Ravinia celebrated another successful edition of its annual Music Matters fundraiser on Saturday, May 11, expertly hosted by the Ravinia Associates Board. This year, the event raised over $740,000 in support of the festival’s Reach Teach Play music education initiatives. These invaluable programs touch the lives of over 20,000 students annually, fostering a love for music and providing vital resources to schools and communities across the Chicagoland area, ensuring equitable access to the arts. The evening’s entertainment was nothing short of spectacular, featuring the mesmerizing performances of Ravinia’s talented Jazz Scholars during cocktail hour, followed by the captivating melodies of the Lincoln Trio, who set the stage ablaze in the festival’s esteemed Martin Theatre.
In addition to raising funds and awareness for Ravinia’s music education programs, Music Matters annually recognizes inspirational philanthropic and educational leaders. This year the Associates Board honored The Negaunee Foundation and its president, Richard W. Colburn, for generous dedication to nonprofit organizations throughout the Chicago area. Colburn, who has served on Ravinia’s Board of Trustees for 20 years, spoke about lifelong support of music and keeping its uplifting power accessible to succeeding generations of children.
Here’s a look at the fundraiser!
Associates Board President Jeffrey Condren, Ravinia President & CEO Jeffrey Haydon, Richard W. Colburn, and (in front) Music Matters co-chairs Stephanie Baiocchi and Rebecca Payne
The fundraising opportunities during the evening included a live auction and raffle held in the Martin Theatre
Longtime Ravinia guests on and off the summer concert stage, the Lincoln Trio added panache to the early evening of Music Matters
The Jazz Scholars—talented Chicago Public High School musicians who have auditioned into the Jazz Mentor
Program of Reach Teach Play—performed in the Pavilion to kick off Music Matters
The evening concluded with dinner and dancing in the Dining Pavilion, with festive springtime decor inside and out
