Ravinia 2026 Issue 6

Guests at the 2026 Fiesta Ravinia concert are fortunate to experience something extra special: an opening performance by young musicians in Reach Teach Play’s orchestra program, Sistema Ravinia. Inspired by the Venezuelan El Sistema music education model of daily orchestral instruction, Sistema Ravinia emphasizes musical excellence, social development, and community building. rough this program, students in Lake County and on the West Side of Chicago receive immersive instrumental and ensemble instruction. MÚSICA WITHMEANING For many of our Sistema Ravinia Lake County students, performing at Fiesta Ravinia is an opportunity to champion their Hispanic cultural heritage through music. Now in its 10th year, Fiesta Ravinia is an annual celebration of Mexican culture, lled with music, dance, and food. Headlined by Grammy nominees Los Tigres del Norte this year, the day also features opener Lucía (Lucía Gutierrez Rebolloso), a rising star from Veracruz who fell in love with music as a child through her family’s own son jarocho band. “My participation in Fiesta Ravinia as a student has helped me learn to take pride in being a rst-generation Latina that studies classical oboe performance in college,” says Guadalupe Ramirez, who graduated from Sistema Ravinia in 2024 and is currently a Reach Teach Play intern. Guadalupe is in her third year at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on a full scholarship. “I have also started an all-Latino undergraduate reed quintet at my university; my colleagues unfortunately didn’t have experiences in which they were able to connect with or represent their Latine identity,” she adds. “ at’s why I am grateful for Ravinia championing Hispanic and Latino heritage through classical music, and I want to bring some of that magic everywhere my musical journey takes me.” Learn more about Reach Teach Play: Reach Teach Play’s programs ensure that music is not separate from the community, but rather, a part of it. RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 31