Well, it’s that time of year again. It’s time to shake off that chill, shed a layer of long underwear, and start getting outside. That’s right Chicago after another long and cold winter spring is here!
If you’re like me, as the days get longer and the sun graces us with brighter mornings you start remembering all the wonderful things our city has to offer. Bike rides on the lake, dining al fresco at neighborhood cafés, hanging out with friends at local festivals, and most of all Ravinia!
Since 1904, Ravinia has been Chicago’s “sound of summer,” a place where you can have a wonderful time and hear some of the greatest music in the world. It has become a Chicago Tradition to many, with the “Ravinia Experience” sharing time with friends under the Oaks and stars.
This month we wanted to take the “guesswork” out of your musical experience for the summer with our “Chicago Home Partner Recommended Ravinia Concerts”.
| Frankie Valli & The Four Season: | June 12th | 8:00 PM |
| Paul Simon: | June 18th | 8:00 PM |
| Bob Dylan: | June 24th | 7:30 PM |
| Jerry Garcia: | June 26th | 7:30 PM |
| Steve Miller Band: | July 2nd | 7:30 PM |
| Chris Cornell: | July 3rd | 6:30 PM |
| Duran Duran: | July 8th | 7:00 PM |
| Lyle Lovett & Emmylou Harris: | July 18th | 7:00 PM |
| Buddy Guy & Jeff Beck: | July 31st | 7:00 PM |
| Tony Bennett: | August 13th | 8:30 PM |
| BoDeans | June 20th | 7:30 PM |
| Go-Go’s/The B52s: | June 30th | 7:00 PM |
| Anita Baker: | July 13th | 7:30 PM |
| Willie Nelson & Family: | July 14th | 7:00 PM |
| Sheryl Crow: | July 19th | 7:30 PM |
| Steely Dan: | August 1st & 2nd | 7:30 PM |
| Buddy Guy: | August 17th | 7:30 PM |
| Journey: | August 20th & 21st | 7:00 PM |
| Lyle Lovett: | August 23rd | 8:00 PM |
| Alabama: | August 30th | 8:00 PM |
| Concert Dance, Inc. ($10 series) | 6-Jun | 7:30 p.m. |
| Don McLean/Judy Collins | 6-Jun | 7:30 p.m. |
| Concert Dance, Inc. ($10 series) | 7-Jun | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sting: Back to Bass | 7-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| Ko-Thi Dance Company (Kraft Great Kids Concert) | 8-Jun | 11 a.m. |
| Sting: Back to Bass | 8-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| Indigo Girls/Joan Baez | 9-Jun | 7 p.m. |
| Celtic Woman | 12-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| Gary Sinise and The Lt. Dan Band | 13-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| RSMI Jazz Showcase ($10 series) | 14-Jun | 4 p.m. |
| Big-Band tribute to Benny Goodman | 14-Jun | 7:30 p.m. |
| Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Orchestra at Temple Square | 15-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| Jewel | 16-Jun | 7 p.m. |
| Golden Dragon Acrobats from China (Kraft Great Kids Concert) | 17-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| Rachmaninoff Vespers performed by The Singers (off-site) | 18-Jun | 8:30 p.m. |
| Rachmaninoff Vespers performed by The Singers | 19-Jun | 8:30 p.m. |
| BoDeans | 20-Jun | 7:30 p.m. |
| Peter Serkin, Piano/Beethoven’s Six Bagatelles | 21-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor | 22-Jun | 4:45 p.m. |
| Patricia Racette: Diva On Detour | 22-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” Recomposed | 23-Jun | 7 p.m. |
| Zukerman ChamberPlayers/John Sharp, Cello | 24-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings/James Hunter | 25-Jun | 8 p.m. |
| Jackson Browne & special guest Sara Watkins | 26-Jun | 7:30 p.m. |
| Los Lonely Boys/Los Lobos & special guest Alejandro Escovedo | 27-Jun | 7 p.m. |
