The trumpet of Jason Palmer, 2003 RSMI Jazz alumnus and 2024 Ravinia on Tour ensemble member (photo: Jimmy Katz)

Ravinia Steans Music Institute Jazz Alumni hallmark the art of spontaneity

February 09, 2024 in Steans Music Institute, The Artists, Ravinia Magazine

Although just 25 years old, pianist Luca Mendoza is one of only two all-time Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival “triple crown winners.” Chicago-native bassist Harish Raghavan has become a fixture on the New York jazz scene, fronting two recordings since moving in 2007. Though based on opposite coasts, they have a common thread that brings them together at Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall on February 27 with saxophonist Veronica Leahy, trumpeter Jason Palmer, and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr.—the quintet has alighted to that stage before, though not at the same time. They’re all alumni of the Ravinia Steans Music Institute (RSMI) Jazz Program from the past two decades.

Mendoza has never performed with any of the other artists on the lineup, but he is sure they will bond quickly. “We all know who each other is,” he said. “That’s sort of the beauty of jazz being a small world at a certain level. We all know each other’s music and playing, and there is a certain caliber of respect that we’re bringing to the table. So, there is no concern at all—just excitement.”

In keeping with the spontaneity that is a hallmark of the jazz genre, the musicians will arrive at Ravinia a day two or early to work out a program and run through it. “Everybody is submitting some music, and we’re going to see how it goes at rehearsal,” Raghavan said.

The Steans Piano Trio Found and Renews Instant Kismet at Ravinia

November 15, 2023 in Classical, Ravinia Magazine, RaviniaNews, Steans Music Institute, The Artists

Kismet has a way of striking at unexpected times, and that is exactly what happened when three fellows at the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Music Institute (RSMI) happened to be put together with a violist to perform Gabriel Fauré’s Piano Quartet No. 2 in 2015.

Though previously acquainted at the Curtis Institute of Music, they had never played together and had no particular interest in being part of a piano trio. Or so they thought.

All that changed when they began rehearsing together, and the young artists immediately found themselves captivated by the collaboration. Four years later, they decided to make the happenstance assemblage into a permanent group.

Ravinia Steans Music Institute Alumni and Faculty Receive Grammy Nominations

December 13, 2022 in Classical, The Artists, RaviniaNews, Steans Music Institute

We are proud to announce alumni and faculty members of the Steans Music Institute who have received 2023 Grammy Award nominations. The 65th Annual Grammy Awards broadcast is scheduled for February 5, 2023.

jazz bassist and drummer playing along with violins and cello players in front of red curtain

Ravinia Steans Music Institute (RSMI) kicks off Bridges Composition Competition Winners Concert

May 18, 2022 in The Artists, RaviniaNews, Steans Music Institute

The Ravinia Steans Music Institute kicks off Summer 2022 with the Bridges Composition Competition concert at Bennett Gordon Hall on June 3. Introduced in 2018 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Steans Music Institute, the annual Bridges Composition Competition challenges young professional composers to write new works for string quartet and jazz trio, bridging the worlds of classical and jazz.

Ravinia Steans Music Institute (RSMI) alumni showcase prestigious singing at The Met Opera and beyond

April 20, 2022 in RaviniaNews, Steans Music Institute, Classical

The classical vocalists who earn fellowships to perform and study art song at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute all have the talent to enrapture stages around the world, but there’s an undeniable boost that comes from strong performances in—let alone winning—events like the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition. Formerly known as the National Council Auditions, the competition is designed to discover young professional opera singers and assist in the development of their careers.

Ravinia welcomes Alejandra Valarino Boyer as the new Director of our Steans Music Institute

February 15, 2022 in Music Education, Steans Music Institute, RaviniaNews

Alejandra Valarino Boyer joins the Steans Music Institute as its new Director, effective March 1. With more than ten years of experience in arts administration, Valarino Boyer is a strategic leader with experience in community engagement, production management, and program development through her work at Seattle Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago.