Calling all high schoolers! Join us on August 4, 2013 at 3 p.m. for the 3rd annual Cannon Ball celebration prior to the 5 p.m. “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” concert. Cannon Ball is a free party with food, refreshment and prizes hosted by Ravinia's Classical Youth Initiative every summer before the Chicago Symphony's All-Tchaikovsky Evening. The concert features live cannons as musical instruments for the “1812” Overture. As with all CSO concerts at Ravinia, high-school students who check in at the box office will get onto the lawn for free as well as receive points for their school towards a cash prize for their music programs from the Ravinia Associates board. High-school students attending the Cannon Ball will receive double the amount of usual points. You can find the current standings of this years Classical Youth Initiative grand prize here!
The Classical Youth Initiative is Ravinia's program aimed at giving high school students in the Chicago area the opportunity to experience the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a chance to win money for their school's music program. To help create and develop ideas that teenagers would be receptive to, Ravinia reached out to students from Highland Park High School who met weekly with Ravinia staff members to develop a way to promote classical music to their peers. The result of all their hard work is the Classical Youth Initiative.