Swing Dancers Join the Fun at Benny Goodman Tribute

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Award-winning swing dancers from Big City Swing in Chicago will showcase the high-flying moves of such dances as the jitterbug and lindy hop when Ravinia presents a big-band tribute to Benny Goodman on June 14. The concert featues singers Sylvia McNair and Cyrille Aimée and clarinetists Larry Combs, Eric Schneider and Anat Cohen with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra led by Jeff Lindberg. Swing dancers will be stationed on the Pavilion floor near the stage. Prior to the concert they will give brief demonstration on a 40x60 foot dance floor installed on the lawn, and they will judge the Women’s Board’s annual dance contest, which this year adds categories for Best Lindy, Best Jitterbug and Best Costume. The event celebrates the 75th anniversary of the 1938 Ravinia debut of the “king of swing,” who sent cultural shockwaves across the country because of his innovative rhythms and racially integrated band. His booking led to today’s mix of classical and non-classical music at Ravinia.

New Sabrosa Brings Latin Flavor to Ravinia Market

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Sabrosa, a new Latin tortaria, will open this summer in the Ravinia Market. Picnickers can take away signature tortas—built on “bolillo” rolls and pressed to perfection—fresh empanadas, “loaded” guacamole served with tortilla chips, or elote a la plancha, and even a house-made sangria on tap.

Summer Jobs Are Opening for Ushers, Wait Staff and More

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Ravinia will host a job fair from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, in Bennett Gordon Hall for people seeking summer employment as ushers, security, retail sales associates and chair rental staff. Applications can be made in person at this event. Ravinia’s food/catering provider, Levy Restaurants, is hosting “open houses” for applicants from 2 to 5 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday through May 1. All those applicants will be interviewed at the Levy job fairs at Ravinia from 4 to 7 p.m. on May 1, May 7 or May 9. Other seasonal job opportunities are posted at Ravinia.org.

Associates Host Music Matters Party for REACH*TEACH*PLAY Education Programs

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Ravinia Associates, the festival’s forward-looking board of young business leaders, will host its annual Music Matters party to benefit Ravinia’s REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago. The black-tie event features a live auction (with electronic bidding paddles) for sporting events, vacation packages and premium Ravinia tickets. The event will also honor Ravinia Life Trustees Harrison and Lois Steans for 40 years of dedicated service. Ravinia reaches about 75,000 people each year through its education programs, which include student orchestras built on the “El Sistema” model. Those unable to attend can still make a donation to our REACH*TEACH*PLAY programs, and have it matched as part of the Music Matters Challenge, sponsored by Evergreen Real Estate Services.

Natalie Cole Joins Ravinia Season On Aug. 28 Bill with Ramsey Lewis

One of the all-time great R&B singers, Natalie Cole, has just joined the 2013 concert series, set to share a bill with Ramsey Lewis on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Donors can purchase tickets now through April 22. Tickets to the general public go on sale April 25. Cole has a new album expected on May 21. The concert begins at 7 p.m. with a performance by alumni from the jazz program at Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute. Dee Dee Bridgewater, who was originally scheduled to share the bill with Lewis, withdrew due to a scheduling conflict. Donors who have already purchased tickets to the Aug. 28 concert need do nothing.

Three New Concerts Added: OneRepublic, Cheap Trick and Dark Side of the Moon

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The Internet’s biggest rock group, OneRepublic, makes its debut along with soul artist Mayer Hawthorne and Churchill on a July 23 triple bill. Best known for the smash hit “Apologize,” which remained on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 10 weeks, OneRepublic recently released its third studio album, Native, in March with the first single, “Feel Again.” Rockford’s own Cheap Trick returns to Ravinia on Aug. 31 to re-create two classic live albums, Cheap Trick at Budokan and Sgt. Pepper Live, the latter with the Ravinia Festival Orchestra. In its Ravinia debut Classic Albums Live appears on Sept. 8 performing the iconic Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon, which was recently added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Tickets to these events go on sale to the public beginning at 5 a.m. on April 25, exclusively at www.ravinia.org.

