Ben Platt, Norm Lewis, and More Set For The Ravinia Festival's 2024 Summer Lineup

The Ravinia Festival has revealed its complete 2024 summer lineup, offering 60 artist debuts and more than 100 concerts ranging from rock/pop, R&B, classical, jazz, and country, to movies with live orchestra, dance performances, Fiesta Ravinia, and more. Summer 2024 also features the annual six-week summer residency by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) with Chief Conductor Marin Alsop and a range of classical offerings from solo recitals and chamber music to semi-staged opera and dance.

Among this year's Broadway names taking the stage at The Ravinia Festival are Ben Platt, Jessie Mueller, Norm Lewis, Michael Feinstein, and more!

Tickets for all 2024 events are set to go on sale to the general public April 24, with member pre-sales beginning March 19.

Check out the full lineup below!

BREAKING BARRIERS FESTIVAL

Ravinia launched its annual Breaking Barriers Festival in 2022 to spotlight and celebrate women in classical music, particularly in areas where they are radically underrepresented, such as conducting and composing. Marin Alsop curated the inaugural festival, which focused on women conductors, having observed that “it may still be easier for a woman to lead a G7 nation or rise to the rank of four-star general than become the music director of a major American orchestra.”

This summer, Breaking Barriers 2024 focuses on women leaders in music and space. The festival, which takes place July 26–27, features a Pavilion concert, panel discussions, a composer workshop, and more, presented in collaboration with The Chicago Network (TCN), New Music USA, and the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship. Alongside Alsop, the guest leaders include Vanessa Reed, President & CEO of New Music USA, Michelle Larson, President & CEO of Adler Planetarium, Vicky Kalogera, D.I. Linzer Distinguished University Professor in Physics and Astronomy and CIERA Director at Northwestern University, as well as NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott and composer Augusta Read Thomas, among others.

The centerpiece of the festival weekend is a CSO concert on Friday, July 26, with repertoire inspired by astronomy and led by Alsop. The program will feature The Planets by Gustav Holst with the Apollo Chorus of Chicago, as well as a symphonic-suite edition of The Moons Symphony by Amanda Lee Falkenberg, accompanied by visual effects.

In addition, Ravinia is pleased to host the annual conference for the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship (TACF) alumni during the Breaking Barriers weekend, offering the awardees the opportunity to experience not only rehearsals and concerts, but a dedicated program of masterclasses, workshops, coachings, networking opportunities, and panel discussions. For the last 20 years, TACF laureates have received intensive coaching, mentorship, and financial support to deepen their skills and broaden opportunities on the podiums of the world.

CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The CSO’s annual six-week residency—July 12 through August 18 this season—features three weeks of programs led by Alsop and three weeks with distinguished guest conductors.

• July 12 – The CSO opens its 88th summer season at Ravinia with Alsop and two featured soloists, soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha* and pianist Michelle Cann.* In an evening of American music, the orchestra opens with Aaron Copland’s beloved classic Appalachian Spring followed by James P. Johnson’s Charleston, highlighting this early jazz piano leader’s influence and the iconic dance of the same name. Rangwanasha is in the spotlight for Samuel Barber’s evocative portrait of a small boy in the American South, Knoxville: Summer of 1915. The program wraps with a celebration of the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, with Cann at the keyboard making her CSO debut.

• July 13 – South African cellist-composer Abel Selaocoe* joins Alsop and debuts with the CSO performing his Four Spirits, which “takes the concerto format to thrillingly unprecedented places” (Bachtrack). Themes of ancestral wisdom, faith, and community permeate the program, as the piece is put in perspective alongside Ludwig van Beethoven’s monumental Fifth Symphony and its distinct explorations of fate.

• July 19 – Conductor Ted Sperling joins the CSO with special guest vocalists to celebrate two iconic pop songwriters, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon.

• July 20 – Alsop and the CSO take the stage for Gustav Mahler’s final major work for orchestra, Symphony No. 9. Voted as the greatest symphony of all-time in BBC Music Magazine, the evening-long work has beguiled audiences since its 1912 premiere by Bruno Walter and the Vienna Philharmonic.

• July 21 – Winner of the gold medal at the International Chopin Competition and recipient of many esteemed prizes, Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino* reunites with Alsop and makes his Ravinia and CSO debuts performing Fryderyk Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1. In the second half of the program, Alsop explores symphonic storytelling during the turn of the 19th century, leading the CSO in Richard Strauss’s tone poem Don Juan and Maurice Ravel’s choreographic symphony Daphnis et Chloé (Suite No. 2).

