Ravinia Launches Student Orchestra At Circle Rock Elementary School

Ravinia Festival has announced the creation of a new student orchestra at Catalyst Circle Rock Charter School in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. The orchestra, for children 8 to 12 years old, is modeled on the “El Sistema” training system that forgoes theory lessons to have the students making music with their instruments on the very first day they receive them. 60 children who volunteered to be part of “The Circle Rockets,” will receive their instruments today, learn their first note and perform in their first concert. Under the banner “Sistema Ravinia”™ Ravinia’s student orchestras are part of the festival’s REACH*TEACH*PLAY® education programs.

RSMI Violinist Dami Kim Wins Joachim Competition

Violinist Dami Kim, who earned a fully paid fellowship to participate last summer in Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute (RSMI), the festival’s summer conservatory for young professional musicians, has won first prize at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover, one of the most important competitions in the world. Watch several videos of Kim performing at the competition.

Ingenuity Releases Arts Plan For Chicago Public Schools

The Chicago Public Schools Department of Arts Education, with the support of Ingenuity Inc. (of which Welz Kauffman is a board member) and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, has released its CPS Arts Abstract 2012-2015—a preview of the 2012 CPS Arts Education Plan that outlines the district’s five education priorities for the next four years with arts playing a role in a well-rounded education. It sets the standards for schools to systemically improve, expand and coordinate arts education for all CPS students.

Back to School with Ravinia’s REACH*TEACH*PLAY Education Programs

School is just starting, and that means the festival’s free REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs are in full gear! We have expanded our Music Discovery program to reach 150 classrooms this year and over 4,300 K-3 kids who will develop their musical skills with resident teaching artists and interactive activities. Talented high school students will be auditioning soon for our Jazz Mentor program in which students are coached by Chicago’s finest jazz musicians. The Ravinia Lawndale Family Music School begins its free music classes in general music, voice, violin, guitar and piano for children and adults alike who reside in this underserved community. Ravinia’s latest program, Sistema Ravinia, which provides intensive after-school orchestral training at the grade-school level, is in full swing at William G. Hibbard Elementary, and Ravinia’s second installment at Circle Rock Elementary has just begun. Many artists in the BGH $10 CLASSICS series will also perform in schools through Ravinia’s Guest Artists in the Classroom program. Remember, your support of Ravinia makes these programs happen!

Ravinia’s Closing Knights Rooted In Outdoor Performance and RSMI

Just as in the legends of old—from Round Table to Templar—knights can withstand most any opposing force. So what’s a few cicadas or the clatter of a train? Nothing to America’s most headline-grabbing new orchestra, The Knights, according to Allan Kozinn in the New York Times. “The Knights have been the de facto house band of the free Naumburg Orchestral Concerts in Central Park for the last few summers, and they are clearly comfortable enough in that role to experiment with approaches to outdoor programming." Read the full article here. So they’ll be right at home when they close the 2012 Ravinia season with Yo-Yo Ma on Sept. 7, Itzhak Perlman on Sept. 8 and Dawn Upshaw on Sept. 9. In fact several past and present members are alumni of Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, including the ensemble’s co-founders, Colin and Eric Jacobsen; and Kyle Armbrust; Nick Cords; and Max Mandel.

Daryl Hall Opens His House to Some Of Music's Biggest Names in Webcast

Daryl Hall, who returns to Ravinia in concert with longtime partner John Oates on Sept. 1, has created one of the most acclaimed webcasts by opening his doors to some of the biggest names in music—some with legendary pedigrees, others new to the biz. Hall was a pioneer in the webcast game, creating his free monthly show, Live From Daryl’s House, in 2007. Episodes available online include Hall performing with Smokey Robinson, Nick Lowe, K.T. Tunstall, Todd Rundgren, Matt Nathanson and Chicago's own Plain White T's. Pavilion tickets to the Ravinia concert are in very limited quantity, and lawn is recently SOLD OUT.

Women’s Board Gala Raises $900,000 to Support Ravinia, REACH*TEACH*PLAY

In its 50th anniversary year, the Women’s Board of Ravinia Festival hosted a gala benefit—starring Patti LuPone and Patricia Racette with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Conlon and Rob Fisher—that raised $900,000 for the festival and its REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs. Since its inception, the Women’s Board has become the biggest donor to the nonprofit festival, having given more than $25 million. The group also started Ravinia’s first educational programs and continues to spearhead new initiatives, such as Sistema Ravinia, which creates student orchestras in underserved schools. Listen to this public service announcement from Hubbard Radio (WTMX, WILV, WDRV) about Ravinia’s Women’s Board.

