Ravinia 2021 - Issue 1

MARIN ALSOP counts herself among the luckier ones. While work for many musical artists dried up completely when the coronavirus shutdown struck in March 2020, the internationally renowned conductor was able to continue with at least some podium work, including recording engage- ments in Vienna, where she moved temporarily with her family. What did get wiped away, though, was her debut as Ravinia’s chief con- ductor and curator—the first such position in the festival’s history. The two-year appointment was announced in February of 2020 along with an outline of Chicago Symphony Orchestra programs she would oversee that summer, but, just a month later, everything was canceled and the festival went dark for a season. The good news is that COVID-19 protocols have significantly loosened across Illinois, and that means Alsop will commence her new post this year as the festival reopens with a very slightly abridged season. Jeffrey Haydon, who took over in September as Ravinia’s new president and chief executive officer, confirmed that rather than the conductor losing a year, the clock on her two-year tenure will start this year instead of last, as had originally been intended. TheCurator for the UncommonProgram RAVINIA MAGAZINE • JULY 1 – JULY 23, 2021 12