’s Board such solid contributors to the social fabric and the bottom line of Ravinia. The group of dedicated and very active volunteers began in 1962 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. Over that time, they have given more money in support of the festival and its educational mission that any other person or group.

A point of pride for the Women’s Board and everyone at the festival is that they founded our educational programs and continue to be active in our REACH*TEACH*PLAY efforts today. Last year, they started two elementary school orchestras at Hibbard Elementary School—based on the el sistema method of instant immersion in music—and they have plans to start a third orchestra at a different school soon.

On behalf of Ravinia, I want to thank the Women’s Board and its gala committees, all of our event sponsors and the brilliant artists who contributed to a perfect evening. Even the weather respected Gershwin. And the living was easy.

--Nick Pullia
Director of Communications

Sights and Sounds of Ravinia

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Gustav MahlerRavinia Festival offers some of the most talented and interesting classical artists, musicians and composers throughout the summer, but some of what Ravinia offers might be unnoticed aurally. The unique atmosphere at Ravinia Festival provides sights and sounds of nature that are often missed in the city life of Chicago.  But why is this important to notice? They’re just birds, bugs and critters that some might find less than favorable as they chime in during the soft moments of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major (“Eroica”).  The reason these sounds should be appreciated is because many composers have used the sounds of nature as inspiration for some of the most influential pieces of music of all time. 

Take, for example, Gustav Mahler, a favorite Austrian composer of the late Romantic era.  Mahler would often leave the city life of Vienna to compose in the countryside and would draw bundles of inspiration from the natural sounds of the outdoors inside a composition hut (Komponierhäuschen) in Steinbach am Attersee and later in Maiernigg on the shores of Wörthersee in Carinthia.  The natural symphony of sounds that the countryside offered Mahler helped him produce some of his most memorable work, including Symphony No. 2 in C minor (“Resurrection”).

The aesthetic of the countryside and forests also helped Mahler paint images with his thick orchestral layering which is signature of his style. In fact, one of Mahler’s most memorable quotes is, “Don't bother looking at the view - I have already composed it.”  Ravinia Festival seems like a fitting place for composers like Mahler. 

James Conlon’s Mahler series will end Thursday, August 4, during the 2011 season.  Take the opportunity to enjoy Gustav Mahler's music in a setting that he spent the majority of his mature composing life enjoying—the sights and sounds of mother earth at Ravinia Festival.

 

Conductor David Alan Miller Steps in For James Conlon


Highly regarded as a champion and interpreter of American music, conductor David Alan Miller will lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at our Gala Benefit Evening this Saturday, July 23, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the CSO’s annual summer residency at Ravinia as well as legendary American composer George Gershwin with a program including his most beloved music. Miller, who has appeared at Ravinia 19 times since his 1997 festival debut, replaces James Conlon, who has withdrawn due to illness. The concert also features vocalists Sylvia McNair, Kelli O’Hara, Brian Stokes Mitchell and pianist Kevin Cole. The program, which includes Cuban Overture, selections from Porgy and Bess, An American in Paris, Rhapsody in Blue and “Gershwin around the Piano,” song selections to be announced from the stage, is based upon the all-Gershwin program that the composer himself performed at his one and only appearance at Ravinia Festival in 1936.

Hosted by the Ravinia Women’s Board, the annual Gala is the only performance fundraiser benefiting the not-for-profit festival’s mission, especially its efforts to bring music back to the schools through its REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs.



This Week in Tweets: July 13-19

Each week this summer we post the top tweets of the week about Ravinia Festival under the heading This Week in Tweets. During the last week we scoured the depths of the twittersphere to bring you the best tweets that mention your favorite outdoor music festival. Log on to Twitter, follow @RaviniaFestival, tweet about us or twitpic your lawn set-up and you might wind up in our blog feature! Featured tweets will win you great prizes all summer long. We’ll contact you to claim your prize if you are featured. Don’t forget to read the contest rules too!   

  1.  
    Seriously, everyone should do .
    15 Jul via Twitter for iPhone
  1.  
    I'm with my folks at . This might be my favorite place in
    14 Jul via HootSuite
  1. At the Ravinia with my divas.....enjoying Jennifer Hudson and Miguel on the lawn!
    16 Jul via TweetDeck
  1.  **CELEBRITY TWEET**
  2. Jennifer Hudson
    Goodmorning guys! Back on set n atl! Had such a good time at ravinia! Chicago was everything!
    18 Jul via Echofon

2011 Life Trustee Award

In 1971 Ravinia Festival moved into the vanguard of social progress when it accorded the newly created title of Ravinia Festival Board President to Mrs. Glen A. (Marion) Lloyd, who the following year became Ravinia Festival Board Chairman, making her the first woman to serve in that capacity for a major Chicago arts organization. Mrs. Lloyd held that position through 1975.

