February
17, 2004
Ravinia CEO Kauffman Joins Oakton 'Cultures Week' Lineup
Welz Kauffman, president and CEO of the Ravinia Festival, celebrates the 100th anniversary of North America's oldest music festival on Monday, March 8, as part of "Cultures Week" at Oakton Community College. Kauffman will be interviewed by Dennis Polkow, music critic and Oakton adjunct instructor, in a 90-minute program called "Ravinia at 100," starting at 1 p.m. in the Footlik Theater, 1600 E. Golf Road.
Following a multimedia review of Ravinia's glorious century of music, Kauffman will provide an advance look at the upcoming 2004 centennial season, plus a Q&A session with the audience, Polkow said. All "Cultures Week" events are free and open to the public.
Kauffman joined Ravinia in October 2000, having worked with art organizations such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He quickly established himself as an innovative programmer, booking a variety of new music and theater works, including many premiere events. In 2001, Kauffman's first season broke both attendance and revenue records, which were then surpassed during the 2002 season.
Kauffman also has encouraged the use of Ravinia's beautiful 36-acre park as a living set in such productions as "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Romeo and Juliet Project," and as a point of entry for new audiences to experience classical music. To this end, for the 2003 summer season, Kauffman created "One Score," a partnership with Northwestern University and the Chicago Public Library based on the "One Book, One Chicago" program.
Ravinia Park opened its doors in the fall of 1904 and by the 1930s had become an annual celebration of music, dance, and theater featuring the famed Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Ravinia has been the CSO's summer home ever since, performing under such distinguished music directors as Seiji Ozawa, James Levine, and Christoph Eschenbach.
For more information or to receive a "Cultures Week" program, call 847-635-1672, or visit the Web site at http://www.oakton.edu/resource/cultures.
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