2014 STAKING ACCLAIM IGOR LEVIT MAKES HIS LANDMARK BACH A SIGNPOST FOR THE FUTURE THE GIVING TREES RAVINIA HOLDS A BUSHEL OF MEMORIES FOR SINGING JAMES CONLON POETIC FANNING THOMAS THE FLAMES BRANDI CARLILE FIRES UP HER MUSIC WITH VOLUME 8, NUMBER 7 HAMPSON GIVES VOICE FAMILIAL FONDNESS TO CENTURIES OF HISTORY B:8.5” T:8.25” S:7.25” David McClister MyKiaChicago.com 418 Sheridan Road Highland Park, IL 60035 847-266-5000 www.ravinia.org The SUV with a price Welz Kauffman President and CEO Nick Pullia that�s music to your ears. Communications Director, Executive Editor Nick Panfil Publications Manager, Editor Alexandra Pikeas Graphic Designer IN THIS ISSUE TABLE OF CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS Since 1991 16 Singing Poetic 13 Message from John Anderson 3453 Commercial Ave., Northbrook, IL 60062 Thomas Hampson gives voice to and Welz Kauffman www.performancemedia.us centuries of history. 58 FoodStuff Gail McGrath Publisher & President Sheldon Levin Publisher & Director of Finance 24 Staking Acclaim 60 Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute Account Managers Igor Levit makes his landmark Bach Mike Hedge - Arnie Hoffman 62 REACH*TEACH*PLAY Karen Mathis - Greg Pigott a signpost for the future. 67 Salute to Sponsors East Coast 32 Fanning the Flames Manzo Media Group 610-527-7047 Annual Fund Donors 82 B:10.75” T:10.5” Brandi Carlile fires up her music with S:9.5” Southwest 88 Corporate Partners Betsy Gugick & Associates 972-387-1347 familial fondness. Sales & Marketing Consultant 89 Corporate Matching Gifts 40 The Giving Trees David L. Strouse, Ltd. 847-835-5197 Ravinia holds a bushel of memories for 90 Special Gifts Cathy Kiepura Graphic Designer Lory Richards Graphic Designer James Conlon. 91 Board of Trustees Sorento SX Limited shown.� A.J. Levin Director of Operations 48 Following Himself 92 Women’s Board Josie Negron, Joy Morawez Accounting Willie Smith Supervisor Operations For Nikolaj Znaider, being a soloist and 93 Ravinia Associates Earl Love, Wifredo Silva Operations conductor are not exclusive roles. 94 Ravinia Administration Steve Dunn Web and Internet Development You can view this program on your mobile device at 95 Ravinia Events Sponsors www.performancemedia.us/publications/ravinia-festival/ 96 Patron Information/Phone Numbers All New 2016 For advertising information call 847-770-4621 - Performance Media & Gail McGrath & Associates, Inc. 97 Severe Weather/Park Map is a Woman Owned Business ON OUR COVER July 13 – July 19: Igor Levit (photo: Felix Published by Performance Media/Gail McGrath Associates, Inc. 106 Lawn Clippings Starting at $27,095 MSRP1 All contents are copyrighted ©2015. All rights reserved. Broede); July 20 – July 26: James Conlon Nothing can be reproduced in any manner, whole or part, 108 Ravinia Calendar without written permission from the publisher. (photo: Ravinia); July 27 – August 2: Thomas For advertising terms & conditions, visit www.performancemedia.us Hampson (Kristin Hoebermann) 113 Program Notes ® Lead Classical Sponsor: Ravinia is supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. OFFICIAL PARTNERS: Discover Card, Official Card • Hyundai, Official Vehicle Midtown Athletic Club, Official Club • Steinway of Northbrook, Official Piano Test-drive the Sorento at your local Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Kia Dealer today. Stella Artois and Goose Island Beer Company, Official Craft and Import Beer Sponsor Terlato Wines, Official Wine Sponsor • United Airlines, Official Airline #SOCIALUPGRADE your summer with Ravinia’s ticket contests. Keep an eye on our social sites for information on how you can �2016 Sorento SX Limited with optional features shown. Not all optional features are available on all trims. Some features may vary. 1MSRP $27,095 for Sorento LX model with A/T. MSRP $42,795 win FREE tickets to Ravinia this summer. for Sorento SX Limited AWD shown. Prices include destination and handling fees, and exclude taxes, title, license fees, options, and retailer charges. Actual prices set by retailer and may vary. JULY 13 - AUGUST 2, 2015 | RAVINIA MAGAZINE 11 Round 5 KMD15_2488-35_Ravinia_Mag_r5_D.indd Job Description: Approvals: Contact Information: Mechanical Specifications (HxW): Job: KMD15-2488-35 Saved at: 3-24-2015 5:47 PM Proofreader J. Goins/K. Flesch Meredith Walsh, Director of Print Services Bleed: 8.5” x 10.75” Client: Kia Motors America from: LabLA_14’s iMac Project Mgr. Nita Smith 310-445-5242 Trim: 8.25” x 10.5” Media Type: Print Ad by: LabLA_14 Production Mgr. Elisa Atwood Vince Arriola, Production Manager Live: 7.25” x 9.5” Pubs: None printed at: None Art Buyer Andrea Mariash 310-445-5273 Color Profile: Print PS CMS (None) Copywriter None Nita Smith, Project Manager Version: InDesign CS6 8.1 Materials Due: 3/20 310-445-5244 Art Dir. None Inks: Cyan, Insertion Date: None Creative Dir. Rich Pass Bryon Hutchens - Studio Contact Magenta, Yellow, Black Notes: None 424-204-7231 Account Mgr. Ashton Bowles Product Info Mgr. Wortman/McNaul Client Kia Motors America 909 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Suite 700 El Segundo, CA 90245 dng.com Links: 16KSOR-400-B-White-ps-1-simp-240dm.psd (CMYK; 1155 ppi; 25.95%), 1. 