In 1993 Marian P. Tyler (now Marian Pawlick) followed in her footsteps when she became chairman of the Ravinia Festival Board of Trustees, having served as a board member since 1985. Chairman of Ravinia’s Board through 1995, she has held important leadership positions with other local organizations as well—the Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Art Institute of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Lake Forest College—but it is at Ravinia that her presence seems most conspicuous. When you get off the train or enter the park from the west parking lot, her name is the first thing you see as you pass through the Tyler Gate, named in recognition of her leadership and generosity to the festival.

Is it a cosmic coincidence that in 1973, the second year of Marion Lloyd’s chairmanship, Ravinia named James Levine as the festival’s second music director, while in 1994, the second year of Marian Tyler’s chairmanship, Christoph Eschenbach was named the festival’s third music director? Or might it be simply that under the leadership of two exceptional women, Ravinia Festival made major artistic strides?

Whatever the connection, it is fitting that this year Marian Tyler becomes the recipient of the Marion M. Lloyd Life Trustee Award. Presented annually by the Ravinia Associates—our young professionals’ board—the award recognizes the exceptional generosity and leadership of one of the festival’s Life Trustees. The award, perhaps not coincidentally, was named after its first recipient, Marion Lloyd, who was honored in 2004, the year of Ravinia’s centennial celebration. Other recipients have included Morris A. Kaplan (2005), Joan and Stanley Freehling (2006), Eloise W. Martin (2007), Sarah W. Armour (2008), Emory Williams (2009) and Richard D. Harza (2010).

 This article is from the Ravinia Magazine.

Delightful Rachmaninoff and Poe

James Conlon will conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony Chorus in a performance of three highly regarded Sergei Rachmaninoff pieces: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, the Vesna Cantata, and The Bells on July 21.

The last of these pieces is a musical accompaniment to go along with an Edgar Allen Poe poem, The Bells. The exact story the poem tells has been widely debated. Is it about the different sounds a bell can make and the emotions they stir? Does the poem use the sounds of a bell to show the passing of seasons and thus act as a metaphor on aging? Some have even speculated the poem is the story of a man losing his wife in a fire; and the final section of the poem the man losing his mind in grief. Nobody will ever know what poem was exactly about since it was published after Poe died in 1849. To find out what this story means to you, make sure to come to the performance on July 21st. The concert will begin at 8 pm and take place in the Pavilion.

The full poem can be found here: The Bells

*This concert is a part of the Classical Youth Initiative; and any high school students who show their IDs not only get in free, but also help their school’s fine arts program win an $1,000 grant from Ravinia!

 

Eddie Pratt

Communications Intern



Opera Night at Ravinia: Puccini's Tosca

Once denounced as Puccini’s “shabby little shocker,” Tosca today is revered as one of the most popular operas of all time and an acknowledged masterpiece of music drama. Patricia Racette, Savatore Licitra and Bryn Terfel star in Puccini’s Tosca on July 30 in the Ravinia pavilion. (Supertitles will be available for this performance.)  Also see Bryn Terfel also perform in the Martin Theatre on August 2 with Brian Zeger on piano.  The Washington Post said of Terfel, "At this point in Terfel's career, every performance is a master class in singing and stagecraft."

Classical Youth Initiative



Do you have a child in high school? They are eligible for FREE lawn tickets to see classical concerts all summer as part of the Classical Youth Initiative. Students can win money for their school’s music program by simply checking in at the box office. Find out how students can participate and get involved!

Chef Christopher Kostow Returns to Ravinia Kitchen

Chef Christoper Kostow visits Ravinia Festival

Chef Christopher Kostow from The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley will visit Ravinia’s Park View restaurant this weekend July 16 and 17, as the first of Ravinia’s four guest chef events during the summer. Here’s some food for thought, Chef Kostow’s first introduction to kitchen life actually started here at Ravinia’s kitchens back when he was a teenager. After graduating from Hamilton College in New York and earning a degree in philosophy, Chef Kostow headed west to study culinary arts and enter the rarified world of fine dining. His continued culinary-studies not only allowed him to learn under with some of the finest, it gave him experience to eventually land a Michelin Star award—making him one of two American chefs to ever receive the coveted recognition and he’s also the third youngest chef (before he turned 30) to ever receive the award.  So, some might call him a bit of a culinary genius.

