Ravinia Festival Announces Programming For Summer 2022 That Includes Debuts By 50 Artists Including Pitbull, Grace Potter, The Black Crowes, Ziggy Marley and More

Mar 24, 2022 admin_bitlc Breaking News, Features, Music News, Reviews 0

Stellar Summer Lineup Features More Than 100 Concerts from

May 20 Through September 18

Highlights:

Debuts by 50 Artists, Including Pitbull, Erykah Badu, Grace Potter, Dispatch, The Black Crowes, Ziggy Marley, and Others

Six-Week Chicago Symphony Orchestra Residency, including First Annual Breaking Barriers Festival celebrating Women Conductors, Curated by Chief Conductor Marin Alsop

Returning Stars such as Sting, Emmylou Harris, Béla Fleck, Common, Jackson Browne, Gipsy Kings, Sheryl Crow, John Fogerty, Stevie Nicks,

Esperanza Spalding, and Many More

Tickets on Sale Wednesday, May 4

HIGHLAND PARK, IL —Ravinia President and CEO Jeffrey P. Haydon today announced Ravinia Festival’s complete 2022 summer lineup, offering 50 artist debuts and more than 100 concerts, including the annual summer residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) with Chief Conductor Marin Alsop.

“Ravinia is the premier music destination each summer for listeners of all generations,” said Jeffrey P. Haydon, Ravinia’s President and CEO. “We have a robust lineup of more than 100 events ranging from global music, jazz, country, and hip-hop, to indie rock, pop, family shows, and of course, classical, featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in residence. We also have chamber music and recitals, films with live scores, our annual celebration of Mexican music and culture, reggae, and American Songbook—truly something for everyone!”

Among the summer highlights are the previously announced first annual Breaking Barriers festival, curated by Marin Alsop (July 29–31); Ravinia debuts by rising stars pianist Alexander Malofeev, soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen, and baritone Lucas Meachem; global music artists A.R. Rahman, Ziggy Marley, and the Amjad Ali Khan Trio; gospel singer Lizz Wright; country legend Dwight Yoakam; and contemporary artists such as Pitbull, Iggy Azalea, Arrested Development, Grace Potter, and The Australian Pink Floyd Show, among others; and a return to a full lineup of offerings for the first time since 2019.

The Ravinia Steans Music Institute (RSMI)–Ravinia’s intensive summer training program for young artists–has named violinist and composer Jessie Montgomery as its composer in residence as part of the 2022 Piano & Strings program. From June 27 to July 1, Montgomery will hold individual and chamber music coaching sessions with RSMI fellows focused on several of her compositions. On July 2, her works Source Codeand Break Away for string quartet will be performed by the young professional musicians, as will Peace for Violin and Piano, originally composed for RSMI alum Elena Urioste.

SEATING AND VENUES

Ravinia will present performances in all of its venues in 2022, including the main-stage Pavilion, the indoor Martin Theatre and Bennett Gordon Hall, and, after a successful inaugural year in 2021, the outdoor Carousel stage, which will have expanded offerings of casual concerts and opening acts—to be announced later this spring—on the North Lawn.

All seats in the Pavilion are reserved, and at these performances, Premium Lawn Blocks will be available to reserve on the South Lawn in configurations of two, four, or six people, and feature a dedicated screen showing the stage. The North Lawn will have general admission access with first-come, first-served seating and slightly reduced capacity to maintain guests’ comfort.

TRANSPORTATION

After a successful pilot partnership in 2021, Ravinia Festival extends its collaboration with Metra through the 2022 summer season. Under this partnership, all trains on the Union Pacific North Line will honor Ravinia tickets as train fares; patrons can show their dated concert e-ticket for a free train ride to and from the park on the day of the event.

This summer, remote parking will continue to be consolidated in downtown Highland Park; park-and-ride buses will cycle as needed to and from the park on designated concert days.