3D Symbolmark_Red.eps (10.12%), SORENTO.eps (23.12%) Fonts: Minion Pro (Regular), Times (Regular), KIAOTF (Medium, Light, Bold) A MESSAGE FROM RAVINIA Ravinia truly has so much to celebrate this season! Plensa that have come to the festival in the past decade. All In 2015 Ravinia celebrates the accomplishments of an artist these works together greatly contribute to the beauty and and friend who has helped shape so much of our recent his- unique park setting of Ravinia. tory. James Conlon has programmed his final season as music As a young piano student, Ramsey was told to abandon his director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s residency at drive to become a classical pianist because no major orchestra Ravinia with specific composers and pieces that call to mind would hire a black man. This year, however, he achieves his the supreme performances that have defined his association sidelined dream by making his CSO debut as both composer with the festival from his earliest days as a guest conductor in and soloist with his Concerto for Jazz Trio and Orchestra, com- the 1970s. As music director, he gave us a multiyear, complete missioned by Ravinia for this milestone. With such a backstory, Mahler symphony cycle; the complete Mozart piano concer- it’s no wonder that Ramsey has been so influential in developing tos; high-quality opera performances, including Mozart in Ravinia’s REACH*TEACH*PLAY education programs, which the Martin; a deep concentration on the music of the Russian reach 75,000 people through such initiatives as El Sistema– masters; and his hallmark “Breaking the Silence” series, which based student orchestras and a free family music school. turned our attention back toward the music plunged into obscu- We’re also continuing to celebrate gains in expanding and rity by the Holocaust. Each issue of Ravinia Magazine this developing Ravinia’s audience. We’ve made lawn admission summer will feature a Conlon focus. to all classical concerts free for children and students through We’re also celebrating the 80th birthdays of two Chicago college, and priced most Pavilion seats to all CSO concerts legends who both happen to be Ravinia Life Trustees—fine- at only $25. We’ve expanded our programming over the past arts sculptor Richard Hunt and jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis. several years to bring new listeners to the CSO, even as audi- Richard started Ravinia’s sculpture collection in 1971 by ences for classical music continue to wane worldwide. We contributing his own massive outdoor work Music For A took a page from the CSO’s own handbook downtown to While. Ravinia has commissioned several other pieces from create movie nights, such as this year’s amalgam of Disney’s this artist whose works grace galleries around the world, and Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 (the original soundtracks of which Richard remains influential in the selection and placement of were performed by the Philadelphia and Chicago Symphony new additions, such as significant pieces by Fernando Botero, Orchestras) as well as Danny Elfman’s music from Tim Burton Lynn Chadwick, Boaz Vaadia, and (most recently) Jaume films. Recognizing that movie scores are often the first place This year Ravinia is celebrating the 80th birthdays of two men who have had (and continue to make) a lasting impression on the festival, sculptor Richard Hunt (left, on his Music For A While) and jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis (above), who his making his CSO debut on August 8 with the world premiere of his Ravinia-commissioned Concerto for Jazz Trio and Orchestra. JULY 13 - AUGUST 2, 2015 | RAVINIA MAGAZINE 13 A MESSAGE FROM RAVINIA where young people hear the sound of a symphony, orchestras around the world—from New York to London—are program- ming film music to attract new listeners, especially families, to the live symphonic experience. With one of the most extensive chamber series in the world, Ravinia also makes music affordable and accessible with its acclaimed $10 BGH Classics series, through which patrons In his final season as music director of the CSO’s residency, James Con- can experience such headliners such as cellist Alisa Weilerstein lon will be recalling the major musical thrusts be brought to the festival and jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut with the Turtle Island Quartet over the past 10 years, culminating in Ravinia’s first complete concert in our intimate 450-seat, state-of-the-art venue for less than the performance of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. cost of a movie. This series also includes performances by the fiercely talented fellows of Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute As a not-for-profit, Ravinia earns about half the money it (RSMI), young professionals who hone their performance needs to make all this work through ticket sales.