• July 25 – Mendelssohn's hit violin concerto, played by Augustin Hadelich^, is in the spotlight as Alsop leads the CSO. Also featured on the program are Bernstein’s joyous Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Stravinsky's timeless Firebird Suite. Conductor Alena Hron*, the 2024–26 Taki Alsop Fellow, guests on the podium to lead Geroge Walker’s Icarus in Orbit.

• July 26 – The centerpiece of Breaking Barriers 2024 is a space-themed concert complete with visuals and introductions by NASA specialists. Alsop conducts the orchestra in Holst’s The Planets, followed by a suite from Falkenberg’s The Moons Symphony. Audiences will see science come alive and hear from planetary scientists, including Astronaut Nicole Stott together with the composer, as they discuss how Falkenberg’s symphony offers new perspectives for humanity to contemplate our home in the cosmos.

• July 28 – Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship alum Carolyn Kuan* leads this year’s Tchaikovsky Spectacular, complete with Ravinia’s signature cannons in the 1812 Overture. Making her CSO debut, she opens the program with the complete music from the first act of The Nutcracker. Desirée Ruhstrat also makes her CSO debut as the soloist for the cherished Violin Concerto.

• August 2 – Conductor Valentina Peleggi, another TACF alum, returns to Ravinia and the CSO, following a guest appearance during last summer’s Breaking Barriers Festival, to join with esteemed pianist Jorge Federico Osorio on Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto. Peleggi will also lead Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini and Respighi’s Pines of Rome.

• August 4 – Music director, conductor, and arranger Kevin Stites explores the music of legendary performer and film composer Henry Mancini for the annual Gala Benefit Evening. Curated and hosted by actor Rob Lindley, “Mancini at 100: The Music of Henry Mancini, from the big screen, to the small screen, to the stage and beyond” features Broadway vocalists Jessie Mueller* (Waitress, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Norm Lewis* (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables), and Karen Mason* (Sunset Boulevard), with all three making their Ravinia and CSO debuts.

• August 9 & 11 – The CSO delves into operatic repertory as a semi-staging of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Idomeneo is conducted by Los Angeles Opera (and former Ravinia) Music Director James Conlon in the Martin Theatre. The work, set in Crete in 1200 BCE and telling a story from the Trojan War, shines light on a talented group of singers. Starring are tenor Matthew Polenzani as Greek king Idomeneo, mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey* as Idamante, soprano Andrea Carroll* as princess Ilia, and soprano Alexandria Shiner* as princess Elettra.

• August 10 – Conlon will lead an all-Mozart program with the CSO in the festival’s Pavilion between the opera performances. The program will feature both of the composer’s G-minor symphonies—the “little” No. 25, K. 183, and the “great” No. 40, K. 550—along with the Violin Concerto No. 5, welcoming James Ehnes as soloist on the violin.

• August 18 – Conductor Jonathan Rush, a frequent Ravinia guest in recent seasons and former assistant to Alsop, returns to the CSO podium. Chicago native Rachel Barton Pine takes the stage with Rush and the orchestra as the soloist for José White Lafitte’s Violin Concerto and Niccolò Paganini’s La Campanella.

NATIONAL SEMINARIO RAVINIA: ORCHESTRAS FOR ALL

Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play education programs serve more than 20,000 young people across the Chicago area each year. Reach Teach Play’s many offerings provide children and families in underserved areas of Cook and Lake Counties with music education and live music performances in their schools, communities, and at Ravinia through a portfolio of high-quality and inclusive programs, including Sistema Ravinia. This transformational orchestral program fosters social development year-round through daily ensemble and orchestral training for 4th–12th-grade students in Chicago and Lake County public schools.

This summer, under the leadership of Chief Conductor Marin Alsop, Ravinia will host the second National Seminario Ravinia: Orchestras For All, a gathering of more than 100 students from El Sistema–inspired organizations in 18 states, Canada, Mexico, Greece, and Sweden, including Sistema Ravinia. Participating students will experience four days of orchestral training and mentorship from members of the National Seminario Ravinia’s Orchestra Partner, the National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F).

The Seminario, which takes place July 7–11, culminates in a free, public, side-by-side Pavilion concert with NOI+F on July 10. NOI+F musicians will perform multiple pieces with Seminario students as well as a major orchestral work on their own, conducted by Alsop and Lead Seminario Conductor Jessica Altarriba, a 2024–26 Taki Alsop Award recipient. In addition, Ravinia will provide an opportunity for the Seminario chaperones to engage in creative music-making workshops led by Seminario partner El Sistema USA.

Visit the website to learn more about Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play programs. Visit the National Seminario Ravinia page for more information about the July 10 performance.

