Ravinia lineup includes Carrie Underwood, James Taylor

Posted February 27, 2014 4:30 am

By Jamie Sotonoff

Performers ranging from country star Carrie Underwood to opera legend Patricia Racette will take the stage at Ravinia this summer.

The Highland Park outdoor concert venue unveiled its 130-event lineup for this year's season, which runs June 5 through Sept. 14.

Music acts will include James Taylor (June 26-27), Carrie Underwood (Sept. 6-7), Train (Aug. 22-23), John Legend (June 16), Heart (Aug. 3), Crosby, Stills & Nash (July 19), Darius Rucker (June 28), Earth, Wind & Fire (July 3), Sarah McLachlan (July 5), Buddy Guy (Aug. 19), Hall & Oates (June 22), Counting Crows (July 14) and Five for Fighting (Sept. 14).

Pairing for the first time are: Jeff Beck and ZZ Top (Aug. 28); Matt Nathanson and Gavin DeGraw (July 21); OneRepublic and The Script (June 18-19); Rufus Wainwright and Cat Power (June 25); Bebel Gilberto and Chucho ValdÃ©s (July 30); Beach Boys and Temptations (TBA); Toto and Michael McDonald (Aug. 29); Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss (July 12); Bob Weir and RatDog with Dwight Yoakam (Aug. 31); and Howard Jones and Tom Bailey, of the Thompson Twins (Aug. 27).

Other lineup highlights are:

• James Conlon will conduct three operas, including Patricia Racette starring for the first time as “Salome,” one of seven evenings celebrating the 150th birthday Richard Strauss.

• Direct from the hit PBS show “Downton Abbey,” opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa (Aug. 11).

• Itzhak Perlman and Cantor Helfgot will perform the best-selling “Eternal Echoes” (Aug. 18).

• Midori joins Ravinia's Steans Music Institute (RSMI) faculty for two concerts and a master class (July 16).

• The Knights team with Yo-Yo Ma and Dawn Upshaw, who will sing Maria Schneider's jazz-influenced 2014 Grammy-winner “Winter Morning Walks” (Aug. 21).

A full schedule of performers is available at Ravinia.org.

Tickets go on sale to Ravinia members starting March 5, and to the public on April 24.

Prices start at $10 for lawn tickets to classical concerts, with discounts available for students.

Pop music acts are priced higher.

Opera singer Patricia Racette is scheduled to perform at Ravinia on Aug. 2. Photo courtesy of Ravinia

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