His traditional focus on ingredients and experimental drive has sky-rocketed him to be recognized as one of the “Best New Chefs” from Food & Wine Magazine in 2009. Chef Kostow’s lists of accomplishments aren’t anything less than extraordinary.  In 2010, San Francisco Chronicle’s Michael Beauer gave Chef Christopher Kostow the rare four star review. A year later, he received the highest rating of three stars from Michelin Guide and was named “Grand Chef” from Relais & Chateaux.  We would say he’s kind of a big deal and so is his food!

smoked mackerel, ashen patio escabeche, with frozen crème fraiche

His approach to culinary arts is a masterful blend of contemporary French cuisine and his locally grown, farm-to-table tradition which creates a transcendent experience for diners at The Restaurant at Meadowood. Kostow is guided by pure flavors of the finest quality ingredients which leaves him room for inspired spontaneity.  Here’s a lovely example: smoked mackerel, ashen patio escabeche, with frozen crème fraiche.  Yum.

So what can we expect from Chef Kostow this weekend?  He’ll be preparing a four-course menu, masterfully paired with Terlato Wines.  His offerings are part of a special section on the Ravinia’s Park View restaurant’s menu. Take a walk up to the second floor of the dining pavilion where he will be spending a couple of days with Levy Restaurants at Ravinia’s kitchen team and will be greeting guests in the dining room during the weekend.  Be sure to make reservations for the weekend!

This Week in Tweets: July 6 - 12

Each week this summer we post the top tweets of the week about Ravinia Festival under the heading This Week in Tweets. During the last week we scoured the depths of the twittersphere to bring you the best tweets that mention your favorite outdoor music festival. Log on to Twitter, follow @RaviniaFestival, tweet about us or twitpic your lawn set-up and you might wind up in our blog feature! Featured tweets will win you great prizes all summer long. We’ll contact you to claim your prize if you are featured. Don’t forget to read the contest rules too!   

  1.  
    Stop everything. My dad just told me was playing on Sunday. Upcoming weekend just got 1,093,475x better!
    8 Jul via web
  1. Ur helping bring together 15 tweeps 2 meet 4 the 1st time on Jul 30, Tosca to hear Bryn Terfel. Frm IL, KY, WI, TX, FL
    8 Jul via TweetDeck
  1.  
    There are few things I find more relaxing than a night . Pink Martini tonight; paired with sushi and wine. Love it!
    10 Jul via TweetCaster
  1. Enjoying a beautiful night and the Chicago Symphony at . Doesn't get better. :-)
    9 Jul via Twitter for Android
  1.  
    Can't wait to spend Friday night on the lawn at one of my favorite spots - !
    8 Jul via Facebook

Wherefore Art Thou?

Maximo Califan as Tybalt at the Capulet's Ball in Act I of Dennis Nahat's ROMEO AND JULIET for Ballet San Jose. Photo by John Gerbetz

Wherefore art thou going to be on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.? That’s when I’ll be speaking at the Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago about Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, which is the subject of Ravinia’s One Score, One Chicago initiative this year. Everyone knows the plot, but not everyone knows the story of how this incredible ballet was composed, rejected and eventually triumphed as a crown jewel of the ballet repertoire. In researching this talk I’ve come to know and love this score, and I’m really excited about being able to share some of my thoughts on it and its place in history. There will be plenty of recorded examples as well as a live performance of excerpts played by pianist extraordinaire Mary Rose Norell, who has played these examples throughout the Chicago Public Schools system during the past year in our REACH*TEACH*PLAY programs. Be thou there, or be thou square!

John Schauer
Associate Director of Communications, Publications



Steans Alumni Win Honors at Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow

Steans alumnus Narek Hakhnazarya took top honors in the cello division at the 14th Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow this past week, and fellow Steans alumna Jehye Lee took third place in the violin division. Both Hakhnazarya and Lee participated in the Ravinia Steans Music Institute in 2008 and 2009 and have gone on tour with other musicians from the institute. This year’s Tchaikovsky Competition consisted of four different categories with more than 120 young musicians competing.