BREAKING BARRIERS

This summer, Ravinia Festival presents the first annual Breaking Barriers festival, curated by Chief Conductor Marin Alsop. The festival, featuring the CSO, celebrates the diverse artists and leaders at the forefront of classical music today and in the future, this year focusing on women conductors (July 29–31). The festival will feature three main-stage concerts with wrap-around programming and events each day such as roundtable discussions, master classes, symposia, and a film screening of The Conductor, a documentary chronicling Alsop achieving her childhood dream told through professional and personal encounters. Ravinia is partnering with the Taki Alsop Fellowship, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2022, to celebrate the previous and current fellows, offer networking and education opportunities, and showcase their talent on Ravinia’s stages.

Friday, July 29

A panel discussion featuring women business leaders in Chicago, moderated by ABC 7 Weekend News co-anchor Karen Jordan
CSO concert celebrating the Taki Alsop Fellowship’s 20th anniversary, conducted by Marin Alsop with guest conductors Anna Duczmal-Mróz (current Taki fellow), Laura Jackson, and Jeri Lynne Johnson (both previous Taki fellows). The evening’s program includes a work by the CSO’s Mead Composer in Residence Jessie Montgomery, who also serves as Ravinia’s composer in residence for RSMI, as well as music by Michael Daugherty and Prokofiev

Saturday, July 30

“Forging Paths For Women Conductors” symposium featuring:
- Marin Alsop
- Chicago Symphony Chorus assistant conductor and Margaret Hillis biographer Cheryl Frazes Hill
- Taki Alsop fellows Anna Duczmal-Mróz and Jeri Lynne Johnson
- Moderated by music critic and journalist Wynne Delacoma
Screenings of The Conductor, an interview with Sylvia Caduff and Marin Alsop, and a documentary about Polish conductor Agneieszka Duczmal, whose daughter is the 2022 Taki Alsop fellowship winner
Book Signing with Cheryl Frazes-Hill
CSO Open Rehearsal
Ravinia Music Box Showings
Sculpture Tours
CSO performance of Bernstein’s Kaddish Symphony and Osvaldo Golijov’s Rose of the Winds led by Alsop with Musicians from the Silk Road Ensemble, soprano Janai Brugger, and narrator Jaye Ladymore

Sunday, July 31

Family concert: Because, by Jessie Montgomery, arranged by Jannina NorpothChicago Sinfonietta, conducted by Jeri Lynne Johnson
Mo Willems’ story of chance comes to Ravinia following its world premiere by the National Symphony Orchestra.
esperanza spalding in concert with special guest Monsieur Periné

CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Prior to Breaking Barriers, which marks Alsop’s final week with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2022, the Orchestra performs two weeks of programs with Alsop on the podium:

July 15 with pianist Stewart Goodyear in a program of music by Julia Perry, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Tchaikovsky;
July 16 with the Marcus Roberts Trio in a genre-bending program of jazz, spirituals, and Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony, “From the New World;”
July 17 with Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony and Strauss’s Eine Alpensinfonie;
July 22 with soprano Yeree Suh*, baritone Matthias Goerne, and theChicago Symphony Chorus in Brahms’s German Requiem;
July 24 with Tony Award-winning singer Leslie Odom Jr. for the annual gala fundraising concert

After Breaking Barriers, guest conductors lead the CSO in varied programs, including the return of semi-staged operas in concert in the Martin Theatre with the CSO, Apollo Chorus of Chicago, and stellar casts, led by former Ravinia music director James Conlon:

