Like musicians who spend hours rehearsing before presenting a polished concert, Ravinia Festival has spent several years perfecting its classical music series.
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Today it’s working better than ever, giving music lovers an opportunity to hear classical music outside of the Ravinia Festival summers series, according to Welz Kauffman, president and CEO of Ravinia Festival.
“The series has had a couple of different incarnations,” Kauffman said. “This (current series) is the most successful.”
On select Saturdays from October through April, music lovers can enjoy soloists and small ensembles in an intimate setting in a 450-seat, weatherproof, sound proof theater built in 1988 on the Ravinia Festival grounds.
“The real trick was to move the concerts to Saturday nights — they had been on Fridays and we tried Sunday matinees,” Kauffman said.
“Most importantly, we dropped the ticket price. For the price of a movie ticket, you get to hear professional artists — maybe some you’ve never heard of,” or not heard as a soloist, he said.
For example, Robert Chen, concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, will perform solos Jan. 13 with a piano accompanist. It’s the first time he’s done such a concert since 2000, and he asked Ravinia Festival if he could perform at the Gordon Hall concert series this season, Kauffman said. Gordon Hall has a balcony where people with children can go upstairs if they want.
For $50, participants can attend the concert as well as have a three-course meal at 6:30 p.m. in the hall’s dining room. The meal is under the management of Carlos Nieto, former owner of one of the Chicago area’s top restaurants, Carlos’ in Highland Park, he said.
The concerts are eclectic, a wonderful variety,” Kaffuman said. “We have jazz, blue grass country artists. We also focus on our Ravinia Steans Music Institute — our piano, strings, vocal and jazz programs.”
Vocalists from the institute will perform music of Leonard Bernstein on Jan. 27. Pianists and string players from the institute will perform April 14.
Fifth House Ensemble, “is a marvelous, young contemporary music ensemble – that not only does great shows, but also marvelous education work,” will perform March 10, Kauffman said. “The group uses multimedia in its performance and it’s an ensemble people have asked for over and over again.”
The 10-piece ensemble of strings and winds will perform with guitarist Dan Visconti musical styles including medieval, blues, Latin dance and jazz. WindSync, a quintet consisting of flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet and French horn, will debut at Ravinia Festival April 28 to complete the classic series.
Here’s a list of the remaining winter classic series concerts:
Jan. 13: Robert Chen, CSO concertmaster in recital with Benjamin Loeb on Piano
Jan. 27: Ravinia Steans Music Institute Vocal Concert
March 3: Pianist Michael Lewin
March 10: Fifth House Ensemble
March 24: Vocalist Jeanine de Bique
April 7: Chicago Harp Quartet
April 14: Ravinia Steans Music Institute Piano and Strings Concert
April 21: Jazz Mentors and Scholars: A Tribute to Willie Pickens
April 28: WindSync
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
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Bennet Gordon Hall Classic Series
When: 8:30 p.m. Saturdays, Jan. 13- April
Where: Ravinia Festival, Highland Park
Tickets: $11 for concert: $50 for dinner and concert
Information: 847-266-5100; ravinia.org