Ravinia 2022, Issue 3

CHICAGO CHILDREN’S CHOIR Chicago Children’s Choir is the nation’s preeminent youth choral organization, inspiring and uniting youth from diverse backgrounds to become global citizens through music. Founded in Hyde Park in 1956, in direct response to the Civil Rights Movement, CCC has grown from one choir into a vast network of in- and after-school programs serving students across the city of Chicago. CCC has impacted the lives of more than 50,000 diverse youth throughout its history. For more than half a century, CCC has focused on building programs that reflect the racial and economic diversity of Chicago. Eighty percent of youth served are from low-to-moderate income homes, with many students annually participating completely free of charge. All singers in CCC programs receive some level of subsidy. High school seniors enrolled in CCC have a 100 percent graduation and college acceptance rate, becoming global ambassadors who carry on CCC’s core values in a wide array of professional fields. In addition to performing throughout the United States, CCC has toured to Cuba, South Africa, India, Argentina, Uruguay, Korea, Canada, Japan, Europe, and most recently Egypt. At Ravinia, the choir has co-headlined with numerous interna- tionally recognized artists as well as featured in performances of choral symphonies, operas, and live-score presentations of feature films. JOSEPHINE LEE, president and artistic director An acclaimed conductor, pianist, singer, pro- ducer, and nonprofit leader, Josephine Lee has made a widespread impact in the fields of music and education through an array of engagements across the globe. In her role as President of Chicago Children’s Choir, Lee has revolutionized the field of youth choral music through cutting-edge performances of diverse repertoire and innovative collabora- tions with world-class artists. In recognition of her leadership of CCC, Lee received the Kennedy Center’s National Committee for the Performing Arts Award for Arts Advoca- cy in 2018, the Roman Nomitch Fellowship in 2012 to attend the Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Manage- ment program, and was awarded the Jesse L. Rosenberger Medal in 2014 from the University of Chicago. Her recent artistic collaborations have included Long Way Home (2018), a theatrical work with the Q Brothers Collective; Ascension (2017), an original suite for piano and cello com- missioned by Ballet Chicago; and The Good Goodbyes (2012), a piano commission from Frank Chavez and River North Dance Chicago. JUDY HANSON, senior director As Senior Director of Chicago Children’s Choir, Judy Hanson serves as one of the pri- mary stewards of the organization’s artistic vision. She is the co-director of the world-re- nowned Voice of Chicago ensemble, and the conductor for Dimension, an ensemble for singers whose voices are transitioning to the lower register. In 2006, Hanson received a Jeff Award nomination for her work cho- reographic CCC’s original musical, Sita Ram . A nationally known clinician and conductor, Hanson has been a guest of numerous en- sembles, universities, and other organization throughout the United States. With this ex- pertise, she has judged many national show choir competitions and has been a clinician at Show Choir Camps of America for 27 years. The members of Chicago Children’s Choir were prepared for this performance by: JOSEPHINE LEE, president and artistic director JUDY HANSON, senior director JOHN GOODWIN, principal pianist JACKIE JOHNSON, citywide program director REGINA ROBINSON, program assistant BENNETT GORDON HALL 12:00 PM SUNDAY, JULY 31, 2022 CHICAGO SINFONIETTA JERI LYNNE JOHNSON, conductor RASHADA DAWAN, Grown Narrator † ZIARE PAUL-EMILE, Young Narrator † NIK KMIECIK, Someone Else † Because MONTGOMERY Because, A Symphony of Serendipity * (arr. Norpoth) Adapted from the book by Mo Willems and illustrated by Amber Ren BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2 I. Adagio molto—Allegro con brio IV. Allegro molto There will be no intermission in this program. † Ravinia debut * First performance at Ravinia As part of the Breaking Barriers Festival , this performance honors artists and leaders (and even storybook characters) who set the example that all of music is open to new generations. Ravinia expresses its appreciation to Dinah Jacobs Castle for her lead sponsorship of the 2022 Breaking Barriers Festival. RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIA MAGAZINE 51