Ravinia 2026 Issue 3

For her Ravinia recital debut in 2009, Graham sang a century of French works in collaboration with pianist Brian Zeger, then director of the Steans Institute’s Singers Program. gone on to become one of the most performed operas of its time with more than productions to date, including its debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago in . “We all felt it was something extraordinary when we were doing it, when we were creating it,” Graham said. “It was life-changing for all of us but we didn’t know the impact it would have on the opera world.” ough the role of Sister Helen was created for Graham, she never sang it again. During that run, her father died, and the grief from that loss plus the emotional intensity surrounding the opera was simply too much. She didn’t return to the work until years later, when director Francesco Zambello per- suaded her to take on the role von Stade had originally sung—Mrs. DeRocher— in a production at Washington National Opera. “Finally, I was ready to reac- quaint myself and re-enter that world,” she said. Graham has returned to the opera several times since, including in Lyric’s production as well as San Fran- cisco Opera’s th-anniversary revival in September . Von Stade’s tie to Heggie began in before Dead Man Walking . “I was at San Francisco Opera when Jake rst started composing—he was working in the publicity department—and he showed me some of his songs, and I about melted. ey were so exquisite, and we started our collaboration,” she said. Heggie has written several works for von Stade, including Paper Wings , an eight-minute song cycle which uses poetry by the singer and is dedicated to her daughter, Lisa Elkus. “I admire him and love him very dearly,” von Stade said of Heggie. According to Graham, the two singers met during a production of Claudio Monteverdi’s Return of Ulysses at San Francisco Opera with omas Hampson in the title role. Graham appeared as Minerva and von Stade portrayed Pe- nelope. “Of course, she had been an idol of mine since I started singing, because she was the de nitive Cherubino, the de nitive Rosina, and she was de nitive in French music. Everything she did was de nitive,” Graham said. She went on say that von Stade’s singing is “always so full of truth, beauty, and simplicity” and the soloist has a natural way of bring- ing an “inimitable vulnerability” to her characters. “When I got to be in a show with her,” Graham said, “I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Plus, she is the nicest person on the planet. She was very welcoming to me.” e story of how the two singers’ recital at Ravinia came to be actually begins in Los Angeles at the Colburn School where James Conlon, who just stepped down as music director of the Los Angeles Opera, has had close ties. e conductor asked von Stade and Graham to present a recital and master class at the school in October with Murphy serving as accompanist. But that urgent summons from the Met to come to New York as a replacement in e Daughter of the Regiment meant that von Stade had to perform with a substi- tute singer. rough Murphy’s inter- vention, the two singers are essentially re-creating at Ravinia what they had planned to do together in Los Angeles. Both singers have long histories at the festival—von Stade starting in and Graham in . One of von Stade’s happiest memories came backstage at the festival’s Pavilion in August at what was billed as the “Gala of the Century.” She recalls standing alongside violinist Isaac Stern and pianist Alicia de Larrocha as they listened to Lang Lang (substituting for André Watts) during the then-teenaged pianist’s rst Ravinia and rst Chicago Symphony Orchestra performance. “It was just this marvel- ous, jolly time of being with two of the great musicians of all time,” she said. “I’ve always loved coming to Ravinia, and I’m ecstatic that the festival still continues in all its glory in these times when everything is knowing hardship in some regard. It really means a lot that Ravinia is well and thriving.” During the August program, Graham will sing a “French-heavy” lineup of art songs by the likes of Hector Berlioz and Reynaldo Hahn, with some Kurt Weill and Gustav Mahler thrown in along the way. “I sing the songs I like to sing, and that is what this whole recital is about,” she said. Von Stade is plan- ning to begin with two “rose” songs as a thank you to Murphy and Ravinia— La vie en rose , which was made famous by French chanteuse Edith Piaf, and I am Rose , a setting of a Gertrude Stein poem by Ned Rorem, one of this country’s noted art-song composers and a favorite of von Stade. She will also perform a few French songs, including Francis Poulenc’s Voyage à Paris , as well as two selections from Heggie’s Paper Wings . In keeping with their longtime mu- tual admiration, both singers expressed excitement about returning to Ravinia and being back on stage together. “Any time I get to be in the same room with her, I’m happy,” Graham said of von Sta- de. “She lights up any room she is in.” Kyle MacMillan served as classical music critic for the Denver Post from through . He currently freelances in Chicago, writing for such publications as the Chicago Sun-Times , Early Music America , Opera News , and Classical Voice of North America . RAVINIAMAGAZINE • AUGUST 3 – AUGUST 16 , 2026 20 RUSSELLJENKINS / RAVINIA