Conductor and pianist Wayne Marshall* leads an all-American program of music by Bernstein and Gershwin, plus an improvisation on a Sondheim song, August 3
Carlos Miguel Prieto returns to the CSO podium to lead a program with Mexican and Spanish flair with music by Debussy, Ravel, Ortiz, Moncayo, and Copland, with the CSO debut of pianist Conrad Tao, August 5
Conductor Kevin Stites* makes his CSO debut in a concert celebrating the letters, mentorship, and music of Stephen Sondheim with Rob Lindley, who conceived and directs the program. Guest vocalists include Alexandra Billings*, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Heather Headley, August 7
Don Giovanni, starring baritone Lucas Meachem* (Don Giovanni), bass Kristinn Sigmundsson (Commendatore), soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen* (Donna Anna), tenor Saimir Pirgu (Don Ottavio), soprano Nicole Car*, (Donna Elvira), bass-baritone Craig Colclough (Leporello), bass Brent Michael Smith*, (Masetto), and soprano Erica Petrocelli*, (Zerlina) with harpsichordist and assistant conductor Vlad Iftinca and director Garnett Bruce, conducted by James Conlon, August 11 & 13
La Clemenza di Tito, in its first complete performance by the CSO, featuring tenor Matthew Polenzani (Tito), soprano Guangqun Yu* (Vitellia), mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo^# (Sesto), soprano Janai Brugger^# (Servilia), mezzo-soprano Ashley Dixon^# (Annio), and bass Kristinn Sigmundsson (Publio), with harpsichordist and assistant conductor Louis Lohraseb* and stage director Harry Silverstein, conducted by James Conlon, August 12 & 14
Peter Oundjian returns for the first time in nearly 20 years to lead works by Coleridge-Taylor and Mussorgsky, with former mentor Itzhak Perlman in the Mendelssohn concerto, August 18
Steven Reineke returns to conduct a program of Alan Menken’s Broadway hits with guest vocalists Katie Rose Clarke*, Montego Glover*, Jordan Donica*, and Matt Doyle, August 19
Guest conductor Emil de Cou leads the annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular, with violinist Inmo Yang^#, August 21

RECITALS AND CHAMBER MUSIC

Performances take place in the Martin Theatre unless otherwise noted.

Miriam Fried, violin / Jonathan Biss, piano, June 21
Emerson String Quartet, June 28
Seven faculty artists from the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, July 10
Matthias Goerne, baritone / Alexandre Kantorow*, piano, July 26
Chanticleer, July 28
Alexander Malofeev*, piano, August 4
Emily D’Angelo^#, mezzo-soprano / Kevin Murphy, piano, August 17
Bryan Wallick, piano, August 23, Bennett Gordon Hall
Anthony de Mare, piano, Liaisons: Reimagining Sondheim from the Piano, August 27, Bennett Gordon Hall
NEXUS Chamber Music, August 28, Bennett Gordon Hall
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra / Vadim Gluzman, violin, August 29
Geneva Lewis^#, violin / Audrey Vardanega^#, piano, September 3, Bennett Gordon Hall
Music of the Baroque / Dame Jane Glover, conductor / Garrick Ohlsson, piano, September 3, Pavilion
Inna Faliks, piano, September 10, Bennett Gordon Hall
Lincoln Trio, September 11, Bennett Gordon Hall
The Knights / Eric Jacobsen, conductor, September 13
Einav Yarden^#, piano, September 17, Bennett Gordon Hall

FAMILY AND FILM

Ravinia continues to offer a variety of programs for all ages, with some events specifically geared to children and families. Performances take place in the Pavilion unless otherwise noted.

Chicago Sinfonietta / Jonathan Rush, conductor, June 18, Bennett Gordon Hall
The Lion King: In Concert Live to Film, with Chicago Philharmonic, Thiago Tiberio, conductor, June 29
The Goonies: In Concert, with Chicago Philharmonic, Thiago Tiberio, conductor, July 6
Laurie Berkner, July 16
Because, with Chicago Sinfonietta, Jeri Lynne Johnson, conductor,July 31, Bennett Gordon Hall (Part of Breaking Barriers Festival)
NYO Jazz (Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra) with special guest vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, August 6, Martin Theatre
Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players, August 20, Carousel

JAZZ, FOLK, BROADWAY, GOSPEL, and AMERICAN SONGBOOK

Ravinia continues to lead the way with its signature mix of programming across a wide array of genres.

