Ravinia 2025 Issue 1

TAMADRUMS PETER ERSKINE Peter Erskine has played drums since the age of 4 and is known for his versatility and love of working in different musical contexts. He ap- pears on 700 albums and film scores, has won two Grammy Awards, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Berklee School of Music. Fifty albums have been released under his own name or as co-leader. He has played with the Stan Kenton and Maynard Fergu- son Big Bands, Weather Report, Steps Ahead, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Diana Krall, Kenny Wheeler, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Breck- er Brothers, The Yellowjackets, Pat Metheny & Gary Burton, John Scofield, and many other en- sembles and artists, and has appeared as a solo- ist with the Beethoven Orchester Bonn, as well as the London, BBC, Chicago, Bochum, Tokyo Metropolitan, and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestras and the Los Angeles, Oslo, and Ber- lin Philharmonics. He premiered Mark-Antho- ny Turnage’s Erskine—Concerto for Drumset & Orchestra with Beethoven Orchester Bonn and performed it at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Erskine has been voted Best Jazz Drummer of the Year 10 times by the readers of Modern Drummer and was elected into its Hall of Fame in 2017. He graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy and studied at In- diana University under George Gaber. Erskine is also an author with several books to his credit, including No Beethoven —an autobiography and chronicle of the band Weather Report—plus his latest title, The Musician’s Lifeline . Erskine is Pro- fessor of Practice and Director of Drumset Stud- ies at the University of Southern California, and he conducts master classes worldwide. His latest endeavors include several innovative play-along apps for iOS. Peter Erskine has previously ap- peared at Ravinia with Marc Johnson’s Bass De- sires and Seth MacFarlane, among other artists. Upcoming Jazz 7:30 PM TUESDAY, JUNE 17 BENNETT GORDON HALL STEANS INSTITUTE JAZZ GRANDSTAND The Jazz Program at the Steans Institute is all about composition and collaboration in small groups. From day one, 15 fellows dive into rehearsals, experimenting with different instrumental combos and creating new music under the guidance of co-Artistic Directors pianist Billy Childs, bassist John Clayton, and saxophonist Steve Wilson. They learn to adapt to the dynamic nature of jazz performance, where flexibility is key. By the end of the week, the musicians come together as three quintets to debut their original compositions at the Jazz Grandstand concert. 7:00 PM SUNDAY, JUNE 22 PAVILION DIANA KRALL Relax and enjoy a dreamy evening under the summer stars with contemporary jazz icon Diana Krall! Known for her distinctive contralto vocals and refined musicianship, the Canadian jazz pianist and singer has continually evolved her sound, proving her mastery in reinvention while honoring the timeless elegance of jazz. She is the only jazz singer to have had eight albums debut atop the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, a testament to her widespread appeal and innovative spirit. Her impressive accolades include two Grammy Awards, eight Juno Awards, along with nine gold, three platinum, and seven multi-platinum albums. 7:30 PMWEDNESDAY, JULY 9 PAVILION CHUCHO VALDÉS, PAQUITO D’RIVERA & ARTURO SANDOVAL: Irakere 50 featuring Emilio Frías With a career spanning over 60 years, Cuban pianist, composer, and bandleader Chucho Valdés returns to Ravinia with Irakere 50, celebrating the groundbreaking small big-band he founded in 1973 and led until 2005. Fusing Afro-Cuban ritual music, Cuban popular music, jazz, rock, and classical elements, Irakere forever transformed Latin jazz. Alongside Valdés for this milestone event are two legendary musicians in their own right and former band members—saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera and trumpeter and composer Arturo Sandoval. Steans Jazz Grandstand Diana Krall Chucho Valdés RAVINIA.ORG  • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 77