Ravinia 2023 Issue 5

FROM THE PRES I DENT AND THE CHA I RMAN JEFFREY P. HAYDON President and CEO Ravinia Festival Association CHRISTOPHER J. KLEIN Chairman Ravinia Festival Association between June and September during each summer season at Ravinia®, you might imagine that describing the experience of live music in our sun-kissed park is a challenge akin to summarizing what you like about a favorite artist for a neophyte, but turned up to, well, . One could easily spill as many words as there are genres of music. But there is a word that neatly threads through every single moment, from entering the expanse of the park, to spreading a picnic or sitting down at one of the restaurants on the Ravinia Festival® grounds, to sharing in both an excited rush of applause for the artists onstage and a sudden hush as all ears absorb their music. It’s a word, coincidentally, that features prominently in some of the cornerstone performances of this season. At Ravinia, we turn up the joy of live music. And we believe in the power of those shared moments to inspire us all. at motto is especially apropos to the opening night of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s annual six-week residence, as Ravinia Chief Conductor Marin Alsop leads a rst-of-its-kind expansion on Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and its theme of joy. e performance builds upon her “Global Ode to Joy” project co-created with Carnegie Hall in , welcoming artists across genres and cultures to make music in dialog with Beethoven’s, in language that extends its core message of community building all the wider for our time. Alsop’s return also gives rise to our second Breaking Barriers Festival, where this year we highlight women composers—from classical and jazz musicians to singer-songwriters in any genre, who all still commonly encounter obstacles to acceptance among their peers. e work of these artists can be found throughout the summer, not just during the weekend festival. A er your eyes walk the schedule, be sure to stroll around the box o ce at our main entrance—not simply to pick up a few more tickets, but to learn more about trailblazing women in classical music as conductors and composers. Or else mosey to the north side of the park to visit the Ravinia Music Box, where an exhibit about the legendary Billie Holiday awaits a er a stunning, immersive cinematic experience that explores the question “What does music mean?” At Ravinia Steans Music Institute, for years leading the Program for Piano & Strings, globally acclaimed violinist Miriam Fried has been guiding young professional artists along much the same question on their path to purpose. Roughly half of RSMI’s alumni network has Fried at its center, and with each collaboration that comes from those connections, the joyful music-making that emerges has a clear commonality. As she concludes her tenure, celebratory performances are planned throughout the program’s ve-week stretch in June and July, but there’s no better time to catch any of a dozen free or low-priced concerts for an impromptu salute. Combining expressions and experiences of joy in music is also the theme behind our greatest new engagement this summer. We are proud to host the rst National Seminario Ravinia, which brings together student musicians from El Sistema–inspired organizations across states and Canada—including Sistema Ravinia—for four days of orchestral training and mentorship with Chicago Philharmonic, conductor Jonathan Rush, and Alsop. Among other pieces, a special arrangement of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” unites the student and professional musicians. e outstanding support of numerous individuals, corporations, and foundations make it possible for Ravinia to provide a mini-camp of this magnitude in addition to our summer concerts and year- round programs. Ticket sales normally cover about half of our annual operating costs, and for the rest we rely on those donors who believe in our mission to present a spectrum of exceptional music, put music back into under-resourced schools and their communities, elevate the talents of young professional artists, and maintain our beautiful, family-friendly concert environment. No matter which parts of our mission most resonate with you, we are grateful that you, by being here to read this message, are making a contribution to the joy that those experiences of live music inspires. Whether this is your rst or your ieth visit, we hope that in addition to the tune that will inevitably repeat in your head, what sticks with you is that the positive impact of music comes from it being accessible to everyone around you. Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your new neighbor, and please enjoy a special moment together during the season. 418 Sheridan Road Highland Park, IL 60035 847-266-5000 ravinia.org Jeffrey P. Haydon President and Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Fildes Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Nick Panfil Associate Creative Director, Writing & Publications Editor PMGMA, INC. 340 Anthony Trail, Northbrook, IL 60062 847-770-4620 pmgma.com Gail McGrath Publisher and President Sheldon Levin Publisher and Director of Finance Account Managers: Rand Brichta ∙ Jill Goldvarg Mike Hedge ∙ Arnie Hoffman For advertising information, call 847-770-4621 or email gmcgrath@pmgma.com PMGMA, Inc. is a Woman Owned Business Published by PMGMA, Inc. All contents are copyrighted 2023. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced in any manner, whole or part, without written permission from the publisher. For advertising terms and conditions, visit pmgma.com MISSION STATEMENT OF THE RAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION Ravinia is an internationally renowned, not-for-pro t music festival that presents outstanding performances by the world’s greatest artists. Ravinia’s principal objectives are • to present performances of a full range of classical music in its open-air Pavilion and enclosed recital halls, by the world’s greatest composers and musicians, along with a variety of other kinds of light classical, jazz, and popular music; • to maintain a beautiful park that is welcoming to all and attractive to families in which the music experience is enhanced by a beautiful environment and excellent dining opportunities; • to enable gi ed young performers to study under great teachers and perform in concert settings; and • to develop broader and more diverse audiences for classical music through education and engagement programs and by maintaining a ordable ticket prices. RAVINIA MAGAZINE • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 27, 2023