Ravinia 2025 Issue 3

Next, Alsop and the orchestra are joined by two of Broadway’s most celebrated stars, Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara . Both actresses have astounding lists of high-profile award nomina- tions and wins that variously include Tonys, Emmys, Grammys, Oliviers, Drama Desk Awards and Drama League Distinguished Performance Awards, among others. Foster—who is making her CSO and Ravinia debuts—has had recent successes star- ring in the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress and as Mrs. Lovett in the Tony Award–winning Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd , and singing Marian Paroo in the 2022 Broadway revival of The Music Man . O’Hara was widely celebrated for her portrayal of Anna Leonowens in The King and I , reprising the role both in London’s West End and in Tokyo, and is famed as the first artist to make the crossover from Broadway to opera, with Metropolitan Opera credits to date in Lehar’s The Merry Widow , Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte , and the world premiere of Kev- in Puts’s The Hours . Together, the two Broadway legends offer an evening of songs that inspired them ( July 13 ). Later in the summer, another star of stage and screen joins the orchestra under the baton of Edwin Outwater : Grammy-, Emmy-, and Tony-winning actress, singer, and producer Cynthia Erivo , seen in the role of Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda in Universal’s record-breaking film adaptation of the hit musical Wicked ( August 15 ). Continuing her exploration of Mahler’s symphonic masterpiec- es, Alsop leads the CSO in a performance of the composer’s monumental “Resurrection” Symphony. They are joined by the Chicago Symphony Chorus and two alumnae of Ravinia’s Ste- ans Institute: soprano Janai Brugger , who was praised by San Francisco Classical Voice for her “steely core,” and mezzo-sopra- no Sasha Cooke , whose “pure and powerful … dusky tone” was lauded by the Minnesota Star Tribune ( July 18 ). An Alsop-led program featuring Beethoven’s Seventh Sympho- ny opens with the Ravinia-commissioned world premiere of Rhapsody for Orchestra by acclaimed Syrian-American compos- er Malek Jandali , known for his ability to blend Middle Eastern modes and Arabic maqams with Western classical structures. Violin prodigy Himari —who in 2022 was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music as one of the youngest applicants in the insti- tution’s history—is also featured, performing a pair of rhythmic Spanish-themed violin showpieces: Kreisler’s La Gitana and Waxman’s Carmen Fantasy ( July 20 ). Superstar pianist Lang Lang returns to the CSO for an evening that celebrates the connection between animation and music in “The Disney Book,” a performance paying tribute to the be- loved Disney soundtracks that sparked the pianist’s early love for classical music and continue to ignite his passion and creativity today. Under the baton of Edwin Outwater , the pianist and or- chestra are joined by an ensemble of guest soloists: Yimiao Chen makes her Ravinia and CSO debuts on the erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument; guitarist Plínio Fernandes also makes his CSO debut, blending classical techniques with Latin influences; and Celeste Morales and Edmond Rodriguez , both alumni of Ravinia’s Steans Institute, are the guest vocalists ( July 31 ). Reno Philharmonic Music Director and 2004 Taki Alsop Fellow Laura Jackson returns to lead the CSO in Ravinia’s 46th annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular , this season featuring the composer’s Fourth Symphony and celebrated young cellist Zlatomir Fung performing the Rococo Variations . Concluding the evening is the iconic 1812 Overture , with thundering cannon blasts that have made it an exhilarating outdoor staple for many occasions ( August 3 ). Making her Ravinia debut, “tour-de-force” conductor (Chicago Tribune) Lidiya Yankovskaya leads the CSO in a program of audience favorites, opening withWagner’s Tannhäuser Overture. Violin virtuoso and pop culture icon Ray Chen performs Bruch’s beloved Violin Concerto No. 1, and the program culminates with Debussy’s late-Romantic touchstone La mer ( August 9 ). “An Evening with Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara” (left; July 13) climaxes week one, doubling as Ravinia’s annual gala concert, and Cynthia Erivo (right; Aug. 15) returns after headlining the event in 2021. Janai Brugger (left) and Sasha Cooke (right) return as Mahler symphony soloists (July 18). Teenage virtuso violinist Himari (left; July 20) reconnects with Alsop to make her CSO debut, and pianist Lang Lang (right, July 31) returns to the stage where he launched his career when he was a teenager hemself. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JUNE 30 – JULY 20, 2025 10 MARKSELIGER(ERIVO);OLAFHEINE(LANGLANG)