About Us

The iconic arch over the festival's main entrance bears the name Ravinia Opera.

History of Ravinia

Seiji Ozawa was named Ravinia's first music director in 1964. Four years later, pianist Edward Gordon was appointed executive director, and the Festival began to grow in new directions, including the creation in 1988 of a professional studies division, the Steans Institute for Young Artists. Concert opera performances returned, and the park facilities were extensively renovated in 1970, with a new stage floor designed by legendary choreographer George Balanchine.

In 1971, James Levine, who first conducted at Ravinia as a last-minute replacement, succeeded Ozawa as music director four years before becoming music director at the Metropolitan Opera. Among his most memorable seasons was a summer in which he programmed all of Mahler's symphonies. He headed Ravinia until 1993, helping Gordon, and later, Zarin Mehta to transform Ravinia into a festival in the fullest sense of the word. Mehta, former general manager of the Montreal Symphony, was named executive director in 1990 and later became president and CEO of Ravinia Festival.

Ramsey Lewis, Artistic Director of Jazz

During Mehta's 10-year tenure, he pioneered the jazz festival-within-the-festival with Ramsey Lewis serving as artistic director of jazz at Ravinia. He introduced a world music series, and an off-season showcase for "Rising Stars." He also oversaw the 1994-95 refurbishment of the Festival's physical facilities

Welz Kauffman, President and CEO

Internationally acclaimed conductor and pianist Christoph Eschenbach was named Ravinia's third music director in 1994 and served in that capacity through 2003, helping to shape the summer's programming in addition to conducting and performing at Ravinia. Eschenbach became an active mentor, teaching master classes at the Steans Institute and leading many young artists to their solo debuts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Welz Kauffman was named president and CEO of Ravinia Festival in October 2000. Building on a career as an arts administrator for major organizations from coast to coast, Kauffman quickly established himself as an innovator able to bring to Ravinia ambitious music rarely heard in a festival setting, including numerous premieres and commissions. He established a pipeline from Chicago's enormous talent pool to the stages of Ravinia and forged new relationships with the area's major arts organizations. As architect of Ravinia's lauded music theater initiative, Kauffman sought to recognize the talent of composers who have contributed to this uniquely American art form. From the beginning, the music theater initiative touched every aspect of the Festival by expanding Ravinia's community outreach efforts; creating a new music theater branch of the Steans Institute for Young Artists; and focusing on the vital role of the orchestra in music theater through the Sondheim 75 series. He also introduced the cabaret series Martinis at the Martin: The Great American Songbook, which celebrates America's masters of popular song.

James Conlon, Music Director

American-born conductor James Conlon was named music director designate for the 2004 season and became the Festival's fourth music director in 2005. Conlon has enjoyed a long relationship with the Festival, where he has been a guest artist since the 1970s.

Heading into its second century, Ravinia has identified community outreach and education initiatives as a key mission. The Festival runs its acclaimed programs in 24 inner-city schools throughout Chicago and will soon move into other under served areas. In 2003, Kauffman launched One Score, One Chicago, based on One Book, One Chicago as a means of generating community-wide interest in classical music. Ravinia remains a testimony to those who founded and sustained it. With the help of those people and organizations that have generously supported it, Ravinia has become a destination not only for the greatest artists from George Gershwin to Louis Armstrong to Yo-Yo Ma, but also for loyal audiences that enjoy the sounds of summer, here, year after year.