“The Ravinia Festival will be back in live action this summer,” writes Chris Jones in Tuesday’s (3/16) Chicago Tribune. “The historic and much-loved outdoor music venue in Highland Park on Chicago’s North Shore said Tuesday that it plans to reopen in July, a few weeks later than its traditional, pre-pandemic summers. As expected, the Pavilion will have reduced seating capacity and patrons on the expansive lawn will need to socially distance from other parties. Ravinia also said that the number of artists on stage will be limited ‘in order to allow for proper distancing between performers.’ … In news that will be most welcome for Chicago fans of classical music, plans call for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to resume its annual six-week summer residency. Conductor Marin Alsop will lead seven concerts as part of her debut season as Ravinia’s chief conductor and curator. [Ravinia’s] full schedule will be finalized in late April.… All 2021 performances will be outdoors; the indoor Bennett Gordon Hall will not be open to public audiences. Ravinia was closed entirely in 2020. Tuesday saw a flurry of summer arts announcements … ahead of an anticipated (and imminent) easing of restrictions by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.”
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