Andrew McNicol’s *Yonder Blue*—featuring Joffrey dancers Jeraldine Mendoza, Dylan Gutierrez, and ensemble members—closes the company’s September 13 program at Ravinia. (Photo: Cheryl Mann)

With the Joffrey Ballet, it all comes back to home

August 21, 2024 in Ravinia Magazine, The Artists

For its latest appearance at Ravinia, Joffrey is presenting two programs on the Pavilion stage—an evening performance September 13 with live music and, reprising a tradition from the past, a morning presentation September 14 as part of the festival’s Kids Concert Series.

Joffrey’s first Ravinia visit took place in 1972, long before it was based in Chicago, and at that time it became something of a perennial presence, appearing in weeklong residencies each year through 1979. But subsequent returns were more sporadic: a series of multidate stands occupied the calendars of 1997 through 2000, and performances dropped off after 2008.

Wheater is glad now to be back on a more regular basis. He believes Joffrey’s Ravinia appearances are an ideal complement to its main season at the Lyric Opera House, attracting audiences who typically don’t go downtown to see the company or who eschew formal theater-going experiences altogether.

On This Date 15 Years Ago

August 18, 2024 in Classical, History, Ravinia Magazine

It’s no slight understatement to observe that the whole of Illinois left no stone—or stovepipe hat—unturned to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of the 16th President of the United States. Naturally, a great many Illinoisan academics and leaders came together under the interdisciplinary Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, including Ravinia’s team. Then president and CEO of the festival, Welz Kauffman brought a clear vision: “Lincoln is a figure of change. To celebrate Lincoln in a year that brought America its first Black president is more than serendipity; it’s reinforcement of the belief that our celebration should look toward the future. That means new work.”

Remembering the Legend, Ramsey Lewis

September 13, 2022 in Artist News, RaviniaNews

Ravinia mourns the tremendous loss of jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, who served as Artistic Director of Jazz at Ravinia for 25 years and was a critical partner in music education initiatives. “His influence on jazz and music in general is already etched in the history books. Especially with piano players, but also with all musicians. Ramsey helped move jazz and music forward,” said trumpeter Marquis Hill, who led the “Legends of Jazz” concert in Lewis’s honor in June. His passing will be deeply felt by everyone he worked with.

The Gospel According to Jazz

June 21, 2022 in Artist News

“Legends of Jazz: Honoring Ramsey Lewis” features an impressive slate of singers and musicians who are admirers of, and have been influenced by, the innovative, internationally acclaimed, Chicago-born American jazz legend. Trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Marquis Hill explained how the Lewis tribute program originally was conceptualized: “I was meeting with my creative team, and I wanted to do some kind of program to feature a small group of musicians. And in our discussions, Ramsey’s name came up. His influence on jazz and music in general is etched in the history books. This tribute seemed natural.”

Time and Place: After 78 Years Traveling as Many Piano Keys (and More), Ramsey Lewis Issues His Own Stay-at-Home Order

July 06, 2020 in Park News, Artist News

“Life is great,” said Ramsey Lewis on an April afternoon, socially distanced in his Streeterville home in Chicago.

Our conversation was originally to be of the face-to-face variety, but with faces having become a focal point of health awareness, we instead took to the phone.

At 85, Lewis is now enjoying the freedom of retirement. He stepped away from touring nearly two years ago, leaving behind the roars of recognition he would hear when playing the first bars of “Hang On Sloopy.” No more audiences, no more applause. Why, I wondered.

Seven Highlights from the 2015 Summer Season

August 28, 2015 in Opinion, Park News

As an intern at Ravinia this summer, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Ravinia is much more than just concerts. In reality, Ravinia is about the experience, the tight community culture, and all the small things we do here that may (or may not!) go unnoticed by the concert-goers, but help make it an exciting place to be a part of.

As the 2015 season comes to a close and nostalgia starts to set in, I wanted to relive some of those moments from this summer. Join me on a trip down memory lane with my 7 favorite moments from the 2015 season.

Ramsey Lewis Joins A New "In" Crowd with His First Classical Concerto

August 02, 2015 in Ravinia Magazine, Artist News

The traditions of jazz and classical music have enjoyed parallel histories but relatively few intersections. Yet players from Benny Goodman to Wynton Marsalis have famously commuted between the two realms, and composers from George Gershwin to Duke Ellington to Leonard Bernstein have negotiated areas of artistic agreement that have linked certain of their traditions in often exciting ways, creating the bedrock of symphonic jazz.