The Women’s Board of Ravinia hosted the festival’s 49th annual gala benefit on Aug. 1 in Highland Park. The sold-out, black-tie event featured an all-Tchaikovsky program conducted by maestro James Conlon in his final gala concert after serving for 11 years as musical director for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Residency. The program also featured internationally acclaimed violinist Maxim Vengerov.
Following a reception on the North Lawn, nearly 700 gala guests joined more than 11,000 concertgoers for an 85-minute performance that included excerpts from “Swan Lake,” Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Vengerov and the “1812 Overture,” complete with live cannon fire.
A gala dinner was held on the grounds inside a tent colorfully decorated by Cornelia McNamara Flowers and Parties. The decor featured 200 red Chinese lanterns inspired by a Ravinia program book cover from 1917. McNamara’s designs “brought the park into the tent” and incorporated 5-foot trees intended to create the feeling of dining under a canopy. Fruit displayed on crystal cake plates and moss in birch pots served as centerpieces that evoked an elegant picnic in the park.
Women’s board chair Bobbie Denison welcomed guests and introduced gala co-chairs Elizabeth Karabatsos and Elizabeth Thomas. John Anderson, Ravinia chairman, accompanied by Welz Kauffman, president/CEO, surprised Conlon with the “highest honor that we can offer,” making him a permanent member of the Ravinia family with an appointment as life trustee of the festival. Guests gave him a standing ovation following a toast in his honor.
A musical surprise in honor of Conlon and his wife, Jennifer, was presented by Kevin Murphy, director of the Steans Music Institute’s Program for Singers. With Kauffman accompanying on piano, a quartet of singers from the program performed a selection of “love songs” from Brahm’s Liebeslieder Waltzes, Opus 52.
More than $1 million was raised to support the not-for-profit Ravinia Festival and its Reach*Teach*Play education programs that reach 75,000 people each year.
Kauffman summed up the evening, “Great music played brilliantly on a beautiful summer night … all for a good cause supporting the festival’s work in underserved schools throughout Chicagoland and now in Lake County. We’re thrilled with our TchaikovskyPalooza!”
Freelance writer Candace Jordan is involved with many local organizations, including some whose events she covers.
More coverage
Find more photos and events at www.chicagotribune.com/candidcandace
More Top Picks How Long Does Vision Therapy Take To Show Results
.Visit Candid Candace’s website at www.candidcandace.com.