Kirk's Space

Got a favorite memory of attending Ravinia this summer you'd like to share? Send it to webmaster@ravinia.org for a chance to win a prize. Whether it's meeting that someone special, enjoying a great night of music or picnicking under the stars, we'd like to hear from you. Entry must be received by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, September 5.

Friday night’s Gipsy Kings show at Ravinia proved to be one of the peaks of the season. The Gipsy Kings, hailing from the South of France, brought out Chicagoland and beyond as they churned out two hours of world music hits. The lawn came alive as always but this time with patrons demonstrating their best flamenco and salsa moves. Every concrete surface in the park was at once converted into a vibrant dance floor. The party extended to the Pavilion, where Gipsy Kings front man, Nicolas Reyes, brought hands together and crowds to their feet-- ¡Levantemonos! There was no lack of crowd interaction—I even found myself answering, “¡Bien!” to Nicolas Reyes’ frequent question “¿Cómo están ustedes?” Having never seen the Gipsy Kings live before their Aug. 17 performance, it was such an amazing sight to see them here at Ravinia—and the crowds they drew were no less entertaining.

Farah Ansari
Communications Intern

On August 4 the Ravinia Festival held its annual Gala Benefit Evening hosted by the Women’s Board of Ravinia Festival. Having never been to an event like this, I was excited and anxious about what to expect. I didn’t realize how many people and how much work it took to pull off such a large event. My task that evening was to work with one of the photographers and document all the people in his pictures. From this perspective, I was able to see the event from every angle. The Gala was a great success, with magnificent performances by Plácido Domingo, Ana María Martínez and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ravinia Music Director James Conlon.

After a wonderful performance of Alexander Zemlinsky's "The Mermaid" by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by our music director James Conlon, the Anti-Defamation League honored Conlon at a post concert dinner for his efforts championing the works of composers silenced by The Third Reich, giving him the Crystal Globe Award. The State of Illinois also issued a proclamation to congratulate Conlon on being honored by the ADL and he received personal congratulatory letters from Illinois Senators Barack Obama and Richard Durbin, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. General Chairs for the dinner were Audrey and Michael Rubinstein. Congratulations, James!

Amy Schrage
Associate Director of Communications