Paying Our Respects to Former CSO Trombonist

Former Chicago Symphony Orchestra trombonist Edward Kleinhammer passed away on Nov 30 at the age of 94. He was a well-respected member of the orchestra for 45 year until his retirement in 1985, spending many summers here at Ravinia. He is survived by his wife, Dessie.

“What a joy it is to work with Ed; he is the most conscientious musician I have ever met. He is a fanatic about practicing. He arrives hours before rehearsals and concerts to make sure his preparation is as good as it can be. Because his personal standards of playing and conduct are so high, Ed never tries to compete with anyone but himself. He is humble about his own talents and generous in praising others.... There was only one way he could be a musician, and that was by giving 110 percent of himself.” — Jay Friedman, principal trombone of the CSO in 1985

via Chicago Tribune

Ingenuity Inc. Honored For Work With CPS

Ingenuity Inc., a clearing-house placing arts programs in Chicago Public Schools, has received two honors for fulfilling its mission. Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman, who has expanded Ravinia’s own REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs in CPS, serves on the board of Ingenuity Inc., which has helped the school system develop an overall arts curriculum policy.

Ingenuity has been awarded the Chicago Innovation Award for Collaboration for its public-private partnership with the City of Chicago, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Chicago Public Schools in putting the arts back into Chicago’s public schools.

Ingenuity also received the Boeing Chicago Game-Changer award, which recognizes innovative ideas and approaches for serving neighborhoods that need it most. 

Ravinia Makes Record Donation to Highland Park in 2013

Ravinia Festival, a not-for-profit that raises about half its annual budget through ticket sales and the rest through private donations, has contributed $1,054,573 to its hometown of Highland Park. This is the city’s share of a record-breaking 2013 season. Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman, a Highland Park resident, presented the check at the Nov. 12 Highland Park City Council meeting. This is the fifth year of a 10-year agreement through which the festival donates 5 percent of its annual gross ticket revenue to the city. The amount of the contribution to the city has increased in each successive year of the program’s life for a total of more than $4 million at the halfway mark of the 10-year plan.

“We are grateful to have this world-class venue in our own backyard. Ravinia Festival is a perfect blend of culture and economic development,” said Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, noting that Ravinia attracts about $7 in local spending for every dollar spent at the venue. “In addition, Ravinia is a good neighbor and works collaboratively with the City of Highland Park to share costs for its city services, such as hiring our police officers to not only patrol and protect the ground, but also to manage traffic in the community on
concert nights.”

You can find a copy of the full press release here.

Pulitzer Prize Winner Earns Raves On Way To Midwest Premiere at Ravinia

In April violinist/singer Caroline Shaw became the youngest composer in history to win the Pulitzer Prize. She scored this honor with Partita for Eight Voices, a piece she wrote for the innovative ensemble, Roomful of Teeth, which explores a wide range of vocal techniques. Though the four movements of this acclaimed work have been heard separately in various performances, they came together for a first complete performance at New York’s Le Poisson Rouge last week, and audiences went wild. The New York Times called it “exhilarating, sensual and playful.” (Read the full review.) Shaw and Roomful of Teeth will perform the Midwest premiere of her Partita at Ravinia on Saturday, March 29. A complete package including parking, dinner and concert ticket is only $40 when you enter promo code DINING. For information, call 847-266-5100.

RSMI Alum Paul Appleby Stars in Met Opera World Premiere

Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute alumnus tenor Paul Appleby is starring in the Metropolitan Opera’s world premiere of Nico Muhly’s Two Boys as the 16-year-old protagonist, Brian. Listen to a Preview.

Appleby’s other engagements this season include Mozart’s The Magic Flute with Washington National Opera and Così fan tutte with the Canadian Opera Company and Oper Frankfurt, and Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings and Spring Symphony with Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic. 

Music Is Transforming Chicago's Austin Neighborhood

In 2012 Ravinia launched an El Sistema orchestra for kids in grades 4–6 at Circle Rock Charter School in Austin, an underserved neighborhood on Chicago's West Side. Student excitement and interest was so high that a second orchestra was launched a year later. Watch this video to see how music can transform an entire community. To find out more or to donate, please visit www.ravinia.org.

Introducing the 2014 Jazz Scholars

Bringing together some of the best student jazz musicians in the city, Ravinia is proud to announce the selections for the 2014 Jazz Scholars program. Through Ravinia's Jazz Scholar program, students will be mentored and coached by some of Chicago's finest jazz musicians including Pat Mallinger, Willie Pickens and Audrey Morrison. Beyond their school band instruction, Ravinia will provide inspiration, advice and intensive training through masterclasses, audition-based ensembles and individualized instruction.

