Ravinia Festival's 'Rising Stars Series' Continues Thru November with Luca Pisaroni & Elena Urioste

Ravinia Festival's 2009-2010 Rising Stars series continues at 8 p.m. on Nov. 6 with bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, who has performed internationally at the Metropolitian Opera in New York, Teatro Real in Madrid, Carnegie Hall in New York and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris.

His program which includes works by Schubert, Rossini, Meyerbeer and Liszt, features pianist Vlad Iftinca. Hailing from Verdi's hometown of Busseto (Parma), Luca Pisaroni regularly performs with leading opera companies in Europe and North America in addition to performing concerts at festivals such as Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under conductor James Levine.

Winner of the Eberhard Wächter Medal as "newcomer of the season" by the Vienna State Opera, Pisaroni has performed operatic roles at the Salzburg Festival, Aix-en-Provence Festival and Opera Bastille.

Violinist Elena Urioste, featured in the Emmy Award-winning documentary Breaking the Sound Barrier, performs at Ravinia at 8 p.m. on Nov. 13. Her program includes Schubert's Rondo brilliant in B Minor, D. 895; R. Strauss's Sonata in E-Flat Major, Op. 18; Prokofiev's Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor; and Hubay's Carmen Fantasie and features pianist Jonathan Coombs.

A recent recipient of the London Music Masters Award and selected by Symphony magazine as "an emerging artist to watch," Urioste has been hailed by critics and audiences alike for her rich tone, the nuanced lyricism of her playing, and her commanding stage presence. Since making her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 13 as winner of the Greenfield Competition, she has appeared as soloist with major orchestras throughout the United States including the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New Mexico and San Antonio symphony orchestras.

Designed to provide gifted young musicians with the opportunity to refine their performing skills, the Rising Stars series encourages audiences to experience and support new talent while presenting musicians with the chance to perform before discerning audiences in an intimate setting. Back by popular demand, select concert/dining packages will be offered at a speciAl Price of $45 on Nov. 6, March 5, March 26, April 9, April 30 and May 7. Dinners will begin at 6 p.m. in Ravinia's Park View ® restaurant in the festival's Dining Pavilion. Patrons will also receive a $10 gift certificate redeemable at Ravinia Gifts if they purchase all seven concert/dining packages.

The festival is dedicated to developing the full potential of emerging artists, beginning with their performances on the Rising Stars series and, ultimately, their Chicago Symphony Orchestra debut on the pavilion stage during the festival's summer season. Rising Stars concerts have introduced Ravinia patrons to such major artists as pianists Jonathan Biss and Lang Lang and violinist Pamela Frank. Held in Ravinia's acoustically splendid Bennett • Gordon Hall, Ravinia's Rising Stars series gives audiences an intimate introduction to the superstars of tomorrow.

In addition to their Rising Stars performances, each artist will also perform in free concerts for students through Ravinia's Education and Community Partnerships Programs throughout Chicagoland. These performing opportunities give students a chance to make an intimate connection not only to the young artist, but also to classical music. Ravinia's education programs make music accessible to thousands of children K-12 in Chicago and the north suburbs, teaming working musicians with teachers to put music back into the public schools.
 
The spring series continues with pianist Tanya Bannister, winner of awards at the Concert Artists Guild International Competition and New Orleans International Piano Competition and one of Symphony magazine's 2007 "Artists to Watch," on March 5; pianist Ilya Yakushev, student of Vladimir Feltsman and gold-medal-winner of the 2005 World Piano Competition, on March 12; Curtis on Tour, a group of artists who have studied at the Curtis Institute of Music alongside celebrated alumni and faculty, on March 26; Artists from Ravinia's Steans Institute, a touring group of musicians who have attended the festival's prestigious institute with the finest teachers, on April 9; Evgeni Bozhanov, finalist at the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, on April 16; violinist Dan Zhu, praised by Strad magazine for being "an artist of affecting humility and beautiful tone production," on April 23; the Lincoln Trio, the ensemble-in-residence at the Music Institute of Chicago that toured Illinois as part of Ravinia's celebration of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial this past spring, on April 30; and cabaret artist Claudia Hommel, known for her concerts celebrating Paris through French and American song, on May 7.

For more information, visit www.ravinia.org.

Ravinia Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of The Albert Pick, Jr. Fund and The Bruning Foundation for their generous participation as sponsors of the Rising Stars series.
All but one of the Rising Stars concerts are held on Fridays and begin at 8 p.m. in Bennett • Gordon Hall, Ravinia's acoustically perfect indoor 450-seat recitAl Hall. The May 7 concert will take place in the National City Bank Private Dining located on the second floor of Ravinia's Dining Pavilion at 8 p.m.

Bennett • Gordon Hall is located in the John D. Harza building on the Ravinia Festival grounds at 201 St. Johns Ave. in Highland Park. Tickets for Rising Stars concerts are $20, with a 20 percent discount on orders for tickets to four or more concerts. For information or to order tickets with a major credit card, please call the Ravinia box office at (847) 266-5100 or visit www.ravinia.org. Ravinia welcomes all festival fans to follow, connect and interact online at backstage.ravinia.org, twitter.com/raviniafestival, myspace.com/raviniafestival and facebook.com (search Ravinia Festival). Ravinia Gifts will also be open on select Rising Stars concert nights. Ravinia Festival is a not-for-profit organization.

The performance schedule is as follows:

Friday, November 6, 8 p.m. - Bennett • Gordon Hall
Luca Pisaroni, Bass-baritone
Vlad Iftinca, Piano
Schubert: Il Traditore deluso, D. 902, No. 2
Pensa che questo istante, D. 76
Il modo di prender moglie, D. 902, No. 3
L'incanto degli occhi, D. 902, No. 1
Rossini: "La promessa, No. 1" from Les soirées musicales
"L'ultimo Ricordo, No. 4" from Péchésde vieillesse, Vol. 1
Les soirées musicales No. 4, "Orgia"
Meyerbeer: Sie und ich
Der Garten des Herzens
Die Rosenblätter
Die Rose, die Lilie, die Taube from Drei Deutsche Lieder
Hor' ich das Liedchen klingen
Komm!
Scirocco
Lied des venezianischen Gondoliers
Menschenfeindlich
Liszt: Im Rhein im schönen Strome, S. 272
Es muß ein wunderbares sein, S. 314
Es rauschen die winde, S. 294
O lieb', S. 298
Die Vaetergruft, S. 281
Tre sonetti di Petrarca, S. 270
Tickets: $20
Special dining package: $45 for reserved seat and dinner at the Park View® restaurant

Friday, November 13, 8 p.m. - Bennett • Gordon Hall
Elena Urioste, Violin
Jonathan Coombs, Piano
Schubert: Rondo brilliant in B Minor, D. 895
R. Strauss: Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 18
Prokofiev: Violin Sonata No. 1 in F Minor
Hubay: Carmen Fantasie
Tickets: $20
Special dining package: $45 for reserved seat and dinner at the Park View® restaurant

 

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