Welz Kauffman Previews 2013 Season

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Ravinia’s 2013 season features more than 120 events from June 6 through September 15. Hear about the season first-hand from the man who programmed it: Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman will preview the season in a free public event at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 11. Coffee and dessert will be served, and guests will have a chance to win free prizes including concert tickets, dinners provided by Levy Restaurants and items from Ravinia Gifts. Seating is limited; reservations are required by April 9 at 847-266-5044 or by filling out the RSVP form on our website. The event will be held indoors at PNC Private Dining, located on the second floor of Ravinia’s dining pavilion. Free parking is available in Ravinia’s North Parking Lot at 418 Sheridan Road in Highland Park

Cognitive Benefits of Vivaldi's Four Seasons

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Vivaldi's Four Seasons is among the most widely known work of classical music out there. It has been used in numerous television spots, films, and as background music at a local mall. Researchers from the University of Northumbria have decided to put Vivaldi's masterpiece to the test. They selected a group of 14 college-age adults, making them perform a challenging concentration test in silence, while listening to "Spring" or to "Autumn". The task; hitting the spacebar on a computer keyboard whenever a green square flashed on the screen. Other colored shapes occansionally popped up as well. How did Four Seasons hold up? As a baseline, the average response time was 408.1 milliseconds. The Vivaldi "Spring" concerto brought this average down to 393.8 milliseconds while the "Autumn" concerto rose the average to 413.3 milliseconds. Participants reported feeling more alert during the "Spring" concerto suggesting that the music may have impact their cognitive processes. What do you think?

via WQRX

In 2012, famous movie composer Max Richter recomposed Vivaldi's Four Seasons, revitalizing the piece and sending it straight to the top of the classical charts wordwide. On Sunday June 23, 2013 come see the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra led by Tito Muñoz perform the full recomposition in the Pavilion. Tickets available April 25.

Happy International Women's Day 2013

On this International Women’s Day, we would like to highlight our celebrated Ravinia Women’s Board. Made up of over 130 of Chicago’s most prominent women, the Women’s Board membership includes a diverse range of working women and philanthropic greats.

After just completing their milestone 50th year, the Women’s Board continues to host some of Chicago’s most elite events that support the Ravinia Festival on a whole new level. This year’s annual Women’s Board Gala on Saturday, July 27 will bring renowned pianist Lang Lang back to the stage that made him famous!

Beyond fundraising events, the Women’s Board created and helps administer Ravinia’s education program, Reach*Teach*Play. Reach*Teach*Play follows the "El Sistema model" of returning music back to budget-strapped schools, and serves over 75,000 people in the Chicagoland Area, ensuring that great music remains accessible to all.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Kiri Te Kanawa To Guest Star On Downton Abbey

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Just shortly after the airing of the third season finale in the United States, news is coming from the set that handful of new faces will be seen next season including frequent Ravinia performer, and Ravinia Steans Institute Faculty member, Kiri Te Kanawa. She is slated to play a house guest, and will sing during her visit. Season three has just ended giving plenty of time to catch up on the happenings in the abbey.

James Conlon on Van Cliburn

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"Classical music has lost one of its great artists this week. Van Cliburn's immeasurable pianism was equaled by his humanity, which, taken together, earned him legendary status. He demonstrated the power of art to bind humans together across the opposing lines of the Cold War. He transformed the fruits of his monumental success to help generations of young pianists around the world. I have known him for almost 40 years since we first collaborated together. His return to Ravinia for the 2005 Gala was a moving experience. This iconic musician had returned for his valedictory festival performance with the Chicago Symphony and with me. His interpretation of Grieg’s Piano Concerto was distinguished by the maturity and thoughtful nuance that are the hallmarks of the great musician he was. I mourn the loss of a friend—the kindest, most generous, gentle, hospitable and courteous man who has ever graced the concert stage."

–James Conlon, Music Director of Ravinia

Van Cliburn – A Personal Recollection

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Based on personal experiences during my many years of working in arts administration, I’ve learned that one should be cautious before attempting to meet an idol. If an artist has had a bad day, or is in a bad mood, what to them is merely a quick and casual encounter can be, for the fan, an unpleasant memory that will last a lifetime. On the other hand, sometimes the encounter is a wonderful moment to cherish forever.