Help Ravinia Put Music Back Into Schools; Sun-Times Foundation will Match Donation

Help Ravinia’s REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs meet a goal of raising $15,000 by October 24. The funding will help Ravinia to provide music education and live performance opportunities in more than 60 underserved inner-city Chicago Public Schools and in dozens of communities that lack access to music resources. When you make a donation through this link, the Sun-Times Foundation will match it dollar-per-dollar until the goal is reached. Thanks for your support.

Sudden Loss of Marvin Hamlisch Takes Many By Surprise

It was just under a month ago that Idina Menzel was joined by the legendary Marvin Hamlisch conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It saddens us deeply to hear that Marvin Hamlisch passed away yesterday at the age of 68. Hamlisch has appeared at the festival 7 times since 1991, and he was far from slowing down with positions held at Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and Pops, Seattle Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and, starting next week, the Philadelphia Orchestra. Hamlisch was a prolific composer as well, working on such films as The Way We Were (which he won an Oscar), Sophie's Choice, Ordinary People, Ice Castles, and The Informant!. In his career Hamlisch has taken home just about every award an artist can, winning three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, a Tony, three Golden Globes and even a Pulitzer Prize for the landmark musical A Chorus Line. He is an irreplaceable talent, and will be greatly missed.

Violinist Joshua Bell Strings Ravinia’s Praises in Current Issue of Time Out Chicago

One of the biggest names in classical music today, violinist Joshua Bell, strings Ravinia’s praises in the current issue of Time Out Chicago. Bell performed Barber’s Violin Concerto and Ravel’s Tzigane with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra last night. “I love the outdoor festival feeling. When I’m on stage, it’s very gratifying to watch people on the lawns enjoying the music with a glass of wine. There’s less sense of people being there for status reasons, and the atmosphere is casual and fun. It reminds me that classical music is nowhere near being dead. That rumor had been going around for 200 years! It’s not going anywhere,” Bell told the magazine.

You Can be on The Cover of The 2013 Ravinia Festival Brochure

Each spring Ravinia mails about a half-million brochures announcing its upcoming season. Music-lovers hang on to these brochures all summer, and many collect them over the years. Now you have an opportunity to be on the cover of the real Ravinia brochure that will be mailed to your house next spring. Watch for Ravinia Festival’s new “Starmaker” photographer in the main plaza near the Martin Theatre. The picture he takes of you will go onto the brochure you receive, plus you will get a 5x7 copy to bring home that night as a souvenir. The price is $20. This is a fundraising project of the Women’s Board of Ravinia Festival.

Support Ravinia’s REACH*TEACH*PLAY Education Programs Through Social Media

Blackman Kallick Plante Moran has launched an online grant contest, Chicago Community Champions, for not-for-profit organizations to compete for a $25,000 award to be used to support the arts and community. Such a grant would help sustain the future of Ravinia Festival’s initiatives in schools and inner-city communities, particularly REACH*TEACH*PLAY’s new Sistema Ravinia youth orchestra at Circle Rock. This is where we need your help! Beginning today, head over to the Chicago Community Champions website and cast your vote for Ravinia! This is just the first of three possible rounds, so keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter for more calls-to-action. And, as always, thanks for your support.

Watch Ramsey Lewis Give a Piano Lesson to a River North Dancer/Choreographer

When jazz legend Ramsey Lewis lamented that he never learned to dance—because when everyone else was shaking a tail-feather, he was the one playing the piano—Ravinia came to the rescue, setting Ramsey up with his first dance lesson with dancer/choreographer Melanie Manale-Hortin, of River North Dance Chicago, which performs at Ravinia on Aug. 21. Of course, we got it on tape. As they say, turnabout is fair play, so Melanie met Ramsey backstage for her first piano lesson. Watch how quickly he turns her into one of the “'In' Crowd.”

Sun-Times and Chicago Community Trust Will Match Dollars Raised for Ravinia in Schools

Ravinia is the recipient of a challenge grant from the Sun-Times Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust to support our REACH*TEACH*PLAY music education programs.  The Sun-Times Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust will match your donation to Ravinia up to a total of $15,000 from Tuesday July 24, 2012, through October 23, 2012.  All proceeds support music education and live performance opportunities for underserved communities throughout the region and inner-city Chicago Public Schools that lack any music resources.  Please help us get off to great start in meeting the challenge by donating on July 24 beginning at 5 a.m. at Suntimesfoundation.org/RaviniaReachTeachPlay.  

Facebook “Like” Campaign Reaches Goal Early, Raising $10,000 for Reach*Teach*Play

At the start of the season the Ravinia Associates Board launched a campaign in which they would donate $1 to the festival’s REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs for each new friend to “like” Ravinia on Facebook or follow the Festival’s page on Twitter. Capped at $10,000, the campaign was expected to run to September. Instead, it ended this week with a total of 10,672 social media participants signing on. However, there are still plenty of reasons to visit Ravinia’s social sites, including daily contests that award tickets to all Ravinia events, including sold-out shows.