Live Music Returns To Ravinia In July

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Live music is returning to Ravinia Park this summer, with plans for in-person performances of popular, classical and chamber music starting in July.

All concerts are scheduled to take place in the outdoor pavilion, with reserved, socially distanced seating on the lawn, Ravinia Festival Association officials said Tuesday in a release. There will also be a reduced number of performers on stage to allow for an increased distance between them.

Organizers have arranged with Northwestern Medicine to provide consulting to reduce potential health risks to artists, audience members, staff and the wider community, according to the release.

The full 2021 Ravinia concert schedule is due to be announced in late April, along with additional details about health and audience safety protocols. A spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry regarding whether proof of a COVID-19 vaccine or negative test result might be required for attendance.

Once thing is for sure: the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will return to Ravinia for its traditional six-week residency, according to festival officials. Seven concerts will be led by conductor Marin Alsop in her first season as the chief conductor and curator of the Ravinia Festival.

“After such a challenging year for performing artists worldwide," Alsop said, "I am truly excited to work once again with the marvelous Chicago Symphony Orchestra in their beautiful summer home at Ravinia."

Jeff Haydon, first-year president and CEO of Ravinia Festival Association, was quoted saying music is an essential part of recovering from the past year — personally, economically and artistically.

"Our 36 acres of outdoor space provide the perfect setting for a healthy and inspiring experience for all of our guests," Haydon said. "The experience will be a little different than in the past, but our science-based approach to carefully reopening the park puts safeguards in place so that audiences can again enjoy live performances.”

Related:
Ravinia Festival Cancels 2020 Season Due To Coronavirus
Ravinia Festival To Launch Series Of Weekly Online Videos
Ravinia TV Season Finale To Air Online

Ravinia Festival Association canceled last year's season on May 1, 2020, just as the first wave of coronavirus cases in Illinois hit their spring peak.

It was the first time the 117-year-old music festival — the oldest in the United States — had cancelled its season since the Great Depression.

“The crisis created by the Covid pandemic has impacted so much of our lives in dramatic ways. Ravinia will do its part in helping the nation recover,” Ravinia Festival Association Board Chairman Don Civgin said last year, “and we will celebrate that recovery with music under the stars next summer.”

Instead of a live season, the association produced a webcast called RaviniaTV on its YouTube channel, which featured interviews, features, archived performances and more.

Earlier this week, city officials in Chicago announced some fans would return to Major League Baseball games, and staff are preparing for possible outdoor festivals.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to announce a new reopening framework for the state later this week in light of increased vaccine availability.