Ravinia Invites MYAC’s Symphony Orchestra to Continue Partnership for One Score, One Chicago Performances

Midwest Young Artists Conservatory (MYAC) is partnering with Ravinia to expand the reach of music education in Chicago. A deep belief in the power of music drives all of MYAC’s activities, and this belief has found expression in a nearly fifteen-year partnership with Ravinia. Every May MYAC’s Symphony Orchestra visits Ravinia to perform for close to 2,000 public school students. This year students from Chicago, North Chicago, and Skokie will be present. The performance at Ravinia’s Pavilion is an opportunity for these students to hear classical music performed by their peers.

Eva Sharman, a senior at Lake Forest High School, is a violinist in the Symphony Orchestra. "The Ravinia concert is one of the most special experiences at MYAC,” said Eva. “As someone who often teaches young students and advocates for accessible music education through working with organizations like Bravo Waukegan and MYAC's Young Music Scholars Program, I firmly believe that music is a powerful tool to foster communication and encourage creative expression! I'm really excited to connect with a younger audience in this concert.”

This year’s performance centers on music by underrepresented composers, including a movement from Florence Price’s third symphony. Florence Price (1899–1953) made her career in Chicago and was the first female African-American composer to be performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. “Ravinia has adopted a theme of Diversity as a way to highlight composers who are underrepresented in the world of classical music,” said Luciana Pedota, the Associate Director of Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play Education Programs. “Perhaps more importantly, such a theme allows us to program music that speaks to the identity of many students in today's schools. For us, it is important to play music by composers in which students of all different backgrounds and genders see themselves represented.”

Symphony Orchestra’s performance takes place at Ravinia on May 27. The performance is not open to the public. It will be the final performance by this ensemble until next fall, the beginning of MYAC’s 30th-anniversary season.