Legends of Jazz: Honoring Ramsey Lewis with Ramsey Lewis, Kurt Elling, Marquis Hill^#, Lizz Wright*, Bobby Lewis with the J.W. James A.M.E. Church Choir, members of Urban Knights, with pre-concert performance at the Carousel by Ravinia Jazz Scholars, June 19
Matthew Whitaker Quintet, June 22, Martin Theatre
Bluegrass Happening with Béla Fleck & My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas Band, June 24
Trombone Shorty’s Voodoo Threauxdown with Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Tank & the Bangas*, Big Freedia*, Cyril Neville (The Uptown Ruler) George Porter Jr.* and Dumpstaphunk* (playing the music of The Meters), and The Soul Rebels, June 26
Henhouse Prowlers, July 21, Carousel
Let’s Misbehave!: The Life and Music of Cole Porter with Spider Saloff, July 23, Martin Theatre
esperanza spalding, Monsieur Periné*, July 31 (Part of Breaking Barriers festival)
Emmylou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter, September 2
Too Many Zooz*, Grace Kelly^#, September 9, Carousel

GLOBAL MUSIC AND REGGAE

Rodrigo y Gabriela, June 16
Amjad Ali Khan Trio*, July 14
Mames Babegenush, July 19, Martin Theatre
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas*, August 10, Carousel
Ziggy Marley*, Kazayah* in A Live Tribute to Bob Marley, August 14
Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes, August 16
A.R. Rahman*, August 20
Sixth annual Fiesta Ravinia!, with Kumbia Kings*, Dos Santos*, and more September 18

POP, ROCK, R&B, INDIE, HIP-HOP, COUNTRY, and DJs

Amos Lee, Neal Francis*, June 15
Jackson Browne, June 17
Common, Black Violin, June 18
Steve Miller Band, Jimmie Vaughan*, June 23
Why Don’t We*, June 25
Reimagine The Beatles with Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael*, June 30,Martin Theatre
ABBA The Concert (A Tribute to ABBA), July 1
Dwight Yoakam*, Old Crow Medicine Show, July 2
Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles with Chicago Philharmonic, George Stelluto, conductor, July 3
Sheryl Crow, Keb’ Mo’, Southern Avenue, July 7
John Fogerty, July 8
Michael Franti & Spearhead, Arrested Development*, July 9
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, Chris Isaak, July 10
The Black Crowes* Shake Your Money Maker played in its entirety, July 12
Little Big Town, July 20
Poi Dog Pondering, July 23
Bonnie Raitt, July 27
The Revivalists*, Grace Potter*, August 6
Dispatch*, O.A.R., G. Love, August 13
Pitbull*, Iggy Azalea*, August 25
Culture Club, August 26
Sting, Joe Sumner, August 27 & 28
Yacht Rock Revue, September 1
Diana Ross, Naturally 7, September 4
The Australian Pink Floyd Show*, September 7
Stevie Nicks, September 8 & 10
Erykah Badu*, September 11
Metro and Smartbar 40th Anniversary at Ravinia: Queen!* featuring resident DJs Derrick Carter, Michael Serafini, and Garrett David plus resident hosts Lucy Stoole, Nico, and JoJo Baby, September 17, Carousel

DANCE

Ruth Page Festival of Dance:
- Ruth Page Civic Ballet, May 20, Bennett Gordon Hall
- Ruth Page Civic Ballet and special guests Giordano Dance Chicago, DanceWorks Chicago*, Hedwig Dances, Porchlight Music Theatre*, May 21, Bennett Gordon Hall
- Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, September 16, Pavilion

THE RAVINIA MUSIC BOX—BERNSTEIN’S ANSWER

The Ravinia Music Box–which recently won Gold at the Muse Awards for Creativity–will be open on all Pavilion concert dates, from gate opening until intermission; admission is free to patrons in the park. Guests should allow 30 minutes to experience the complete program and exhibition gallery when entering. The immersive, 4D theater experience is designed to introduce one of music’s most iconic figures to audiences of all ages.

