Young Artists & Patrons Thrive at Ravinia

The last couple of weeks at Ravinia have spawned a lot of discussion about age and experience. We have had three extraordinary young virtuosos join us – Denis Matsuev, Lang Lang and Chris Thile – and response was remarkable. Matsuev, who is working closely with Vladimir Putin on arts issues in Russia, brought an old-fashioned virtuosity to his concerts with the CSO and in the Martin Theatre – virtuosity that has been regarded as a negative by much of the classical music establishment who seem suspicious of anything that gets a strong, positive audience reaction. Lang Lang brought rock-star glamour and popularity to the Park, spending hours signing copies of his autobiography (yes, at 26 years old, an autobiography!) and talking about his upcoming appearance at the opening of the Beijing Olympics. And Chris Thile, mandolin expert and intrepid bluegrass explorer, wowed his devoted fans. At the other end of the spectrum, Bernard Haitink, Barbara Cook, Charles Rosen and Kiri Te Kanawa have all shone brightly, bringing wisdom, pacing, and the power only experience can deliver to their performances.

One of the many things I appreciate about Ravinia is its welcoming of diversity – not only ethnic, but also age. In the classical music world, where we know that folks begin purchasing tickets to orchestral concerts at age 45, on average, we do everything we can to celebrate and honor our more experienced patrons – from programming, to the start time of performances, to the upgrading of our dining opportunities. And at the same time, one of the happiest sounds at Ravinia comes not from our stages, but from the lawn, where the giggles and gurgles of our youngest patrons inspire smiles all through the Park – kids getting great music and enjoying family time.

One of the first Ravinia patrons I encountered was the dignified and elegant Kay Mayer, a devoted music lover who actually attended the one and only Ravinia performance by George Gershwin in 1936! Kay passed in her sleep recently – she will be sorely missed.

Welz Kauffman
President/CEO