Chef Sheherazade

Name: Chef Sheherazade
Start: 2025-07-25T17:30:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-25T22:00:00-05:00
Location: Ravinia Festival

CSO + Marin Alsop, conductor and co-curator / Molly Yeh, co-curator

CSO Series

Tickets

Date
July 25, 2025
Venue
Pavilion
Donor Gates
4:30 PM
Public Gates
5:00 PM
Ticket Prices
$15–$75
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Fri, July 25, 2025 5:30 PM Tickets

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“Chef d’orchestre” VIP Experience Add-On: $75

This VIP Add-On does NOT include a concert ticket – please purchase ticket separately.

At the “Chef d’orchestre” pre-concert experience, Breaking Barriers guests will enjoy food inspired by the program—created by guest celebrity chefs Maneet Chauhan, Jacqueline Eng, Sarah Grueneberg, and Mika Leon—at tasting stations in the Tree Top Lounge.

Co-curator Molly Yeh will be signing books, sharing stories from her musical and culinary origins and many summers around Ravinia growing up, and leading a chat with the guest chefs about food and music.

More About the Pre-Concert Experience Make a Hotel Reservation for the Weekend

At the concert, the chefs will explain their culinary pairings in introductions to the works.

Fri, July 25, 2025 8:00 PM Tickets

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Reserved Seat Ticket: $35–$75

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Reserved Block Ticket: $35

Price per person; must reserve full block of 2, 4, or 6

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General Admission Ticket: $15

Special pricing for guests ages 15 and under: More Info

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Wintrust Chair & Table Rental Reservation

About the Performance

Ravinia is grateful for the support of

Ellen Rudnick & Paul Earle

Sponsor

In Honor of Nancy Zadek, from Craig & Linda Umans

Sponsor

Chief Conductor Marin Alsop and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra invite audiences to embark on an exhilarating sonic journey across the globe in Breaking Barriers 2025. This captivating concert will explore the intersection of global adventure, music, and culture, transporting listeners from the mystic shores of the Arabian Sea to the vibrant rhythms of Cuba.

The evening climaxes with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade, a spellbinding symphonic suite that draws inspiration from the fantastical tales of One Thousand and One Nights. As the CSO’s bard weaves these ancient stories into musical form, the orchestra brings to life exotic adventures that unfold through rich textures and evocative melodies.

The journey begins in personal reflection with Reena Esmail’s RE|member, a poignant work that blends Western and Indian traditions. Through its intricate rhythms and lush harmonies, RE|member speaks to the profound ways our experiences shape us, celebrating the beauty of returning home and the new connections we forge along the way.

A propulsive excerpt of Chicago-based composer Tim Corpus’s Great Lake Concerto follows, offering a fresh and dynamic tribute to the region. Featuring soloists Vadim Karpinos (CSO assistant principal timpani and percussion) and Ed Harrison (principal timpanist of Lyric Opera of Chicago), the work offers vibrant melodies that evoke the spirit and beauty of this iconic landscape.

The energy carries into the infectious rhythms of Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, a symphonic overture inspired by the composer’s two-week trip to Havana, where he fell in love with the vibrant sounds of Afro-Cuban music.

Performers

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Marin Alsop, conductor and Breaking Barriers co-curator
Molly Yeh, Breaking Barriers co-curator

Alexandra Arrieche, guest conductor

Vadim Karpinos and Ed Harrison, percussion

Program

Reena Esmail: RE|Member Introduction by Chef Maneet Chauhan
Alexandra Arrieche, guest conductor Tim Corpus: Mvt. 3 from The Great Lake Concerto Introduction by Chef Jacqueline Eng
Vadim Karpinos and Ed Harrison, percussion George Gershwin: Cuban Overture Introduction by Chef Mika Leon –Intermission– Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Sheherazade, op. 35 Introduction by Chef Sarah Grueneberg