This summer a new gallery exhibit highlights the legacy of The Beatles with Ladies and Gentlemen … The Beatles!, an installation curated by the GRAMMY^® Museum and Fab Four Exhibits. The Ravinia Music Box features a timed program, and the gallery is only available to guests who have been through the immersive theater experience. The celebration of The Beatles extends beyond the Ravinia Music Box with the July 3 Classical Mystery Tour tribute concert with the Chicago Philharmonic and the June 30 Reimagine The Beatles cabaret with Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael in the Martin Theatre, for which the experience center will be specially opened.

THE RAVINIA STEANS MUSIC INSTITUTE (RSMI)

Founded in 1988, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute is an international destination for young professional pianists and string players, classical singers, and jazz musicians devoted to uniquely honing and advancing their talents as collaborative artists. Since opening its doors, RSMI has offered private coaching, master classes, and performance opportunities to over 1,500 exceptional musicians, many of whom have cultivated highly visible and successful careers in performance, leadership, and music education.

RSMI musicians perform roughly two dozen programs during the summer season, on their home stage—the purpose-built Bennett Gordon Hall (BGH). All afternoon concerts will be free and open to the public, as well as live-streamed to Ravinia’s YouTube channel, while evening and special matinee performances will be a mix of free and ticketed events.

Bridges Competition: Ravinia’s 2022 Bridges Composition Competition winners merge the genres of jazz and classical chamber music in their new works, which are premiered by an ensemble mostly comprising RSMI alumni. The June 3 program will feature the three 2022 winning entries: Moment to Journey by Jisu Jung (RSMI Jazz alum), Reconciliation by William Kjeer (RSMI Jazz alum), and Lullabye and Dreams by Kaiji “Gary” Wang.

Jazz Grandstand: Musicians from RSMI’s Program for Jazz showcase their talents in an evening of original charts on June 10, all composed and workshopped during their one-week residency at Ravinia, led by expert faculty members: Billy Childs, Rufus Reid, and Steve Wilson.

Piano & Strings Concerts: During their intensive five-week RSMI residency, the 38 Piano & Strings fellows will be featured across two master classes and 12 programs of classical sonata and chamber repertoire, including works by RSMI’s 2022 composer in residence Jessie Montgomery. Master classes and concerts will be presented in Bennett Gordon Hall on June 24, 30, July 1, 2, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, and 22; all events will be livestreamed except the July 11 and 18 concerts.

Vocal Concerts: The four-week residency of fellows in the Program for Singers offers one master class and six performances highlighting the breadth of classical song repertoire. August 20 closes the program with a specially curated concert from Lee Musiker—Grammy and Emmy Award-winning pianist, conductor, composer, and longtime music director for Tony Bennett. Musiker will lead RSMI’s vocal fellows through a matinee program of Sondheim, playing piano alongside a jazz combo of bass, drums, and winds. The master class and other concerts will be presented in Bennett Gordon Hall on August 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 15 (one master class date TBA); all events will be livestreamed except the August 15 and 20 concerts.

DINING

Patrons can bring their picnics or choose from a selection of in-park dining options this summer. The Ravinia Market will be open with an expanded walk-up market and for mobile ordering. Mobile carts throughout the park provide a variety of seasonal options, including beverage carts with a selection of premium ready-to-drink cocktails, spiked seltzers, wine, and craft beers, as well as snack carts featuring many guest-favorite items, including Ravinia’s signature ice cream. Indoor and outdoor dining options will be available at the Park View, Tree Top, and Lawn Bar restaurants in the Dining Pavilion, as well as at the Freehling Room for eligible Ravinia donors. Each restaurant has a covered outdoor patio for open-air service, and reservations are strongly recommended. For guests interested in catering, Ravinia will offer reserved group spaces in select areas of the park, with packages that include tickets and customized menus.

