Ravinia 2024 Issue 2

VIANO QUARTET The Viano Quartet is one of the most sought-af- ter young performing ensembles today and is in residence with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Bowers Program for 2024–27. Since winning first prize at the 2019 Banff Inter- national String Quartet Competition, they have traveled to New York, London, Berlin, Vancou- ver, Paris, Beijing, Toronto, Lucerne, Los Ange- les and many more of the globe’s major music centers. The quartet is also currently the inau- gural June Goldsmith Quartet-in-Residence for the Music in the Morning series in Vancouver through 2025, focused on commissioning new works and leading extensive community engage- ment initiatives. Past residencies have includ- ed the Curtis Institute, Colburn Conservatory, Northern Michigan University, and Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist Uni- versity. Over the past year, Viano returned to Chamber Music Northwest, the Bravo! Vail Festival, and BISQFest alongside performances at Hong Kong’s Intimacy of Creativity Festival, Ottawa Chamberfest, Minnesota Beethoven Festival, the Mt. Desert and Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festivals, and Bay Chamber Concerts. Across chamber music repertoire, the quartet has collaborated with such world-class musicians as violists Paul Coletti and Paul Neu- bauer, violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley, vocalist Hila Plitmann, clarinetist David Shifrin, and pianists Emanuel Ax, Marc-André Hamelin, Inon Barnatan, and Elisso Virsaladze. Their chief mentors have included the Curtis Institute and Colburn Conservatory faculties, as well as members of the Dover, Guarneri, and Tokyo String Quartets, plus the summer faculties of the St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar, Festi- val d’Aix en Provence, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and McGill International String Quar- tet Academy. In addition to their career-launch- ing Banff laurels, in 2019 Viano earned the grand prize at the ENKOR Competition and second prize at the Yellow Springs Competition. A year earlier, the Wigmore Hall Competition award- ed them third prize, the Haydn Prize, and the Sidney Griller Award, and they also won second prize at the 2018 Fischoff Competition. The Via- no Quartet were collectively Ravinia Steans Mu- sic Institute fellows in 2020 and are making their first appearance at Ravinia. PAVILION 7:30 PM FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2024 CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TED SPERLING, conductor MORGAN JAMES, vocalist RYAN SHAW, vocalist † Kodachrome: The Music of Paul Simon Tonight’s specially curated program highlights the music of legendary singer- songwriter Paul Simon, whose far-reaching catalog of songs has unquestionably become part of America’s, and the world’s, shared musical history. Paul Simon has been crafting tunes and enchanting audiences for more than half a century, penning hundreds of songs from “The Boxer” to “Bridge over Troubled Water” to the indelible music of the Graceland album, and many more. In this special symphonic program, favorite hits, as well as a few deep cuts, are brought to life in new orchestrations that showcase the enduring excitement of these iconic songs. Featured songs will be announced from the stage and span Simon’s decades- long career: “Mrs. Robinson,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” and more! This program is curated by Ted Sperling and co-commissioned by the Ravinia Festival and the San Diego Symphony. There will be one intermission in this program. † Ravinia debut RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JULY 1 – JULY 21, 2024 86 KEVINCONDON