| Darius Rucker/Rodney Atkins/Jana Kramer | 28-Jun | 7 p.m. |
| Melissa Etheridge Live/Joan Osborne/Paula Cole | 29-Jun | 6:30 p.m. |
| Go-Go’s/The B-52s | 30-Jun | 7 p.m. |
| Matthias Goerne, Baritone/Alexander Schmalcz, Piano Songs By Mahler and Schumann | 1-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Goo Goo Dolls/Matchbox Twenty | 2-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Goo Goo Dolls/Matchbox Twenty | 3-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Bernstein’s Songfest | 4-Jul | 2 p.m. |
| RSMI Anniversary/Miriam Fried, Violin and RMSI Staff | 5-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| David Byrne & St. Vincent | 6-Jul | 7:30 p.m. |
| Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players (Kraft Great Kids Concert) | 7-Jul | 1 p.m. |
| Sarah Chang, Violin: Brahm’s Sonata No. 3 | 7-Jul | 7 p.m. |
| RSMI Piano and String Recital: David Ludwig’s commissioned piano quartet ($10 series) | 8-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Handel’s oratorio Israel in Egypt/Music of the Baroque Orchestra and Chorus | 9-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Juilliard String Quartet: Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 16 | 10-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| CSO/Christoph von Dohnányi/Emanuel Ax, Piano All-Beethoven Program | 11-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Ralph’s World (Kraft Great Kids Concert) | 12-Jul | 1 p.m. |
| CSO/Christoph von Dohnányi/Emanuel Ax, Piano All-Beethoven Program | 12-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Anita Baker | 13-Jul | 7:30 p.m. |
| Tom Chapin and Friends (Kraft Great Kids Concert) | 14-Jul | 1 p.m. |
| Willie Nelson & Family | 14-Jul | 7 p.m. |
| The Return to the U.S. of violinist Maxim Vengerov | 15-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Brooklyn Rider/Midwest premiere of Jacobsen’s musical tour | 16-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| CSO/James Conlon/Maxim Vengerov, Violin | 17-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| CSO/James Conlon/Jorge Federico Osorio, Piano | 18-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Sheryl Crow & special guest Kristen Kelly | 19-Jul | 7:30 p.m. |
| Under the Sun: Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms, Vertical Horizon, Fastball | 20-Jul | 6 p.m. |
| CSO/James Conlon/James Ehnes, Violin | 21-Jul | 5 p.m. |
| Linden String Quartet ($10 series) | 21-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Benjamin Grosvenor, Piano ($10 series) | 22-Jul | 6 p.m. |
| Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson Plays Thick as a Brick I and II | 22-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| CSO/James Conlon: Orchestral Showcase | 24-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| CSO/James Conlon: Mahler’s 7th Symphony | 25-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Brian Wilson/Al Jardine/David Marks | 26-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| CSO/Conlon/Lang Lang, Piano: Gala Benefit Evening | 27-Jul | 7 p.m. |
| CSO/Leon Fleisher: All-Mozart evening | 28-Jul | 5 p.m. |
| Heart & special guest Jason Bonham | 29-Jul | 7:30 p.m. |
| Nicole Cabell/Ricky Ian Gordon: Silver Rain | 30-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| CSO/James Conlon: Wind Soloists: All-Mozart Evening | 31-Jul | 8 p.m. |
| Steely Dan | Aug. 1 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Steely Dan | Aug. 2 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Elgin Youth Symphony (Kraft Great Kids Concert) | Aug. 3 | 11 a.m. |