ABOUT RAVINIA

North America’s oldest outdoor music festival, Ravinia opened on August 15, 1904, as a high-end amusement park—complete with music pavilion, baseball stadium, and dance hall—as a reason to get people to ride the uncompleted train line connecting Chicago and Milwaukee. When the railway went bust a few years later, local businessmen purchased Ravinia to run it as a music festival. In 1936, the not-for-profit Ravinia Festival Association took over ownership of the festival’s 36-acre park, and the festival’s long and enviable relationship as the summer residence of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra began. Ravinia is known for presenting music of all genres, and over the years the festival has made headlines with events like Benny Goodman performing with an integrated band, Janis Joplin giving one of her final concerts, and Princess Magogo, the first Zulu opera. Ravinia believes in the power of shared, live-music moments to inspire ourselves and the world.

Today Ravinia is the only private train stop in Illinois, with Metra’s Union Pacific North line stopping at the Grand Entrance. The festival is located about 20 miles north of Chicago at Green Bay and Lake Cook Roads in Highland Park. Onsite parking is limited, and the festival operates a free park-and-ride shuttle bus service to nearby lots along the train line.

Guests can bring their own picnics, including food and liquor. A full range of dining options is available at the park, from casual carts to fine dining. Ravinia performances occur rain or shine.

Visit the website for the most up-to-date programming and protocols. Tickets go on sale May 4.

SPONSORS

Ravinia Festival is a not-for-profit cultural institution that depends on the support of individual donors, foundations, and corporations. Ravinia is grateful to welcome back Allstate for a sixth year as its Lead Reach Teach Play Sponsor, and extends a special thanks to Dinah Jacobs Castle as Leading Sponsor of the Breaking Barriers Festival

Featured Sponsors: Anonymous; In Memory of Keene H. Addington II; BMO; The Dancing Skies Foundation; Discover, Official Card; Hyundai, 10 Official Vehicle; Midtown Athletic Clubs, Official Club; The Negaunee Foundation; Jennifer W. Steans and James P. Kastenholz; RBC Wealth Management; United Airlines, Official Airline; Wintrust, Chair Rental Sponsor

Season Sponsors: Megan P. and John L. Anderson; In Memory of Charles and Margery Barancik; In Memory of Harry and Harriet Bernbaum; Elizabeth Crown and Bill Wallace, in loving memory of Catherine Crown Sanders; In Honor of Sandra K. Crown; Fortune Brands Home & Security; The Avrum Gray Family, in memory of Joyce Gray; Illinois Arts Council Agency; ITW; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Holly and John Madigan Family; Tera and Richard McBlaine; Ruth Page Festival of Dance; Terlato Wines; Nancy Zadek

Program Sponsors: AbbVie; Baxter International Inc.; Beam Suntory; Ernst & Young LLP; Exelon; Fifth Third Bank; Greenberg Traurig, LLP; The Hunter Family Foundation; Kerrygold; Latham and Watkins LLP; Mayer Brown LLP; Pamela J. Mayo; Northern Trust; Northwestern Medicine; Perkins Coie LLP; The Sedge and Henry Plitt Charitable Trusts; PNC Bank; Sidley Austin LLP; Stepan Company; Testa Produce, Inc; Linda and Craig Umans; Walgreens

Sponsors: Jane and David Casper; Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; Don and Susan Civgin; Winnie and Bob Crawford; Howard L. Gottlieb and Barbara G. Greis; Chris and Elise Klein; Becky and Lester Knight; Kenneth and Jodi Meister; In Memory of Thomas F. Pick; Betsey and Dale Pinkert; John Snyder and Mignon Dupepe

* Ravinia debut

# RSMI alum

Artists, dates, and programs are subject to change.

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