Ravinia Festival in Highland Park Reveals its 2022 Schedule
By: Jonathan Jones 04/22/2022
Ravinia is a staple of Lake County. Since 1905, the Highland Park fest has featured the top musicians in various genres, making it the oldest outdoor festival in U.S. history. Like every year, Ravinia showcases a slew of star-studded names. In the 2022 edition, we were blessed with a cast of legendary performers like Ms. Lauryn Hill, Little Big Town, Wynton Marsalis, Willie Nelson, Gladys Knight, The Counting Crows, John Legend, The Roots, Lady A, Train, Cynthia Erivo, the Joffrey Ballet and so many more.
Ravinia Festival is also the mainstay for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra throughout the summer led by the incomparable maestro Marin Alsop. Tickets go on sale starting May 4, so mark your calendars. Continue to scroll to view the exceptional lineup as Ravinia Festival in Highland Park returns in 2022!
Ravinia Festival in Highland Park is Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s home away from home. Founded originally in 1891, CSO is consistently dubbed as one of the globe’s upper echelon orchestras. Each year, CSO performs hundreds of concerts every year, and we’re glad to see them back bowing their violas and cellos, tooting their horns and tubas, strumming their harps and banging their timpanis. Watch these extremely talented instrumentalists perform their craft, led by conductor Marin Alsop and special guest baton downbeat guide Jonathan Rush, James Conlon, Yue Bao, and Michael Stern. Mark your calendars for their closing performance on August 15 as they play their annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular. Yes, the “1812 Overture” will have its booming canons per yoush.
How do their hands do what they do? It's kind of flamenco, it's kind of rock n roll, its kind of latino, it's kind of everything. The duet grew up together in Mexico practicing and performing on their axes (and were once a couple), and are mesmerizing must-see act. Outside of their Grammy-winning music, they've also provided music for Blockbuster films like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Puss in Boots." Sánchez and Quintero's music is great for cleaning the house, relaxing on the porch and in the same breath, great for dancing at a club.
One of Chicago’s most well-known and respected rappers, Common will make his return to the Highland Park stage. The three-time Grammy winner most recently nabbed an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his track ‘Glory’ featured in the 2014 film ‘Selma’ (which also featured John Legend). The Chi-Town emcee just released an album called ‘Black America Again’ in late 2016. The rapper from the city of wind has worked with numerous famous acts like Ye, John Mayer, Lauryn Hill, The Roots and more. The Common Sense show features the unique duet of Black Violin
Laissez le bon temps rouler in Lake County! Ravinia is in for a treat as the Highland Park stage is going to get some intense flavor from the Big Easy. Trombone Shorty just wants to make you dance in true NOLA style. The brass man can play a mean horn, but he's got stellar pipes for singing too. The Grammy Award-winning Shorty brings a ridiculously talented group with him. Tank & the Bangas (nominated for the Grammy's "Best New Artist" and won NPR's Tiny Desk competition), Big Freedia, Cyril Neville, George Porter Jr., Dumpstaphunk and The Soul Rebels join Shorty on this toe-tapping bill.
Movies in the park are just a part of the land of lakes summer vibes. Make it a family night under the stars while watching classics like "The Lion King" and "The Goonies," accompanied by the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra led by conductor Thiago Tiberio. The score for "The Goonies" was written by Dave Gruain, while "The Lion King" soundtrack was created by Elton John and Tim Rice, and the score was created by Hans Zimmer.
“If all you want to do is have some fun and you’ve got a feeling that you’re not the only one, you can be entertained until the sun comes up over,” Ravinia Festival. The talented Sheryl Crow makes a stop at the U.S.’s oldest outdoor music festival as she continues her ‘Be Myself’ tour. Crow is a nine-time Grammy winner who seamlessly blends a variety of music genres like pop, rock, folk, country and blues. Over the span of her career, Crow has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. The ‘Soak Up The Sun’ singer visits the Highland Park stage with Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. Crow will be joined by Keb'Mo' and Southern Avenue.
The country quartet has been assembled since the late 90s, but their careers really started gaining steam around 2006. You’ve probably seen them sing at every single notable music award show. The four-time Grammy winners are known for songs like “The Road to Here,” “Pontoon,” “Girl Crush,” “Better Man,” “Themselves” and a slew of other hits.
The musical phenom is best known for his Tony Award-winning performance (Best Lead Actor in a Musical) as Aaron Burr in the Broadway hit ‘Hamilton,’ Leslie Odom Jr. makes his way to the Highland Park stage complemented by the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Odom recently released his self-titled solo album and it was at one point ranked no.1 on the Itunes Jazz Charts.
The woman is a music prodigy. She seemlessly jumps from genre to genre with that enormous stand-up bass of hers, but her hometown in jazz. The five-time Grammy Award winner became the youngest faculty member at the Berklee College of Music at age 20. Of the five Grammy's she won, her first was "Best New Artist." Just a few weeks ago, spalding took home the "Best Jazz Vocal Album" at the Grammys for her album "Songwrights Apothecary Lab."
Ziggy Marley and Matisyahu grace the Ravinia stage for a little island flavor. Stephen Marley, son of Reggae great Bob Marley and brothers of other hot reggae artists Stephen and Damian, is an eight-time Grammy winner and a Daytime Emmy Award recipient. Brush up on your patwah and be sure to pack plenty of Red Stripes for this dancehall riddim.
Mr. Worldwide and the "So Fancy" Aussie share the stage for the crunkest performance this side of Mississippi. Pitbull and Iggy Azalea make their Ravinia Festival debut this season. The Miami-born rapper and pop artist dropped myriad hits and chart-topping albums. The song "Timber" featuring Ke$ha hit no. 1 in 18 countries. Pitbull has sold over 25 million albums, 100 million singers and amassed over 15 billion views on YouTube. Pitbull is also a Grammy Award winner.
The pop 80s come alive as the Culture Club return to Lake County. Led by Boy George, the Culture Club won the Grammy Award in 1984 for "Best New Artist," which was the year "Karma Chameleon" came out. The genre-bending group is always a fantastic experience at Ravinia Festival.
Sting has had an unparalleled career as he’s brought home 17 Grammy Awards between his solo tunes to the days of The POlice in the 1970s and 1980s. Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (also known as the incomparable Sting)is one of the most best-selling artists of all time with over 100 million records sweeping off shelves. Sting is a Kennedy Center Honree at the White House a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and an Emmy and Academy Award winner.
As a solo artist, Diana Ross is one of the most successful female singers of the rock era. If you factor in her work as the lead singer of the Supremes in the 1960s, she may be the most successful musical ever to grace the microphone. The Supreme diva performs the tunes that everyone remembers like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “I’m Coming Out,” “My Endless Love,” “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “I Hear A Symphony” and countless other hits.
Nicks is best known for both her work as frontwoman of Fleetwood Mac and for her solo career. Collectively, these have produced over 40 top-50 hits and sold over 140 million records, making her one of the best-selling music acts of all time with Fleetwood Mac. Her influence in fashion and musical performance is widely acknowledged. Stevie Nicks is the only woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice - with Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and as a solo artist in 2019. Nicks is a four-time Grammy Award winner.
Some call her genius. Others call her Ms. Badu. You can call her Badulla Oblongata. You can call her Sara Bellum. You can call her Analogue Girl in a Digital World. You can call her Manuela Maria Mexico. Or you could just call her Erykah Badu. The Dallas neo-soul songstress has been blessing the masses with her soul sonnets for nearly three decades. Badu is the owner of over a dozen Grammy nominations and four trophies, and she still provides new music, and fresh takes on fashion.
May and June Shows at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park
