Wednesday night Ravinia’s 2026 season opened with a powerful performance by Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane celebrating the music of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
Though the season (and new pavilion) doesn’t officially open until July 11th, I want to share with you some of the jewels of this season that merit extra attention.
There are obviously big marquee acts like Alabama Shakes, Brandi Carlile, Harry Connick Jr., Hugh Jackman, Tom Jones, Ricky Martin, Paul Simon and more. I plan to be at several of them.
But I think there are some truly intriguing and compelling shows to explore that I’d like you to consider.
Here is my list of the Top 2026 Shows at Ravinia:
June 6th and 7th: Kurt Elling with Fred Hersch Wildflowers
Elling’s Wildflowers series has focused on acoustic jazz albums with the Elling paired with a pianist . Volume one featured Sullivan Fortner (with special guest Cécile McLorin Salvant). Volume 2 found Joey Calderazzo joining Elling. Volume 3 featured Christian Sands.
I’m hoping that these two concerts might portend a recording with the immensely talented Hersch.
Time will tell. I certainly hope a Wildflowers Vol. 4 is the end result of this concert.
June 10th: Bridges: Jazz & Classical Fusion
Three young composers are selected to receive a grant of $2,500 and a week to develop their works that were selected from numerous submissions. The works need to be written for jazz combo and string quartet.
This year’s recipients of the David Baker Prize are Max Bessessen (Dagbé); Ethan Dymit (Artificial Condition) and Jack Lanhardt (A Saint’s Journey).
Advising these composers are Billy Childs, John Clayton and Steve Wilson.
This is a great opportunity to hear some new voices in music and be at the beginning (fingers crossed by all) of great careers.
June 17th: Jazz Grandstands
Another fascinating program at Ravinia vis-à-vis the Steans Institute Series (as is Bridges above) is strictly focused on jazz. Fifteen fellows explore different combo configurations and create new music.
The same advisors from Bridges are involved here.
The end result is concert showcasing three quintets and fifteen original works.
Once again, this concert provides a good look at how young musicians and composers are hearing and creating music.
July 11th: Grand Opening Night
This is the first opportunity for audiences to explore the newly renovated Hunter Pavilion. Adding significance to the evening is that it is the 60th Gala Evening and 90th CSO Opening Night.
Marin Alsop conducts the CSO which opens with The Star-Spangled Banner and is followed by Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide.
Lizzo joins to play the flute in a series of selections.
That is followed by a suite from Richard Strauss’s opera Der Rosenkavalier arranged by Artur Rodziński.
The concert closes with Yunchan Lim playing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major.
July 16th and 18th: Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio
James Conlon, who concludes his tenure as Music Director of the LA Opera with Mozart’s The Magic Flute, takes to the podium for these two performances.
He’s bringing tenor Miles Mykkanen (who appears in The Magic Flute) to sing the role of Belmonte.
Kathryn Lewek sings Konstanze. Sarah Dufresne sings Blonde. Brenton Ryan sings Pedrillo and Morris Robinson sings Osmin. A special addition is the amazing actor Jefferson Mays who serves as Narrator and plays Pasha.
These concerts take place in the very intimate Martin Theatre.
July 24th: On the Movies
Conductor Alsop and composer Laura Karpman have curated this program that looks at the role of film scores in the success of a given scene or film.
The program opens with music by Bernard Herrmann, Henry Mancini and Arturo Márquez.
That is followed by The Female Lens Suite featuring the work of women composers.
They are Chanda Dancy, Germain Franco, Hildur Gudnadóttir, Anna Meredith and Rachel Portman. This is one of two compelling reasons I’ll be at this concert.
Music from the vast Star Wars universe by Natalie Holt and John Williams close out the first half.
The second half opens with Leonard Bernstein’s music from On the Waterfront. The concert closes with Unsung: A Symphonic Suite for the Superhero Women of Classic Hollywood composed by Karpman. This is the work’s premiere and the second reason I’ll be attending this concert.
The CSO performs.
August 2nd: This Land: America in Song
There are numerous and varied concerts all summer long to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This Land: America in Song is right at the top of the concerts I’ve been reading about.
The concert is created by Ted Sperling who also conducts.
Sperling has chosen to go through over 200 years of popular songs to come up with this concert.
Soloists for the concert are Micaela Diamond, Bryonha Marie and Noah J. Ricketts who will explore the good, bad and challenging about America over that time.
The CSO performs.
August 9th: Pianist Misha Dichter
Dichter’s performance on August 9th will mark his 50th season at Ravinia. To celebrate he’s chosen a program of works by Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin and Prokofiev.
They are Beethoven’s Polonaise in C major; Brahms’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in F Minor; Chopin’s Four Mazurkas and Polonaise in F-sharp Minor and Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major.
Happy Anniversary Misha Dichter!
August 13th: The Music of Quincy Jones
The CSO is led by Jules Buckley in a program he curated to celebrate the legendary composer/producer Quincy Jones.
Q’s career ranged from film scores to popular songs to jazz to his collaborations with Michael Jackson.
Singers Sheléa and Darrel Walls join the concert.
August 16th: Frederica von Stade & Susan Graham
Opera fans know that von Stade and Graham are two of the most famous mezzo sopranos in opera history. They will perform separately and together in this concert with Kevin Murphy on piano.
von Stade hasn’t been performing much since her retirement. I anticipate that this will be quite a memorable afternoon in the Bennett Gordon Hall.
My last show features a legendary British conductor who leads Chicago’s Music of the Baroque. This is a rare concert to be found on the Hunter Pavilion.
September 3rd: Music of the Baroque
Dame Jane Glover conducts the Music of the Baroque Orchestra and Chorus in a program that opens with two works by Joseph Haydn (Wild Hunt and Wine Fest Chorus from Part III of The Seasons and Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major). Steven Isserlis is the soloist.
The second act is all the music of George Frideric Handel: Zadok the Priest, The King Shall Rejoice and Music for the Royal Fireworks.
From the selections I’ve made we start with the future of two genres of music (classical and jazz) and work our way through the history of popular song, some of classical music’s most important works, film music and back to the beginning with baroque music.
What will you go see? What’s on your list? Let me know in the comments!
Whichever concert(s) you choose to see at Ravinia this summer, have a great time. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Main Photo: Ravinia Park Pavilion (Courtesy Ravinia Festival)