Ravinia 2024 Issue 2

ABEL SELAOCOE South African cellist Abel Selaocoe has estab- lished himself as a leading voice of reimagining classical music. Redefining the parameters of the cello, he moves seamlessly across a plethora of genres and styles, from collaborations with world and jazz musicians, to concertos and solo performances. Selaocoe combines virtuosic per- formance with improvisation, singing and body percussion, and is devoted to composing works and curating programs that highlight the links between Western and non-Western musical traditions, broadening the horizons of classical music to reach a more diverse audience. In 2023, he was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Soci- ety’s Instrumentalist Award for his performanc- es and collaborations that “blaze with creation, sending audiences home on a high.” Selaocoe thrives in exploratory settings, developing new projects with contemporaries, and enjoys close collaborations with musicians from a medley of genres, including Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Seckou Keita, Manchester Collective, Giovanni Sollima, and Dudù Kouaté. In 2016, Selaocoe formed Chesaba—a trio specializing in music from the African continent, including many of his own compositions—and in 2022 formed the Bantu Ensemble, which performs his music widely. Selaocoe is Artistic Partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Artist Spotlight at London’s Barbican Centre, and Artist in Asso- ciation with the BBC Singers, performing with each several times throughout the season. Selao- coe continues to perform his solo cello concerto Four Spirits widely in 2023–24, including per- formances with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and Philharmonie Zuidnederlands. Further afield, his 2023/24 season includes debuts at Edinburgh International Festival, Wiener Konzerthaus, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Konzerthaus Ber- lin, Caramoor, and at Carnegie Hall with Sphinx Virtuosi. He also tours to the US with Manches- ter Collective and UK and Europe with Bantu Ensemble. Abel Selaocoe is making his Ravinia and Chicago Symphony Orchestra debuts. MARIN ALSOP, Ravinia Chief Conductor For Marin Alsop’s biography, see page 72. PAVILION 7:00 PM SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2024 VISIONS TOUR NORAH JONES with very special guest MAVIS STAPLES Mavis Staples –Intermission– Norah Jones NORAH JONES Norah Jones first emerged on the world stage with the 2002 release of Come Away With Me , her self-described “moody little record” that in- troduced a singular new voice and grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 Gram- my Awards including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Art- ist. Since then, Jones has become a nine-time Grammy winner and sold 53 million albums, and her songs have been streamed 11 billion times worldwide. She has released a series of critical- ly acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums— Feels Like Home (2004), Not Too Late (2007), The Fall (2009), Little Broken Hearts (2012), Day Breaks (2016), Pick Me Up Off The Floor (2020), the live album ’Til We Meet Again (2021), her holiday album I Dream Of Christmas (2021), and now Visions (2024)—as well as albums with her collective bands The Little Willies, El Madmo, and Puss N Boots featuring Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper. Jones’s singles “Don’t Know Why” and “Come Away With Me” from her debut record have both gone multi-platinum, and she has scored top-10 hits with numerous more songs across her discography, including “Sunrise,” “What Am I to You?,” “Thinking About You,” “Chasing Pirates,” “Happy Pills,” “Carry On,” and her latest “Running.” The 2010 compilation …Featuring Norah Jones showcased her incredible versatility by collecting her collaborations with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Foo Fighters, Outkast, and Herbie Hancock. In 2022, Jones launched her podcast Norah Jones Is Playing Along , which features candid conversations and impromptu musical collaborations with some of her favorite musicians. Norah Jones made her Ravinia debut in 2003 and is making her first return to the festival. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JULY 1 – JULY 21, 2024 80 CHRISTINAEBENEZER(SELAOCOE);JOELLEGRACETAYLOR(JONES)