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Downton Abbey-On-The-Nile

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The other day some of my colleagues were talking over lunch about the popular TV series Downton Abbey. I haven’t seen the show myself, but I had read somewhere that the exterior and most of the interior shots of the “Abbey” are actually filmed at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England. What my colleagues were not aware of, however, is that Highclere is the ancestral home of the Earl of Carnarvon, and that George Herbert, the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, is the man who bankrolled the Egyptian excavations of Howard Carter, who famously discovered the unplundered tomb of King Tutankhamun (better known as “King Tut”) in November 1922.

For reasons that made sense at the time, I did not elect to enter King Tut’s tomb during my one and only trip to Egypt in 1999. It’s not only that it cost extra to enter, but we had limited time and our guide recommended we instead visit larger and more elaborately decorated tombs in the Valley of the Kings (your ticket to the valley allows you to enter three tombs; only Tut’s has the surcharge). But even more memorably, I had just a few days previously attended an outdoor performance of Verdi’s Aida by the Cairo Opera given at the foot of the Great Pyramids of Giza, an experience I’ll never forget.

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Legendary Pianist Van Cliburn Passes

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Ravinia deeply regrets the passing of legendary pianist Van Cliburn, who debuted at Ravinia in 1965 and returned for an additional six performances. Every one of his appearances was truly a gala event. He is seen here with then-Senator Barack Obama at the 2005 Gala Benefit Evening, his last performance at Ravinia.

David Byrne and St. Vincent Come To Ravinia

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Called "marvelous" by the New Yorker and "magical" by NPR, David Byrne and St. Vincent will make a stop at Ravinia Festival on July 6, 2013. The duo's collaborative album, Love This Giant, and tour last year earned rave reviews from TIME, New York Magazine, the NY Times, SPIN, and more, along with performances on Letterman, Fallon, and Colbert. The LA Times called their performance "jubilant," The Washington Post described it as "a kind of show you’d never seen or heard before," and the Hollywood Reporter praised their "amazing charisma."

Tickets go on sale on April 26.

 

Update: Sistema Ravinia Circle Rockets Orchestra

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“I love orchestra!!!!” says Chloe, a 4th grade student and violinist at Catalyst Circle Rock Charter School in Chicago. She and 45 of her classmates in grades 4-6 have been learning, practicing and performing music for two hours daily since late October in the Circle Rockets orchestra. While all of the students are novices to orchestral music (in fact, they had never had instrumental music lessons before), they are advancing rapidly thanks to the intense training and innovative instruction of the new Sistema Ravinia initiative. “It’s a terrific experience to put a musical instrument in a kid’s hand, but even better when you see the music all over her face,” said Ravinia Festival President and CEO Welz Kauffman.

Ravinia Supports "Contrast" of TEDxWindy City Events

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Ravinia has signed on as a sponsor of the Feb. 23 TEDxWindy City event that will bring together a variety of TED Talks speakers to address the theme “contrast.” As part of its support, Ravinia will recreate one of its glorious lawn picnics for the lunch hour. “How can a place like Ravinia—known for being something different every day—not embrace the concept of contrasts?” asked Nick Pullia, director of communications. “Ravinia, home of the cultural omnivore, is a series of contrasting opportunities: Pavilion or lawn? Classical or country? Picnic or fine dining? We thrive on contrasts.” The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. For registration and information, click here.

RSMI Alumni Grace Kelly Wins Prestigious Award

Ravinia Steans Music Institute alumni Grace Kelly, who was in our jazz program in 2007, has won a 2013 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. Established by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Foundation in 2002 to encourage gifted jazz composers under the age of 30, the program now carries the name of the great trumpeter and ASCAP member Herb Alpert in recognition of The Herb Alpert Found's multi-year financial commitment to support this unique program. The recipients, who receive cash awards, range in age from 10 to 30, and are selected through a juried national competition. Congratulations on this award Grace! This talented young woman is going places. You can follow her on Twitter at @GraceKellyJazz.

Jackson Browne Returns To Ravinia In 2013

Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne will be returning the Ravinia on Wednesday June 26 as part of his 2013 Acoustic Tour. Playing guitar and piano, he will perform songs from across his entire body or work. He will be joined by founding member of Nickel Creek and Grammy award winner, Sara Watkins, who will be making her Ravinia debut as a solo artist! Tickets to this event and all Ravinia summer events will be on sale to the public on April 25 and a full list of 2013 summer events will be announced on March 7.