CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- After a season off because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ravinia concerts will be back this year.
The Ravinia Festival released Thursday its full concert schedule for the 2021 season, featuring 64 performances taking place from June through September.
Tickets for concerts will go on sale in two phases:
• June 16 for concerts between July 1 and August 15
• July 21 for concerts after August 15
"More than ever before, we look forward to welcoming audiences back to Ravinia to be reinspired by live music together," said Ravinia President and CEO Jeffrey P. Haydon. "As one of the nation's best outdoor music venues, Ravinia is perfectly positioned to welcome audiences to comfortably experience live music together again.
"While this year's experience may be a little different, we look forward to continuing one of Chicagoland's favorite summertime traditions with music under the stars."
The shortened three month Ravinia concert season will be anchored by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Ravinia’s eclectic mix of music including jazz, rock, pop, reggae, bluegrass, folk and country.
"All of us, since September, have made it our mission to figure out how to reopen Ravinia, not if we reopen Ravinia," Haydon said.
Some headliners include Willie Nelson, Gladys Knight, The Beach Boys, Lake Street Dive, Train, and many more.
Additionally, the schedule includes a six-week residency by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well as a series of Carousel Concerts of casual evening performances of jazz folk and bluegrass music at the carousel-styled rotunda on the North Lawn with general admission lawn seating only.
The Highland Park venue will open in accordance with guidance from state and local health officials. Ravinia also worked with Northwestern Medicine to come up with health protocols, including shorter concerts without intermission, reduced audience capacity of about 50 percent, and shortened park hours before concerts.
"It will still feel like a Ravinia experience, but yes, it will be a little bit different," Haydon said.
Another new feature has to do with lawn seating.
"We’re going to offer pre-reserved lawn seating. We’re actually going to square off a number of pods on the South Lawn so you can buy squares that seat two, four or six people."
Seating on the North Lawn will remain first come-first served.
Additionally, masking will be required unless people are eating or drinking. You will still be able to bring in your own food and drink, although food will also be sold at the venue.
Haydon said tickets will be electronic only - no paper tickets. He said Ravinia has also gone contactless with faucets and with payments of food or items in the gift shop.
For the first time, Ravinia has partnered with Metra and all Union Pacific North line trains will honor Ravinia tickets as train fares.
Related
Full Ravinia Schedule:
JUNE
Friday, June 4
"Bridges" Jazz/Classical Fusion Composition Competition 2020 Winners
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Friday, June 11
Jazz Grandstand
Free livestream - No in-park admission
JULY
Thursday, July 1
Garrick Ohlsson
Friday, July 2
RSMI Faculty Fete
Saturday, July 3
Ides of March with Jim Peterik/Shemekia Copeland
Monday, July 5
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Monday, July 5
Garrick Ohlsson
Tuesday, July 6
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Wednesday, July 7
Garrick Ohlsson
Thursday, July 8
Vladimir Feltsman
Friday, July 9
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor
Jorge Federico Osorio, piano
Saturday, July 10
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor
Jonathan Rush, guest conductor
Sunday, July 11
Kids Concert Series
Classic Kids LIVE: Beethoven Lives Upstairs
Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago
Sunday, July 11
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Monday, July 12
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Monday, July 12
Garrick Ohlsson
Tuesday, July 13
Kurt Elling
Wednesday, July 14
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Thursday, July 15
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Friday, July 16
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Friday, July 16
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor
Midori, violin
Saturday, July 17
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor
Luká Vondráek, piano (CSO debut)
Sunday, July 18
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor
Cynthia Erivo, vocalist (CSO debut)
Tuesday, July 20
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Tuesday, July 20
Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro
Wednesday, July 21
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Wednesday, July 21
Alexander Malofeev, piano
Thursday, July 22
RSMI Program for Piano & Strings
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Thursday, July 22
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor
Julia Bullock, soprano (CSO debut)
Friday, July 23
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor
Anthony McGill, clarinet (CSO debut)
Saturday, July 24
Classic Albums Live
Led Zeppelin IV
Sunday, July 25
Misha Dichter, piano
Sunday, July 25
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Monday, July 26
Misha and Cipa Dichter, piano duo
Tuesday, July 27
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Steven Reineke, conductor
Betsy Wolfe, vocalist (1)
Matt Doyle, vocalist (CSO debut) (2)
Wednesday, July 28
Zukerman Trio
Thursday, July 29
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and violin
Friday, July 30
Brian McKnight
Saturday, July 31
Yacht Rock Revue
AUGUST
Sunday, August 1
Michael Feinstein and Betty Buckley
Tuesday, August 3
Apollo's Fire
Wednesday, August 4
Brett Dennen
Thursday, August 5
Michelle DeYoung
Friday, August 6
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
James Conlon, conductor
William Hagen, violin (CSO debut)
Saturday, August 7
Kids Concert Series
Laurie Berkner
Saturday, August 7
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Guest artists and repertoire to be announced at a later date
Sunday, August 8
RSMI Program for Voice
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Sunday, August 8
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Yue Bao, conductor (CSO debut)
Stella Chen, violin # (CSO debut)
Matthew Lipman, viola # (CSO debut)
Monday, August 9
RSMI Program for Voice
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Monday, August 9
RSMI Program for Voice
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Tuesday, August 10
Judy Collins
Madeleine Peyroux
Wednesday, August 11
Sideline
Thursday, August 12
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Michael Stern, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin
Larisa Martínez, soprano (CSO debut)
Friday, August 13
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Michael Stern, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin
Saturday, August 14
Willie Nelson & Family
Sunday, August 15
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
George Stelluto, conductor (CSO debut)
Tchaikovsky Spectacular
Wednesday, August 18
Gladys Knight
Thursday, August 19
RSMI Program for Voice
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Thursday, August 19
RSMI Program for Voice
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Friday, August 20
RSMI Program for Voice
Free livestream - No in-park admission
Friday, August 20
The Infamous Stringdusters
Leftover Salmon
Saturday, August 21
The Beach Boys
Sunday, August 22
The Beach Boys
Tuesday, August 24
John Hiatt and The Jerry Douglas Band
Thursday, August 26
Lake Street Dive
Friday, August 27
Train
Saturday, August 28
Train
Sunday, August 29
King Crimson
The Zappa Band
Tuesday, August 31
Davóne Tines, bass-baritone
SEPTEMBER
Wednesday, September 1
Collective Soul
Better Than Ezra
Tonic
Tuesday, September 7
Lara Downes, piano
Rachel Barton Pine, violin
Ifetayo Ali-Landing, cello
Members of the Chicago Sinfonietta
Rising Sun: Migration and Renaissance
Wednesday, September 8
Chicago Sinfonietta
Thursday, September 9
Nexus Chamber Music
Friday, September 10
Indigo Girls
Ani DiFranco
Saturday, September 11
Black Violin
Blind Boys of Alabama
Sunday, September 12
Fiesta Ravinia
Ana Bárbara
Las Cafeteras
Tuesday, September 14
Miró Quartet
Friday, September 17
The Joffrey Ballet
Saturday, September 18
Ben Folds
Sunday, September 19
Ziggy Marley
A Celebration of Bob Marley
Tuesday, September 21
Lincoln Trio
Friday, September 24
Andrew Bird