Ravinia 2019, Issue 1, Week 1

BOBBY MCFERRIN The son of singers Sara Copper and Robert Mc- Ferrin (an operatic baritone), Bobby McFerrin studied piano from a young age but was inexo- rably drawn to become a vocalist. With an a cap- pella performance style modeled after Keith Jar- rett’s acclaimed piano improvisations, McFerrin soon earned a recording contract with Elektra and released his eponymous debut album in 1982. His 1984 follow-up, The Voice , broke new ground in jazz recording: it marked the first al- bum to be created without accompaniment or overdubbing, a true solo vocal recording. The following year McFerrin won his first Grammy Award for his collaboration with Manhattan Transfer on “Another Night in Tunisia,” which would be included on his 1986 Blue Note label debut, Spontaneous Inventions , a compilation of improvised solos as well as collaborations with Robin Williams, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter, among others. His big break came in 1988 when Simple Pleasures introduced the chart-topping and Song and Record of the Year Grammy–winning hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” to the world. McFerrin parlayed that success into new collaborations with such artists as jazz pianist Chick Corea (on 1990’s Play and 1996’s The Mozart Sessions ) and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, with whom he recorded the international classi- cal-crossover hit Hush (1991). Continuing in the classical realm, he recorded his interpretations of works by Bach, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra on Paper Music (1995). McFerrin has since been a guest conductor with such ensembles as the Chicago and Detroit Symphony Orchestras; New York, Los Angeles, London, Israel, and Vienna Phil- harmonics; Philadelphia and Cleveland Orches- tras; and the San Francisco Symphony. His most recent album, spirityouall (2013), a tribute to the legacy of his father, further explored the world music he has illuminated through Circlesongs (1997), Beyond Words (2002) and VOCAbuLar- ieS (2010). Tonight Bobby McFerrin is making his eighth appearance at Ravinia, where he first collaborated with Josephine Lee and Chicago Children’s Choir in 2003. 5:00 PM SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 2019 PAVILION BOBBY MCFERRIN & the spirityouall band CHICAGO CHILDREN’S CHOIR JOSEPHINE LEE, president and artistic director JUDY HANSON, associate artistic director JOHN GOODWIN, principal pianist and resident conductor MITCHELL OWENS, resident composer and arranger VOICE OF CHICAGO Voice of Chicago Isaac Akers +* Gabriela Allemana + Philip Allen + Charlotte Amoako Ariana Ascencio + Salvador Babinet + Kathleen Baffa + Dania Baig +* Talha Barberousse +* Marleigh Belsley Kepler Boonstra + Jaydon Brown +* Austin Burgett Isaiah Calaranan +* Charlie Calkins + Rhys Carter +* Madeline Casagrande Anyiah Chase-Mayfield + Christian Cherry Aidan Chung +* Ysabel Colita Lydia Corbey Virginia Donoghue Julia Donato +* Diondre Dunigan +* Evan Ernst +* Zaira Estrada Em Etchingham Imani Fleming + Casey Franco + Ashley Franklin Jacob Friedmann + Anita Gandara Charlie Gelman Poppy Gelman Ethan Glen Alexandra Good +* Talia Gooze Mia Guzman Olivia Hanley Kate Heneghan Julian Hernandez McKenzie Jackson Mikayla Jordan Olivia Katz +* Albert Kerelis + Josephine Kleve + Theo Kokonas + Lucia Kouri + Sofia Kouri + Elliot Kovitz Caleb Kowalkowski +* Carlos Lara Coda Lewis +* Shawna Lewis + Alessandra Mafrici + Lance Mahome + Isa Malli Tessa Martinez Lauren Marut +* Gretchen Matzke Dayna Milner Neema Morris + Katherine Moynihan + Catherine Muller Madeline Musgrove + Isha Nayak Roma Nayak An Ngo Katie Nolan Delfin Onay + Makayla Oscar Najabelle Oscar +* Gabriela Poplawski + Elijah Roberson Angel Rodriguez + Genevieve Rogers Lucia Ruggiero + Henry Samra Ellen Sandner +* Ruth Santiago + Anna Schloerb +* Jonah Schloerb +* Shala Schmookler Nikita Sekhar +* Taylor Sellers-Varela Thomas Serges Nina Sharda Whitney Shurtliff + Isha Singh + Amanda Smithivas Delaiah Sneed Rachel Spahn Gretchen Steele +* Elena Stern Jonathan Swain +* Yumi Tallud + Aaliyah Torres Alessandra Torres Adrian Van der Bijl Liam Van der Bijl Gabriel Wallon +* Isabel Walsman-Diaz + Madysen Ward +* Courtney Williamson + Encore * Encore Groove RAVINIA MAGAZINE | MAY 31 – JUNE 9, 2019 102