During the cold and snow of winter in Chicagoland, we all look forward to balmy summer evenings at Ravinia to get us through. While we’re still a few months away from reconnecting at the park, you can warm your heart this Valentine’s Day with some Ravinia love stories!
From chance encounters with future spouses to first dates and milestone celebrations that make every inch of the park brighter, we’re honored to have provided the backdrop for unforgettable moments throughout so many lives—and, we hope, yours too.
Chris Klein, Ravinia Board of Trustees Chairman, and Elise Klein
My future wife Elise Rosenfeldt and I began dating in the summer of 1985. Elise grew up in Wilmette, and her parents were frequent patrons of Ravinia. Elise suggested Ravinia for our second date. It was a hot August night. I picked her up in my 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass … with a radiator that was prone to overheat. As we approached the park, I saw some offsite parking and thought it best to pull in. She said no, we can park on the grounds. Well, as we approached, that parking was full … and the radiator started to overheat. By the time we made it back to the offsite parking, steam was pouring out of the hood. We gathered our things, hopped on the bus, and made our way to the park. It wasn’t just the car that was a little steamed.
From the moment we got inside, spread out our blanket, and opened our wine coolers and cold chicken, I could not believe what a magical place it was. As the music started and the sun began to set, the splendor only intensified. It was a wonderful night, and I knew this was a special woman to have taken me to such a magical place that she had been enjoying with her family throughout her childhood.
As we made our way back to the car, all the frustration over the overheated radiator was forgotten. The car started, we made it back to her home, and recounted the night to her mom and dad. Nine months later we were engaged, and nearly 38 years later we are still together. Ravinia was a spark that kindled our relationship, and it will always be one of our special places.
Jeff Haydon, President and C.E.O. of Ravinia, and Kathryn Haydon
Early in our relationship, Kathryn wanted to make sure that I also fell in love with her hometown of Chicago. Our first dates included going to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (my favorite classical piece: Brahms Requiem), Wrigley Field for a Cubs game (no, they didn’t win!), and Ravinia! We took the train with our picnic gear, spread out a blanket on the Lawn, and enjoyed a night under the stars listening to Diana Krall opening for Tony Bennett. Halfway through the night, she leaned over with a smile and said, “What if you ran Ravinia someday?” Over twenty years later, it is humbling to find myself now at the helm of Ravinia, where I hear from hundreds of others who share similar stories of early dates with their now spouses. There is certainly magic in the air at Ravinia that inspires lifetime memories!
Barbara Greis, Ravinia Women’s Board member, and Howard Gottlieb, Ravinia Life Trustee
Howard and I were introduced by my dear late friend, Shirley Sherman, an accomplished soprano, music lover, and supporter of Ravinia. Shirley, who was Howard’s sister-in-law, knew of our love of classical music and had planned for months to introduce us. According to Howard, she would call or visit and tell him, “Now write down this name and phone number because I want to introduce you to my friend, Barbara Greis.” And to me, she would call and tell me that she wanted to introduce me to her brother-in-law, Howard Gottlieb.
Our first date, arranged by Shirley, took place at Ravinia, where we discussed our mutual love of classical music and Howard told me of his long history as a talented violinist, and how he had subbed in the CSO under Maestros Solti and Barenboim. During those years, he befriended many of the great musicians with whom he played chamber music in his home. Although Howard entered the world of business, he maintained his passion for music and the violin and gave concerts all over the world. I shared my story too—how I had grown up in a family whose love of classical music was instilled in me from the earliest age.
The rest is history, and Howard and I have been together for almost twenty years. We will always be grateful to Shirley, who facilitated the introduction at Ravinia. Over the years, there has been no greater pleasure for us in the summer than to enter the beautiful and peaceful grounds of Ravinia to hear world-class classical music. Ravinia will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Eugene and Marlene Shapiro, donors since 1973
I can tell you that Ravinia’s always on my mind, because my wife and I, on Valentine’s Day, will be married 70 years. 7-0. Our first date was in June 1952. After we had dinner, we went over to Ravinia and sat on a blanket with another couple. We knew that if we went to Ravinia, we could just sit on the Lawn and listen to a good concert. Where else can young people be able to sit outside and hear good music like this?
Since the first date, my wife and I have been concertgoers all of our married life. When we lived in Highland Park, we would go to Ravinia all the time, continuing the tradition of my family. My mother was a regular member there, and my parents used to go to Ravinia all the time. When they passed away, my two sisters and I arranged to have a garden put in. It was right where the Carousel restaurant was—just south of the Martin Theatre—because we always used to go to the restaurant before a concert.