Saxophone:
Marnicia Johnson, baritone – Northside College Prep, Senior
Kevin King, tenor – Lincoln Park High School, Sophomore
Joe Paukstys, alto – Jones College Prep, Junior

Trombone:
Sterling Harris – Whitney Young Magnet High School, Senior
Pier Sharke – Lake View High School, Senior

Trumpet:
Bart Coyle – Lincoln Park High School, Senior
GianCarlo Jerry – Kenwood Academy, Junior
Kathryn Kuropas – Lane Tech College Prep, Senior
Luis Lara – Curie Metro High School, Junior

Bass:
Justin Caldwell – Chicago High School for the Arts, Senior
Austen Goebel – Whitney Young Magnet High School, Senior
Tavier Robinson – Chicago High School for the Arts, Freshman

Guitar:
Oscar Brown – Lincoln Park High School, Senior
Ryan Pieniacha – Chicago High School for the Arts, Junior
Julian Richey – Northside College Prep, Freshman

Piano:
Alexis Lanier – Whitney Young Magnet High School, Junior
Josiah Maddox – Kenwood Academy, Junior

Drums:
Everett Reid – Whitney Young Magnet High School, Senior
Yardayn Watkins – Morgan Park High School, Senior

Percussion:
Christopher Sanchez – Northwest Middle School, 8th Grade
Jeffrey Wittah – Lake View High School, Senior

The Jazz Scholars will receive numerous performance opportunities including the Music Matters benefit and at Ravinia’s Martin Theatre in June. In addition, the ensemble is often invited to perform at events throughout the city. Each summer the Jazz Scholars are sent to the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Camp in Louisville, KY, a prestigious training center for pre-professionals. Many alumni from this program have gone on to study music at such colleges as Juilliard, Oberlin, Manhattan School of Music and NYU. Several alumni are now professional musicians and educators themselves.

RSMI Alumni Marquis Hill Takes Home Top International Honor

Congratulations to RSMI (2010), Jazz Scholars alumnus and upcoming BGH Classics headliner Marquis Hill, who recently won the 2013 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition from the International Trumpet Guild.  This is the top international competition for jazz trumpet.

Ravinia Treasurer Named One Of 25 Most Powerful Women In Finance

Ravinia congratulates Jennifer Steans, a second-generation Ravinia trustee and head of the festival's finance committee, for being named one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Finance” by American Banker. Steans is CEO of Financial Investments Corp., which she co-founded with her father, Ravinia Life Trustee Harrison Steans. The Northwestern MBA sits on the boards of both USAmeriBank and Cole Taylor and also serves on the board of the Chicago Foundation for Women.

Apply Through Oct. 25 for RSMI Program for Singers

Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute is accepting applications through Oct. 25 for its prestigious Program for Singers headed by Kevin Murphy. For information and instructions on how to apply go to Ravinia.org.

Each year Ravinia provides 60 fully paid fellowships to its summer conservatory. Auditions will be held in the coming months in Toronto, New York and at Ravinia.

Award-Winning Violinist Among Ravinia Debuts On $10 BGH Classics

Violinist Benjamin Beilman, who received both an Avery Fisher Career Grant and a London Music Masters Award in 2012, makes his Ravinia debut on the $10 BGH Classics series on Nov. 2 with a program that includes works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Schumann and Brahms. Beilman’s “sweet, warm, slightly throaty tone gave considerable pleasure,” said a recent Washington Post review. As the series title suggests, reserved-seat tickets are only $10 each, but a complete evening can be had for $40, which includes dinner in the Freehling Room by City Park Grill and free parking adjacent to the theater. Tickets and complete dining packages are also available for A Far Cry (Nov. 16); Broadway and television star Jonathan Groff (Glee, Spring Awakening) in his Ravinia debut (Dec. 7); “Sounds of the Season” with Chicago Children’s Choir (Dec. 14) and Boston Brass (Dec. 21); Musicians from Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute (RSMI) (March 22) reprising David Ludwig’s Aria Fantasy, which Ravinia commissioned this summer to celebrate the 25th anniversary of RSMI; the a cappella ensemble Roomful of Teeth performing the Midwest premiere of Caroline Shaw’s Partita for Eight Voices (March 29); and Ravinia's own Marquis Hill with his ensemble, celebrating the release of his new album (April 12).

Welz Kauffman Honored At Kohl Children's Museum Gala

Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman was honored Saturday night by the Kohl Children’s Museum at its annual gala. In an unusual twist, Kauffman performed a new arrangement of Brubeck’s classic “Take Five” with an ensemble of alumni and current players from Ravinia’s Jazz Scholars education program. They reprised their performance on the WCIU TV show You and Me This Morning. He was also surprised with performances by two Ravinia audience favorites, Sylvia McNair and Chicago Children’s Choir, led by Josephine Lee.  Kauffman had spearheaded the Ravinia Festival Music Makers interactive exhibit at the museum.

Calling All Artists For Your Chance to Win $1,000!

Here is your chance to become part of Ravinia history! The Ravinia Festival Women's Board is hosting their annual poster design contest, inviting artists to submit their creative, imaginative and colorful poster design for the 2014 season. This year the theme is "Season of Stars, Summer of Love." Work that features original drawings, paintings or graphic designs will be favorably regarded. Interested? We have provided guidelines below, but for the entire entry packet, please visit Ravinia.org/poster2014.aspx or email at postercompetition@ravinia.org.

THEME/DIRECTION

• Ideal themes:
  • "Season of Stars, Summer of Love"
  • Descriptive images of the Festival experience conveying the pleasure of listening to all types of music in a beautiful park, under the stars during the summer.
• Highland Park is a suburb of Chicago, so designs should NOT include Chicago city skyline or other iconic Chicago landmarks

GENERAL INFORMATION

Participants may submit only one entry. Entries due no later than Wednesday, November 27, 2013. Judging is on the basis of graphics and design quality and will take place in early December. All winners receiving monetary compensation must submit a W-9 form in order to receive cash reward. Participants must attach their personal information on the reverse side of their entry using the information form found at ravinia.org. REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONS

• Entry design should be 9” X 13.5” vertical format printed on 11” X 17” paper and mounted for possible public display.
• May be a multicolor rendering to print in six colors total:  four-color process + PMS + varnish or five flat colors + varnish; no foil stamping or engraving; may have bleed edges.
• NOTE! Final output size of poster is 24” x 36.”  Please keep in mind that original art will need to be high-resolution (at least 300 dpi) in order to scale up to final size.
• Ravinia name or logo included as part of design
• Final color determination and details are subject to review and possible modification by a representative of the Women’s Board.

Cheap Trick Live in Studio on NPR's Sound Opinions

Ravinia 2013 artist Cheap Trick has had one heck of a wild career. They had a rocky start breaking into the top 100 in the U.S., but little did they know they were quickly approaching legendary status in Japan. Sound Opinions hosts Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis sit down with Cheap Trick in the studio to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their landmark live album, At Budokan. Listen below for a unique look at the rise of one of rock’s most iconic bands.

“The band members talk about the Beatlemania they experienced in Japan and why they'll steal your guitar, but never your girlfriend.”

Willie Pickens and Welz Kauffman Play Open Jazz Master Class At UIC

Chicago jazz legend pianist Willie Pickens will serve as teacher and Ravinia President and CEO (and pianist) Welz Kauffman will be one of his students—joining an ensemble of the best high-school jazz players from Chicago Public Schools—in a jazz master class open to the public at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, in Room L060 of the Chicago Performing Arts Building on the UIC campus at 1040 W. Harrison St. The ensemble will also include alumni of Ravinia’s Jazz Scholars program, including one who is now a CPS band director. The entertaining Pickens will publicly critique the ensemble and hone their performance as they work their way through a song. Every year Ravinia selects the best high school players to form the Jazz Scholars, an ensemble that studies and plays real gigs with jazz professionals as part of Ravinia’s REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs.

Ravinia Hosts Steinway & Sons Piano Clearance Event Sept 20 - 22

Each year Steinway & Sons provides Ravinia with dozens of Steinway and Steinway-designed pianos for use throughout the year. Steinway is now taking a limited number of appointments to sell used Steinway, Boston and Essex pianos at Bennett Gordon Hall on Sept. 20 and 21. The sale will be open to the public on Sept. 22. Steinway-designed pianos are rarely discounted. Many of these pianos were taken in on trade, rental returns, or have been retired from Ravinia and Steinway’s concert inventory. There will even be a small number of new pianos from 2011/2012 that are being priced to find homes. Check here for appointments and details.