Ravinia 2019, Issue 7, Week 15

$bove: The Circle Rockets prepare to give the first performance on the Sistema Ravinia $uditorium stage at Catalyst Circle Rock School. Left: Si[teen-year-old Chicago native ,fetayo $li-Landing serenades the inaugural audience of the .ehrein Center for the $rts with her solo cello, a performance that led to her Chicago Symphony 2rchestra debut at Ravinia Must two months later. Bottom: Ravinia President and C(2 Wel] .auffman regales in the signature Bernstein interpretations of soprano Michelle $rey]aga from behind the piano. e -seat Sistema Ravinia Auditorium is home to Siste- ma Ravinia’s Circle Rockets student orchestra, who christened the rebuilt auditorium with a performance. e stage also host- ed soprano Michelle Areyzaga accompanied by Ravinia Presi- dent and CEOWelz Kau man at the piano in a quartet of songs by “America’s music teacher,” Leonard Bernstein—“Take Care of is House” from Pennsylvania Avenue , “A Simple Song” from Mass , “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story , and “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide —as well as award-winning cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing. [Both Areyzaga and Ali-Landing recently ascended Ravinia’s home stages as well with Bernstein’s music: Areyzaga sang in the “Jazz Trio” for the festival’s rst stagings of Trouble in Tahiti on August , and Ali-Landing made her Chicago Symphony Orchestra debut with the ird Meditation from Mass on July .] e Circle Rockets was the rst student orchestra launched by Ravinia Festival. e auditorium will also be available to community and professional artists. “We’re very proud not just to have the Ravinia name on this important addition to Austin life, but also to acknowledge the Sistema method of music education, which uses music as a way of transforming society and channeling the positive energy of our children,” Kau man said. “We’re not looking to form the next Yo-Yo Ma or Common; we’re trusting music to assume its natural role of connecting people and enriching our lives.” PATRICK GIPSON/RAVINIA (ALL PHOTOS) AUGUST 26, 2019 – MAY 9, 2020 | RAVINIA MAGAZINE 35