RECITALS, CHAMBER MUSIC, and GUEST ORCHESTRAS

A wide array of classical music beyond the symphonic repertoire is offered this summer, from recitals to chamber music and uniquely curated presentations in the Martin Theatre, Bennett Gordon Hall, and the Pavilion.

• Kronos Quartet celebrates its 50th anniversary with a program of recent commissions and pieces from the Kronos Fifty for the Future project. – June 13; Martin Theatre

• Jonathan Biss, piano, surrounds a new piece by MacArthur Fellow Tyshawn Sorey with beloved works by Franz Schubert. – June 20; Martin Theatre

• The Knights and Aaron Diehl Trio perform Mary Lou Williams’s Zodiac Suite, and the orchestra interprets Louise Farrenc’s Finale-Allegro from Symphony No. 3 in G minor and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”). – June 29; Martin Theatre

• Chamber orchestra A Far Cry returns with Kinan Azmeh, clarinet, and Dinuk Wijeratne*, piano. The performance will feature music by Kareem Roustom and Leoš Janáček, as well as by the two soloists. – July 2; Martin Theatre

• The King’s Singers will perform Northern Lights featuring Norse and Celtic folksongs, music by Grieg and Sibelius, and more. – July 3; Martin Theatre

• Ravinia Steans Music Institute faculty Midori and Mihaela Martin, violin; Kim Kashkashian, viola; Frans Helmerson and Clive Greensmith, cello; and Marc-André Hamelin, piano, take the stage for music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Timo Andres, Carlos Simon, and Robert Schumann. – July 6; Martin Theatre

• Takács Quartet performs music by Dvořák and Ravel alongside the Ravinia premiere of Nokuthula Ngwenyama’s Flow. – July 17; Martin Theatre

• Miloš Karadaglić, guitar, and the Viano String Quartet^ explore themes of migration, identity, and belonging with music by Vivaldi, Glass, Lena Frank, Piazzola, The Beatles, and more. – July 18; Martin Theatre

• Karen Slack^, soprano, joins Kevin miller*, piano, for African Queens, a new project celebrating the history and legacy of seven acclaimed African queens who were revered as rulers and warriors. – August 1; Martin Theatre

• Conductor Gustavo Dudamel leads the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela* in John Adams’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Alberto Ginastera’s Dances from Estancia, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, and Antonio Estévez's Mediodía en el llano (Midday on the Plain). – August 6; Pavilion

• Matthias Goerne, baritone, returns to Ravinia with Anton Mejias*, piano, for an evening of Schubert songs. – August 13; Martin Theatre

• Apollo’s Fire returns to Ravinia with artistic director, conductor, and harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell for their curated program Vivaldi's Four Seasons Rediscovered. The group presents Vivaldi’s revolutionary acts of musical storytelling, bringing his pictorial descriptions to life. – August 15; Martin Theatre

• Matthew Polenzani, tenor, and Kevin Murphy, piano – August 20; Martin Theatre

• Stella Chen^, violin, and Matthew Lipman^, viola, join Brannon Cho*, cello, for an afternoon of string trios by Beethoven, Klein, and Mozart. – August 25; Bennett Gordon Hall

• Third Coast Percussion*, reconnect with Sérgio Assad, guitar, and Clarice Assad*, multi-instrumentalist, for their Archetypes program, which features 12 musical portraits of character types that appear in stories throughout the world. – August 27; Martin Theatre

• Zlatomir Fung^, cello, and Dina Vainshtein, piano, join together for a program of chamber music. – August 28; Bennett Gordon Hall

• David Kaplan^, piano, presents Quasi una fantasia, with works by composers as varied as György Ligeti, Christopher Cerrone, Kaija Saariaho, and Johannes Brahms in addition to the two famed Beethoven sonatas in the fantasy style. – September 1; Bennett Gordon Hall

• Yevgeny Kutik, violin, and Renana Gutman^, piano, perform selections from Kutik’s Music from the Suitcase as well as Mendelssohn’s F-major sonata, Bloch’s Baal Shem, Milhaud’s The Ox on the Roof, and more – September 5; Bennett Gordon Hall

• Music of the Baroque, led by Dame Jane Glover, conductor, and Anthony McGill, clarinet, present music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and George Frideric Handel. – September 10; Martin Theatre

• Aznavoorian Duo, comprising sisters Ani Aznavoorian^, cello, and Lincoln Trio’s Marta Aznavoorian, piano, perform selections from their 2022 debut album, Gems from Armenia, and works by American composers – September 12; Bennett Gordon Hall

FAMILY AND FILM

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

• Divi Roxx Kids*, June 15; Carousel Stage

• Birdman 10th Anniversary: The complete film is shown while its solo jazz percussion score is performed live by composer Antonio Sánchez. – June 26; Martin Theatre