Our grandson, Jeffrey—and my family’s fourth generation of Ravinia concertgoers—lives in Highland Park now, and he met his wife, Danielle, at Ravinia. When he proposed to her, they did it at Ravinia—he even went to the garden to propose. That was a very emotional experience for us, and the biggest treat. Whenever Jeffrey and Danielle go, they visit the garden. You can understand why Ravinia is so special to us. Ravinia has always been a part of our life, and a very important one.
There’s nothing like Ravinia.
Morris and Dolores Kohl Kaplan, Ravinia Life Trustees
It was love at first sight when Morry and I met each other at a Ravinia Board of Trustees meeting. We were married soon after, sharing many musical evenings at the festival. He surprised me on our fifth anniversary with the beautiful circular garden near the Martin Theatre with a sign he composed: “To Ravinia - - Where We Met”!
Madeleine and Harvey Plonsker, donors since 1978
During the summer of 1956, I discovered my future husband, Harvey Plonsker, at Ravinia. I was 16, and he had suddenly grown into a handsome 6-foot-tall 17-year-old. His family had a box in the Pavilion about 10 rows behind our seats. To attract his attention, I wore my prettiest dresses to every concert that summer. He may have smiled at me, but we never spoke. And I never got to go to the parties at his home honoring Leonard Bernstein, Billy Eckstine, Jennie Tourel, and Dizzy Gillespie. By fall we sat next to each other in study hall at New Trier and the rest is history. But 67 years later, I am still mad we didn’t talk and thus I missed attending all those magical parties on his arm.
Julie (Ravinia staff) and Dominic Morrone
My second date with Dominic was at Ravinia. It was a Sunday night, June 17, 2001, featuring Joshua Redman, Ramsey Lewis, and Nancy Wilson! Dominic had never been, while I had spent many summers at the park.
I believe the assortment of snacks that I brought that night sealed the deal! Twenty-plus years later, we still enjoy attending concerts at Ravinia, and I always make sure I bring plenty of snacks.
Elise and Ira, donors since 1998
When people ask where we went on our first date, we proudly tell them, “Ravinia Festival on July 4, 1977, and it’s been fireworks ever since.” I had just moved to Highland Park and was living with my aunt and uncle. My future husband had substituted for his dad in a tennis game with my uncle a week before. He was our matchmaker, and our blind date was at Unity Day at Ravinia. Unity Day was an outdoor art fair at the park. We went back to his parents’ house, where I met the whole family for a BBQ. Then on to the fireworks at Wolters Field. It was a true Highland Park experience for me … and true love! We married in 1979 and have raised three wonderful children in Highland Park. Who knew then how important Ravinia would be in our lives!
Our second date was attending a concert at Ravinia sitting on the Lawn. My parents were in town, and they also attended the concert with my aunt and uncle. My father and uncle are identical twins, and my future husband got confused. We saw them on the Lawn and he talked to my dad as if he was my uncle, discussing their tennis game. We have talked about our first two dates at Ravinia for years. While living in the city, we often attended concerts. Our first home happened to be close to Ravinia. We spent many lovely summer nights walking to a concert. Our children grew up with Ravinia. Not only did they graduate Highland Park High School on Ravinia’s stage, but our middle son delivered the commencement speech. Our daughter worked at Ravinia one summer. It was a family tradition to attend Peter, Paul & Mary as well as the 1812 Overture concerts. They couldn’t wait to bring their future spouses to enjoy the magic of a night at Ravinia. We’ve always loved walking around to see the fancy table settings that people bring. It’s always fun to run into neighbors and friends in attendance. Having Ravinia in our backyard is a true gift. We’ve attended a few Gala nights, too, always enjoying the fanfare. My husband grew up in Highland Park, and his parents always enjoyed attending certain concerts with their friends too. The family tradition continues when we get to take a grandchild to a children’s concert or a nighttime concert. We continue to celebrate our August anniversary with a Ravinia concert every year.
Ravinia is a magical place, and we have been lucky to enjoy it for many years. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Lauri and Corey, donors since 2022
Before we got together, we both enjoyed attending shows at Ravinia with family and friends. Very early on in our relationship, we discovered our equal love for the venue and attended our first show together in June 2017. Since then, we’ve enjoyed lots of shows over the years, and an evening at Ravinia is a great date night for us.
Have a Ravinia love story of your own?
We would be thrilled to hear from you!