| CSO/Verdi’s Aida | Aug. 3 | 7:30 p.m. |
| CSO/Tchaikovsky Spectacular: “1812” | Aug. 4 | 5 p.m. |
| RSMI Vocal Recital: Britten and more ($10 series) | Aug. 5 | 8 p.m. |
| Takács String Quartet: Bartók Quartets 1, 3, 5 | Aug. 5 | 8 p.m. |
| Takács String Quartet: Bartók Quartets 2, 4, 6 | Aug. 6 | 8 p.m. |
| CSO/Carlos Miguel Prieto: Boléro and more | Aug. 7 | 8 p.m. |
| CSO/Itzhak Perlman/Alisa Weilerstein, Cello | Aug. 8 | 8 p.m. |
| Josh Groban | Aug. 10 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Gipsy Kings | Aug. 11 | 7 p.m. |
| RSMI 25th Anniversary Celebration ($10 series) | Aug. 12 | 8 p.m. |
| Emerson String Quartet | Aug. 13 | 8 p.m. |
| Narek Hakhnazaryan/Noreen Polera ($10 series) | Aug. 14 | 6 p.m. |
| Vladimir Feltsman: Haydn’s Sonata No. 31 | Aug. 14 | 8 p.m. |
| Lincoln Trio Request Night ($10 series) | Aug. 15 | 6 p.m. |
| CSO/Lord of the Rings–The Two Towers | Aug. 15 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Bryan Wallick, Piano ($10 series) | Aug. 16 | 6 p.m. |
| CSO/Lord of the Rings–The Two Towers | Aug. 16 | 7:30 p.m. |
| The Burning Fiery Furnace (off-site) | Aug. 17 | 2 p.m. |
| Rachel Barton Pine: Paganini Complete Caprices ($10 series) | Aug. 17 | 6 p.m. |
| Buddy Guy/George Thorogood & The Destroyers | Aug. 17 | 7:30 p.m. |
| The Burning Fiery Furnace (off-site) | Aug. 17 | 8 p.m. |
| Rachel Barton Pine: Paganini Complete Caprices ($10 series) | Aug. 18 | 6 p.m. |
| Yo-Yo Ma: The Goat Rodeo Sessions | Aug. 18 | 7 p.m. |
| Kuok-Wai Lio, Piano ($10 series) | Aug. 19 | 6 p.m. |
| Gabriela Montero, Piano: Piano Improvisations ($10 series) | Aug. 20 | 6 p.m. |
| Journey | Aug. 20 | 7 p.m. |
| Journey | Aug. 21 | 7 p.m. |
| Tony Bennett | Aug. 22 | 8 p.m. |
| The Nashville Songwriters ($10 series) | Aug. 23 | 7 p.m. |
| Lyle Lovett | Aug. 23 | 8 p.m. |
| Chicago | Aug. 24 | 7 p.m. |
| Laurie Berkner (Kraft Great Kids Concert) | Aug. 25 | 1 p.m. |
| Sondheim Reimagined on Piano ($10 series) | Aug. 25 | 6 p.m. |
| Chicago | Aug. 25 | 7 p.m. |
| Joel Fan, Piano ($10 series) | Aug. 26 | 6 p.m. |
| Little Match Girl Passion/Eighth Blackbird | Aug. 26 | 8 p.m. |
| Aaron Diehl, Jazz Piano ($10 series) | Aug. 27 | 6 p.m. |
| John Hiatt & The Combo Band/The Robert Cray Band | Aug. 27 | 8 p.m. |
| Fumiaki Miura, Violin ($10 series) | Aug. 28 | 6 p.m. |
| Ramsey Lewis/Dee Dee Bridgewater | Aug. 28 | 8 p.m. |
| Adam Golka, Piano ($10 series) | Aug. 29 | 6 p.m. |
| Robert Michaels, Classical Guitar ($10 series) | Aug. 30 | 6 p.m. |
| Alabama | Aug. 30 | 8 p.m. |
| Amit Peled: Cellomania ($10 series) | Aug. 31 | 6 p.m. |
| Johnny Gandelsman, Violin ($10 series) | Sept. 1 | 6 p.m. |
| David Fung, Piano: Rachmaninoff’s Preludes ($10 series) | Sept. 2 | 6 p.m. |
| The Knights/Nicholas Phan, Tenor | Sept. 3 | 8 p.m. |
| The 5 Browns: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and more | Sept. 5 | 8 p.m. |
| Misha & Cipa Dichter 45th Anniversary Celebration | Sept. 6 | 8 p.m. |
| Ruth Page Civic Ballet (Kraft Great Kids Concert) | Sept. 7 | 11 a.m. |
| John Adams: Gospel According to the Other Mary | Sept. 7 | 7:30 p.m. |
| KahaneSwensenBrey: Café Music ($10 series) | Sept. 8 | 2 p.m. |
| Pilobolus | Sept. 15 | 7 p.m. |
For additional information on Ravinia, how to get there via train, and some “tips” on what to bring (if it’s your first time) go to www.ChicagoHomePartner.com.
Here’s to future evenings of great music under the stars!
