What A Glorious Concert!

After a 25-year absence in Chicago the Mormon Tabernacle Choir made their Ravinia debut this past Wednesday. This 310 voice choir along with the Orchestra at Temple Square which included 55 musicians performed an eclectic program of hymns, folk, music theater, and American songs to a sold-out pavilion. A special guest conductor took the stage for the last encore leading the choir in This Land is Your Land, Francis Cardinal George, eighth Archbishop of Chicago. The crowd rose to their feet, applauded and began to sing. I myself couldn’t help but sing along!

Amy Schrage
Associate Director of Communications

Latin Jazz Night Dance Contest 6/24

Age 12 and Under





Adults Advanced Competition

The Original Pin Stripe Brass Band

Scene at Ravinia

Photos by Russell Jenkins
Manager of Graphic Arts and Photography

Jazz With The Joffrey

Our staff is working hard to set the stage for tonight’s performance with Ramsey Lewis and the Joffrey Ballet. Very limited tickets remain (as of 1:30 p.m. on June 22). Get your tickets fast before they sell out! Be there to hear world-premiere work by Ramsey Lewis and see the incredible Joffrey dancers, choreographed by Donald Byrd.

The park opens at 3 and the concert begins at 8. Free pre-concert discussion with Joffrey Executive Director Jon Teewissen and Donald Byrd will be in the Martin Theatre beginning at 7 p.m. See you there!

Ravinia Still Offers the Best Sounds of Summer

If you look hard enough, you will find a few cicadas in the park. However, it is not nearly the mass amount expected to descend upon the area this year. Entomologists at the Field Museum say that the full population has emerged and what we have now is all we will get. So pop open a bottle of wine and celebrate with us on the lawn! We are out of the woods!

It’s perfect timing to come out for the Chicago premiere of the collaboration between Philip Glass and Leonard Cohen, Book of Longing. Glass was just nominated in 2006 for his score to Notes on a Scandal. Most recently, the composer wrote a multidimensional piece to pay homage to the poetry of Leonard Cohen.

This brilliant pair matches music and words for what will prove to be a highlight of the summer. Ticket-holders are invited to a post-concert reception following the performance on June 12 in the new Mirabelle restaurant. On June 13, there will be a pre-concert discussion with Philip Glass beginning at 7 p.m. in the Martin Theatre.

Box Office Opening Day 2007

Box Office Opening Day always brings a sense of excitement and anticipation for summer and for the festival gates to open. This year was another big hit!


It was a beautiful day on Saturday and the crowds came out in droves to take advantage of special ticket offers for one day only.

Ravinia President/CEO Welz Kauffman joined Lisa Flynn and Steve Robinson, Senior Vice President for Radio, both of 98.7 WMFT, for a live broadcast from the steps of the Martin Theatre and highlighted sounds from the upcoming season. A number of lucky listeners won tickets to various concerts.


Pavilion seats for West Side Story are sold out on June 8. Only lawn tickets remain for that day.

However, pavilion seats are still available for the dress rehearsal on June 7. Get your tickets now in order to avoid disappointment. Tickets are completely sold out for the 8 p.m. performance of Splashdance on September 5.

Only limited tickets remain to the 5 p.m. performance the same day.

Seats for the following shows have sold out. Only lawn tickets remain!
June 8 West Side Story
June 16 Prairie Home Companion
June 27 Mormon Tabernacle Choir
August 31 Tony Bennett

A few last minute concerts have been added to the schedule, which include:

June 7 West Side Story Dress Rehearsal
June 25 Indigo Girls w/ Special Guest Brandi Carlile
July 1 Free Celebration of Summer Alice Peacock Just added
July 19 Most Happy Fella Open Dress Rehearsal
August 10 Fiona Apple, Special Guest of Nickel Creek
August 16 Windham Hill Summer Solstice w/ jim Brickman, Wel Ackerman,
Tracy Silverman, Samite, and David Cullen
August 23 El Gran Combo w/ Special Guest NG2
September 8 Creedence Clearwater Revisited w/ Special Guests The Mauds
September 15 Emmylou Harris w/ Special Guest Sam Bush

Giant Cicada Invades Ravinia!

There's a lot of cicada talk around town these days but not a lot of bug to back it up here at the festival. Check out the new exhibit from the Field Museum at Ravinia this summer. It takes you through the cycle of the cicadas. Plus, you get to see a larger than life cicada! Look for it on the north lawn.