Ravinia 2025 Issue 5

PAVILION 7:30 PM FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2025 CYNTHIA ERIVO with the CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA EDWIN OUTWATER, conductor † † Ravinia debut Ravinia expresses its appreciation for the generous support of Premier Sponsor Audrey L. Weaver . EDWIN OUTWATER Edwin Outwater is redefining the concert expe- rience as a groundbreaking conductor, curator, and producer, known for his dynamic approach and genre-blending collaborations with artists ranging from Metallica to Wynton Marsalis, Renée Fleming, and Yo-Yo Ma. Outwater cur- rently serves as Music Director of the San Fran- cisco Conservatory of Music and its ensembles, and since September 2024 he has been Principal Guest Conductor and Curator of BBC Concert Orchestra, a role focused on creative concerts, as well as community and education work, over the next three seasons. His legacy as Music Director Laureate of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, where he served from 2007–17, remains influ- ential, marked by global recognition through international tours, collaborations, and the critically acclaimed recording From Here On Out . Outwater’s recent high-profile engagements include leading the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, Chicago Symphony, and Royal Philharmonic—where he headlined a multi-concert series at the grand opening of Steinmetz Hall in Florida—as well as collaborations with Cynthia Erivo (at the BBC Proms), Diana Ross, Beck, Trey Anastasio, Leslie Odom Jr., and Lang Lang. As producer and Musical Advisor for National Symphony Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary Concert at The Kennedy Center, Outwater shared the stage with Audra McDonald, Christian McBride, and Common, among other artists. His international presence extends to such top-tier ensembles as the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony, and Mexico City and Brussels Philharmonics, as well as key Canadian orchestras in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and beyond. Outwater’s prolific recording credits include 2024’s Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined with pianist Lara Downes, contributions to GRACE: The Music of Michael Tilson Thomas , and co-produc- tion on Stewart Copeland’s Police Deranged for Orchestra and Police Beyond Borders . His work on the Grammy-winning Philharmonia Fantastique with the Chicago Symphony and collaborations with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett on Portals highlight his versatile musicianship. Edwin Outwater’s arrange- ments have been heard at Ravinia for over a decade, and tonight concludes his festival-debut season as a conductor, leading concerts featuring Beck and Lang Lang in July. CYNTHIA ERIVO Cynthia Erivo is a Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award–winning actress, singer, and producer, as well as an Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG nominee. She burst onto West End and Broad- way stages starring as Celie in The Color Purple and has since taken the world by storm. Erivo most recently starred as Elphaba opposite Ari- ana Grande’s Glinda in the record-breaking film adaptation of the hit musical Wicked —Part 1 was released in November 2024, and Part 2 is due out in November 2025. She received wide- spread critical acclaim and rave reviews for her portrayal, including Golden Globe, SAG, Crit- ics’ Choice, NAACP, BAFTA, and Oscar nomi- nations. Erivo also recently starred in and pro- duced Drift , which follows a young refugee who has barely escaped her war-torn country—the film premiered at Sundance in 2023 and went to theaters in 2024. She wrote and recorded the song “It Would Be” for the film. For the small screen, Erivo recently wrapped shoots for the second season of Peacock’s Poker Face , building on acclaimed credits starring as Aretha Frank- lin in National Geographic’s Emmy-winning anthology series Genius as well as starring in HBO’s limited series The Outsider , based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. In addition to her acting career, Erivo is a Gram- my-nominated songwriter and performer, often headlining sold-out shows, orchestra concerts, and events such as the Kennedy Center Honors, 2020 Academy Awards, 2017 Governor’s Ball, and 2017 Grammy Awards. She released her de- but album, Ch. 1 Vs. 1 , on the Verve label in 2021. Days later, Erivo released her first children’s book, Remember to Dream, Ebere . Erivo’s acting credits also include Netflix’s 2023 feature film installment of Luther: The Fallen Sun ; Disney’s 2022 live-action retelling of Pinocchio , where she portrayed the iconic Blue Fairy; and Apple’s 2022 anthology series Roar . In another breakout performance, Erivo starred in the title role of 2019’s Harriet , co-writing and lending her voice to the title song “Stand Up.” Cynthia Erivo made her Ravinia and Chicago Symphony Orchestra debuts on the Gala concert in 2021. RAVINIA.ORG  • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 77 DAVIDJ.KIM(OUTWATER) ;MARKSELIGER(ERIVO)