Hakhnazaryan studied at the Moscow Conservatory and currently attends the New England Conservatory. He was the 2008 winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. He previously played a Vuillaume cello ca. 1860, which was on loan to him from the Ravinia Festival.

Lee began playing the violin at age 7 and has been heard as soloist and chamber musician in Asia, Europe and the United States. She earned a master’s degree at New England Conservatory and a graduate diploma there as a pupil of Miriam Fried. She has won many awards, including first prize in Germany’s Leopold Mozart International Violin Competition in 2009.

Miriam Fried, Program Director, Piano and Strings Faculty said, “It’s always wonderful to see our alumni go on to success outside of Steans. Not that we needed affirmation, but we are delighted for them and we wish them all the best on the way. We’ll watch their careers with interest and pleasure.”

The Steans Music Institute is the Ravinia Festival's professional studies program for young musicians. Three programs comprise the institute's summer season: the program for jazz; and classical programs for piano and strings and for singers. In each of the programs, young artists study with an internationally renowned faculty of artist/teachers, participate in concerts given as part of Ravinia's summer programming and attend Ravinia concerts.

Lang Lang Foundation Scholars Perform at Cultural Center

A standing-room only crowd gathered Friday, July 8 at the Chicago Cultural Center to listen to world-renowned pianist Lang Lang perform with three young scholars as part of his International Music Foundation’s mission to promote music education.  Kids in the audience squirmed eagerly in their seats, peering over shoulders to see the three scholars who were surrounded by photographers and reporters.

Lang Lang personally selects and mentors talented young pianists from around the world and creates opportunities for them to inspire other kids in communities through live classical performances.  “How many of you play an instrument?” Lang Lang asked the crowd of mostly children. Dozens of eager hands went up.

Lang Lang gave the first scholar, 11-year-old Anna Larsen, a high-five before she sat down at the piano to play two pieces, one of which she composed herself. “It has a spooky feel,” she said. “Like people dressed up as goblins on Halloween.” Following Larsen were 10-year-old Charlie Liu, who played Bach and Moszkowski, and 12-year-old Derek Wang, who played Chopin.

Fresh off of his performance at the Ravinia Festival the evening before, Lang Lang then joined Ravinia Festival President Welz Kauffman in a question-and-answer session. Lang Lang mentioned that he was originally inspired to play music at a young age after watching a famous Tom & Jerry cartoon that features Tom playing Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No.2. The three students commented on the many hours of practice it takes for them to be successful, but that the efforts are worth it.

The young scholars captivated and impressed the crowd with their talent and dedication to studying music. Kauffman was impressed, as well. He gave each of the three scholars his business card noting that “some day they’ll be playing at the Ravinia Festival.”

Ramsey Lewis Day in Illinois

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We had a very special treat tonight prior to the Ramsey Lewis/Pink Martini concert. Ravinia's President and CEO Welz Kauffman took the stage and welcomed park guests. He then introduced to the stage Illinois Governor Pat Quinn who read a proclamation devoted to Ramsey Lewis and declared July 10, 2011,  "Ramsey Lewis Day" in the state of Illinois. Lewis came out and thanked the governor and said a few words; the packed park cheered.

We are so proud to have Lewis as our artistic director of jazz and for him to perform exciting works on our stage such as tonight's U.S. premiere of Colors: The Ecology of Oneness. Congratulations, Ramsey, you deserve it!

Amy Schrage
Associate Director of Communications

A Sunday with Gershwin..

I had the pleasure of attending WFMT's Live from Mayne Stage broadcast this morning with pianist Kevin Cole. What a joy this show was! As many of you probably know, Cole is regarded as the foremost George Gershwin interpreter according to press and also members of the Gershwin family. The hour-long performance was entirely devoted to this American composer and fans enjoyed the sounds of songs such as "I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise," But Not For Me," and "Love Is Here To Stay," to name a few. In between pieces, WFMT program host Dennis Moore spoke to Cole about his experiences growing up and how he became fascinated with the great composer as well as the history of Gershwin's work. 

Watching Cole move back and forth on the piano with such beauty and speed, I felt as I though I just ran a marathon! I cannot wait to hear him at our Gala Benefit Evening on July 23, when he joins forces with the great Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ravinia Music Director James Conlon and vocalists Kelli O'Hara, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Sylvia McNair to pay tribute to the 75th anniversary of Gershwin's only Ravinia performance back in 1936 and recreate that original show.

