Chance the Rapper, Brandi Carlile, CSO set to perform this summer at Ravinia
Chance the Rapper, Hugh Jackman, Lizzo, Ricky Martin, Klaus Mäkelä and Kool & the Gang are among the artists making their Ravinia Festival debuts this summer.
Joining them in Highland Park are veterans Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Kurt Elling, St. Vincent and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which celebrates the 90th anniversary of its residency.
The CSO inaugurates the redesigned Hunter Pavilion July 11 with a grand reopening concert, the first of six programs conducted by Marin Alsop, featuring pianist Yunchan Lim playing Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. The concert also features Lizzo, the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter who is also an accomplished flutist.
Other highlights includes the Midwest premiere of Carlos Simon’s “Good News Mass” (July 31), a semi-staged production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “The Abduction From the Seraglio” conducted by James Conlon and the Ravinia debut of incoming CSO music director Mäkelä conducting Richard Strauss’ “An Alpine Symphony” (Aug. 6) and Igor Stravinsky’s “The Firebird” and Claude Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” (Aug. 7).
Pianist Emanuel Ax celebrates the 50th anniversary of his CSO debut Aug. 1, joining the CSO for the Midwest premiere of John Williams’ piano concerto inspired by jazz titans Art Tatum, Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson.
Ravinia’s mini jazz festival runs June 3-7 and features Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane, Stella Cole and Kurt Elling with Fred Hersch.
Pop, rock, hip-hop, Latin and country musicians scheduled to perform include: Billy Idol (July 12), Paul Simon (July 17-18), Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band (July 28), Chance the Rapper (Aug. 8), Ricky Martin (Aug. 20), Bonnie Raitt (Aug. 22), Brandi Carlile (Aug. 26), Kool & the Gang (Aug. 27), Miranda Lambert (Aug. 30), Rod Stewart with Richard Marx (Sept. 5), Alison Krauss & Union Station (Sept. 12) and Tom Jones (Sept. 18) among others.
Ravinia is located at 200 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park. Tickets are available at the box office, (847) 266-5100 or ravinia.org, where a complete schedule is also available.