• Elena Moon Park & Friends* – July 20; Martin Theatre

• Chicago Philharmonic performs Dan Brown’s Wild Symphony – July 27; Bennett Gordon Hall

• Laurie Berkner – August 3, two performances

• The Princess Bride, complete film with live score performed by the CSO – August 16

• Disney and Pixar’s Up, complete film with live score performed by the CSO, led by conductor Anthony Parnther* – August 17

• Fyütch* – August 31; Bennett Gordon Hall

• Big Drum / Small World* – September 7; Bennett Gordon Hall

JAZZ, BLUES, FOLK, GOSPEL, and AMERICAN SONGBOOK

Ravinia continues to lead the way with its signature mix of programming across a wide array of genres, with an expanded set of offerings at the Carousel, both as opening acts and stand-alone events. All performances take place in the Pavilion except when noted.

• Jazz in June: Battle of the Big Bands featuring Adonis Rose & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra* and Orrin Evans & the Captain Black Big Band*, with special guests Kurt Elling and Rufus Reid, plus Ravinia Steans Music Institute Jazz Fellows. The student and professional musicians of the Ravinia Jazz Mentor Program, one of the Reach Teach Play programs, open the night on the Carousel Stage. – June 16

• Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with Big Boi* and Danielle Ponder* – June 19

• Because of You starring Michael Feinstein and the Carnegie Hall Big Band in A Tribute to the Legendary Tony Bennett– June 23

• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper* – June 27; Carousel Stage

• Norah Jones and very special guest Mavis Staples – July 14

• Victor Wooten & the Wooten Brothers – August 7; Carousel Stage

• Samara Joy* – August 25

GLOBAL MUSIC and LATIN

All performances take place in the Pavilion except when noted.

• Little Feat and Los Lobos on the Can’t Be Satisfied Tour – June 22

• The Reset: An Immersive Sound Experience with Davin Youngs* – July 11; Carousel Stage

• Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes and Choco Orta with Caribe Project*, July 31

• Conductor Gustavo Dudamel leads the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela* in two works by South American composers –Alberto Ginastera’s Dances from Estancia and Antonio Estévez’s Mediodía en el llano (Midday on the Plain)-- among other pieces on the program. – August 6

• Eighth annual Fiesta Ravinia, with Julieta Venegas* and La Santa Cecilia* featured for the main-stage performance of the day – September 15 

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

All performances take place in the Pavilion except when noted.

• The Flock featuring Jerry Goodman* – June 7; Carousel Stage

• James Taylor & His All-Star Band – June 8 and 9

• Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and JD McPherson* on the Can’t Let Go Tour – June 12

• Hauser* on his Rebel with a Cello tour – June 14

• Michael Franti & Spearhead, Trevor Hall*, and Bombargo* on The Togetherness Tour – June 15

• Violent Femmes* play their debut album in its entirety with Chicago Philharmonic and conductor Stuart Chafetz* – June 21

• Ben Platt* – June 28

• Roger Daltrey and KT Tunstall* – June 29

• Lyle Lovett & His Large Band and Clint Black – June 30

• The Music of ABBA with Arrival From Sweden – July 5

• Daryl Hall and Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton – July 6

• The Beach Boys with special guest John Stamos – July 7

• Norah Jones with very special guest Mavis Staples – July 14

• Killer Queen: Tribute to Queen featuring Patrick Myers* as Freddie Mercury – July 27

• Angélique Kidjo and Meshell Ndegeocello* – August 8

• Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge – August 11

• Robert Glasper* and J. Ivy* – August 14

• Gaelic Storm* and The High Kings* – August 22

• O.A.R., Fitz & the Tantrums, and DJ Logic* – August 23

• The Roots, Digable Planets*, and Arrested Development* – August 24

• ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd on The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour – August 29

• Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit and Alejandro Escovedo – September 8

• Crowded House* – September 11

• Queen! featuring resident DJs Derrick Carter, Michael Serafini, and Garrett David, hosts Lucy Stoole and Nico, and special guests – September 14; Carousel Stage

DANCE

This season Ravinia celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Ruth Page Festival of Dance, presented annually in partnership with The Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago.