Tune in to WFMT at 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 31, to hear the sounds of another Ravinia artist, pianist Jorge Federico Osorio!

Amy Schrage
Associate Director of Communications

Ravinia Lawndale Family Music School Students Meet Joshua Bell

Ravinia Lawndale Family Music School violin students study and perform in ensembles with community and family members through-out the year.  Last week, the students and their family members got to meet superstar violinist Joshua Bell backstage before his July 2 performance of Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy.  Mr. Bell shared stories of his life as a musician and of his early days learning the violin.  Click here to see pictures of the students with Mr. Bell.

When asked about the experience, 10- year old violinist Donovan Holt said “I like that I got to go backstage and meet the performer…” and his mother Donna added “…it was a wonderful evening for my entire family…all of my children were so inspired by Mr. Bell’s words and playing!”

Part of an ongoing partnership between Ravinia Festival and the community of Lawndale, the Ravinia Lawndale Family Music School provides free group lessons in piano, guitar, voice and violin to children, adults and families who reside in the Lawndale neighborhood.  The Ravinia Lawndale Partnership, established in 1998, provides access to the arts and opportunities for cultural enrichment to this underserved west-side community. The Partnership brings families together, fostering an appreciation of music through high-quality music instruction, performance and concerts. 


Isaac Sinnett

REACH*TEACH*PLAY Project Manager

Ravinia Festival 2011 Poster

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Drawing inspiration from summer nights filled with music in the unique park-like setting, this year’s poster competition winner Joshua Lowe presents a modern twist on stained glass to commemorate the 2011 season at Ravinia. A first-year MFA student in visual design at Purdue University, Lowe’s poster is available at Ravinia Gifts and features the graceful figure of Albin Polasek’s bronze statue Elizabeth, which was gifted to Ravinia Festival in 1943 by then festival Chairman Percy B. Eckhart.

By George! Gershwin Greats Go Gala


The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Conlon, is paired with an all-star cast for an evening of great George Gershwin hits on Saturday, July 23 for the Gala Benefit concert. Soprano Sylvia McNair joins Broadway’s hottest new star Kelli O’Hara, leading man Brian Stokes Mitchell and one of the all-time great players of Rhapsody in Blue, Kevin Cole for an evening filled with the best of Gershwin.

Ever since Gershwin’s historic Ravinia debut in 1936, his immortal melodies and music have been a major attraction for Ravinia audiences. This concert will recreate Gershwin’s 1936 performance at the park. It is a part of the annual Gala Benefit Evening hosted by the Ravinia Festival Women’s Board. The performance will run approximately 75 minutes with no intermission. Guests are welcome to stay on the lawn and enjoy the evening after the performance. Proceeds from the fundraiser help support classical music at Ravinia and in the community through our REACH*TEACH*PLAY programs.

This Week in Tweets: June 29-July 5

Each week this summer we post the top tweets of the week about Ravinia Festival under the heading This Week in Tweets. During the last week we scoured the depths of the twittersphere to bring you the best tweets that mention your favorite outdoor music festival. Log on to Twitter, follow @RaviniaFestival, tweet about us or twitpic your lawn set-up and you might wind up in our blog feature! Featured tweets will win you great prizes all summer long. We’ll contact you to claim your prize if you are featured. Don’t forget to read the contest rules too!   

  1.  
    Looking forward to for Maroon5 tonight! It's going to be an awesome concert. Ravinia is our favorite Chicago outdoor venue!
    30 Jun via web 
  1.  
    hey, ! tonight will be my first ever ravinia experience! looking forward to tonight and many more :)
    30 Jun via web  
  1.  
    At Ravinia. This may be my new favorite place!
    30 Jun via Twitter for BlackBerry® 
  1.  
    Going to to drink on the lawn and listen to Joshua Bell spin magical threads of honey off his violin
    2 Jul via web 
  1.  
    Just booked tickets 2 see perform the LOTR film score ! Favorite place, film score & orchestra. Can't wait!
    2 Jul via web
  1.  
    So... is amazing. Thank you for teaching me to love him.
    30 Jun via Twitter for Android 
  1. *CELEBRITY TWEET*
  2. Adam Levine
    Played Ravinia tonight! Amazing crowd! Thank you guys so much! see you again tomorrow!
    30 Jun via Echofon