Cubs World Series Win Helps You Win Too at Ravinia
For every Chicago Cubs victory in the World Series this year, one of Chicago’s hottest music venues gave away a free lawn pass for two.
The free passes will be good for all Ravinia Festival shows in 2017.
Ravinia Festival announced their plan on Facebook, indicating that anyone who shares the post will be entered in a drawing to win the pass after every Cubs victory in the World Series.
The festival will run from June 2 through September 11 this year and will feature more than 140 performers and special events. Some highlights this year: Paul Simon (June 18), Seth McFarlene (June 22), Patti Labelle and The Commodores (June 23), Bob Dylan and Mavis Staples (June 24), Duran Duran w/ Niles Rodgers and Chic (July 8), Hollywood Vampires (July 17), and Diana Ross (July 27) — just to name a few.
“I’ve been working on getting Bob Dylan back to Ravinia for years,” said Ravinia president and CEO Welz Kauffman in an interview. “When I arrived at Ravinia [in 2001] I had a bucket list of performers I wanted to bring to our stages and he was on it. As were Paul Simon and Diana Ross and Duran Duran. Not really knowing the history of the past 25 years or so of Ravinia programming when I arrived, I suppose I would say it had been a little monochromatic. I knew I wanted to make my mark on the programming. I had a list — names like Dylan and Paul Simon, and Don Henley, Sting, Wyclef Jean and so many others. One by one I started crossing them off. This year, a few more definitely came off that list.”
This season marks the return of former Ravinia music director James Levine, back after a 20-year absence, to conduct Mahler’s Second Symphony (July 23), just as he did when he debuted it at Ravinia 45 years ago. Eight conductors will make their Ravinia debuts this summer, and four of those will mark their CSO debuts, including Kirill Karabits, Gustavo Gimeno, George Hanson and Ben Gernon.
Ravinia, North America’s oldest music festival, stands today as its most musically diverse, presenting over 140 different events throughout the summer. These concerts run the gamut from Yo-Yo Ma to John Legend to the annual summer residency of the nation’s finest orchestra, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
The 36-acre park is nestled in a gently wooded area that makes it an enchanting place to experience music. Guests can bring their own picnics or eat at one of the park restaurants. Children up to age 15, high school and college students are admitted free to the lawn for classical performances.
As a nonprofit organization, community outreach and music education initiatives are Ravinia’s mission. Over 75,000 people are served through Ravinia’s Reach*Teach*Play programs each year, ensuring that great music remains accessible to all.
Ravinia runs the Steans Music Institute on its grounds. This summer music conservatory awards 60-70 fully paid fellowships each year to the most talented young professional musicians from around the world to work with an esteemed faculty and the headliners who frequent the festival.
Tickets to all events go on sale for Ravinia donors on March 9 and to the general public on April 26. Ravinia is located at 418 Sheridan Road in Highland Park. Lexus of Highland Park is proud to stand with such a cultured tradition in our community!