• Ruth Page Professional Dance & Friends, artistic director of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Jumaane Taylor, and Moonwater Dance Project* present a program that highlights two commissioned contemporary works from Mexican choreographers—Apophonia by Adrián Marcelo Sáenz and La Tierra de Canela y Maiz (The Land of Cinnamon and Corn) by Francisco Aviña. – June 20 & 22; Bennett Gordon Hall

• Joffrey Ballet performs the world premiere of choreography by Houston Thomas on music by the late Ramsey Lewis, as well as Cathay Marston’s Heimat and Nicolas Blanc’s Under the Trees’ Voices. – September 13; Pavilion

• Joffrey Ballet presents Rita Finds Home, a performance choreographed by Amy Hall Garner, based on the children’s book by author Karla Estela Rivera and author and illustrator Elisa Chavarri. September 14; Pavilion

FALL PERFORMANCES

Performances in October and November are also being announced and put on sale alongside the summer season. Additional performances in Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 will be announced at a later date.

• Shelly Berg Trio* – October 26; Bennett Gordon Hall

• Alexander Hersh^, cello, Victor Santiago Asunción, piano, present Beyond Borders, with works by Debussy, Wiancko, Britten, Schumann, Say, and Sollima. – November 2; Bennett Gordon Hall

• PROJECT Trio* – November 9; Bennett Gordon Hall

• Ryan Townsend Strand*, tenor, and Karina Kontorovitch*, piano, present Letters to Jackie, a newly conceived song cycle based on the letters sent to Jacqueline Kennedy by the American people following the assassination of her husband, the 15 settings in Letters to Jackie represent the collective grief of a nation and the power of community and healing in a time of great tragedy. – November 16; Bennett Gordon Hall

THE RAVINIA STEANS MUSIC INSTITUTE (RSMI)

The Ravinia Steans Music Institute (RSMI) is an international artist development program for young professional classical pianists and string players, classical singers, and jazz musicians, all of whom are devoted to uniquely honing and advancing their talents as collaborative artists. Since opening its doors, RSMI has offered coachings, masterclasses, and performance opportunities to over 1,600 exceptional musicians, many of whom have cultivated highly visible and successful careers in performance, artistic leadership, and music education.

This summer marks esteemed violinist Midori’s first summer as Artistic Director of RSMI’s Piano & Strings Program. Midori succeeds acclaimed violinist Miriam Fried, who had held that position since 1994, following the tenures of the late Robert Mann (1988) and Walter Levin (1989–93).

About her appointment, Midori said, “I am very much looking forward to being involved in RSMI in this new capacity. Working with young musicians has been central to my career, and this program is one of the most important of its kind in the music field.”

RSMI musicians perform roughly two dozen programs during the summer season on their home stage, the purpose-built Bennett Gordon Hall. All concerts are open to the public and are a mix of free and ticketed events. Most performances are also live-streamed or later uploaded to Ravinia’s YouTube channel.

Bridges Competition: Now in its sixth year, Ravinia’s 2024 Bridges Composition Competition performances spotlight its winners, who merge the genres of jazz and classical chamber music in their new works. The June 11 program will feature the world premieres of the three winning entries: Boxes in the Attic by Emiliano Lasaksy, Mirror, Floating on the Water by Zhengtao Pan, and 8UY1N9 by Jason Mountario. The winning pieces are premiered by an ensemble mainly comprising RSMI alumni.

Jazz Grandstand: Musicians from RSMI’s Program for Jazz showcase their talents in an evening of original charts on June 18, all composed and workshopped during their one-week residency at Ravinia, led by faculty members Billy Childs, Rufus Reid, and Steve Wilson.

Piano & Strings Concerts: During their intensive five-week RSMI residency, Piano & Strings fellows will be featured across three masterclasses and ten concerts throughout the summer, including specially curated programs by faculty members and pianists Ricardo Castro and Julian Martin, themed around the music of Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Ravel, respectively. Masterclasses and concerts will be presented in Bennett Gordon Hall on July 3, 5, 7, 11–14, 16, 19–21, and 23–24; all events will be live-streamed, except the curated July 13 and 23 concerts.

Vocal Concerts: The three-week residency of fellows in the Program for Singers offers masterclasses and six performances spotlighting the breadth of vocal song repertoire. Highlights include August 17’s Mentor In Torment: The Complicated Friendship of Franz Schubert and Johann Mayrhofer, a program curated and hosted by art song scholar Graham Johnson that showcases the fruitful influence that Mayrhofer’s knowledge and guidance had on Schubert’s development; August 10’s Songs For Ode to Joy, a program curated by dramaturg and RSMI faculty member Cori Ellison that explores the iconic piece's timeless credo from its ancient roots to contemporary paradigms; and an August 24 concert of American Songbook classics, curated by Ravinia Jazz Advisor Kurt Elling. Masterclasses and concerts will be presented in Bennett Gordon Hall on August 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 21, and 24; all events will be live-streamed except the curated August 10, 17, and 24 concerts.

To post a comment, you must register and login.