John Williams and Rachmaninoff
Emanuel Ax plays Williams’s new Piano Concerto
Marin Alsop, conductor
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DateAug 1, 2026
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VenueHunter Pavilion
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Event Starts7:30 PM
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Donor Gates4:30 PM
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Public Gates5:00 PM
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Ticket Prices$17–$111
All tickets show the “all-in” price, fees included. Availability and prices are subject to change.
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Seating ChartView Seating Chart
Reserved Seat Ticket: $38–$111
Reserved Block Ticket: $17
Price per person; must reserve full block of 2, 4, or 6
General Admission Ticket: $17
Special pricing for guests ages 15 and under, as well as 65 and above: More Info
Wintrust Chair & Table Rental Reservation
The Park View is open with a classic dining menu and full-service bar, and the Freehling Room is open to eligible Ravinia donors. Reservations are recommended for dinner.
Ravinia Café and Concession Stands are open with hot food plus chilled grab-and-go, drinks, ice cream, and snacks.
Cashless: Cash will not be accepted at Dining Pavilion restaurants, bars, or concessions. Please bring a credit/debit card or other cashless forms of payment.
Know Before You Go
Getting to Ravinia: Parking, Rideshare & Train
$15 Parking • Park and Ride Open • Free Metra UP-N Train
Park in the West Parking Lot at 201 Ravinia Park Rd. The lot opens 1 hour before the listed “Public Gates” time.
Park and Ride shuttles are not in service for this event – please come directly to the onsite parking lot.
Alert your driver: Uber, Lyft, and other car services must use one of the following parking lots to drop off and pick up guests.
- West Parking Lot (201 Ravinia Park Rd) — inbound access allowed up to 30 minutes before the end of the performance
- Braeside Train Station (10 N. St. Johns Ave) — ¼ mile walk from Ravinia
- Ravinia Train Station (680 St. Johns Ave) — ½ mile walk from Ravinia
- No drop-offs or pick-ups are allowed on public streets. If Highland Park Police or Ravinia staff redirect traffic, please follow those instructions.
Ride the Metra Union Pacific North Line train to and from our main entrance for free with your Ravinia ticket.
More Train Info
Inside the Hunter Pavilion
Please note the following food, drink, and personal item policies before entering the Hunter Pavilion:
- Drinks are allowed inside the Pavilion at all performances, but must be in an approved container. Drinks must be in plastic cups or plastic bottles sized for 24oz or smaller. No metal or glass containers are permitted, including metal water bottles.
- No food is permitted at reserved seats.
- No bags larger than 18″×12″×12″, coolers, wagons, strollers, large umbrellas, or any other large items Large items may be returned to your vehicle or stored (unsupervised) along the outer perimeter inside the Pavilion.
- Items brought into the Pavilion are subject to search at the entrance.
- All guests must have a ticket for entry, regardless of age.
Prohibited Items
Any item deemed harmful or unsafe by Ravinia staff is prohibited.
While comfort and enjoyment of a night out at Ravinia are our top priorities, guests are prohibited from bringing the following items into the park:
- Firearms or explosives (including those possessed by off-duty officers or concealed carry license holders)
- Professional photographic and video or audio recording equipment
- Grills, firepits, or large open flames
- Chafing fuel or other canned heating products (e.g., Sterno)
- Beer kegs
- Athletic equipment (e.g., balls and flying discs)
- Bicycles, scooters, or skates (bike racks can be found outside the west and south entrances)
- Animals, except for service animals trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities
- Tents or canopies
- Umbrellas over six feet in diameter
- Anything that needs to be staked into the ground
- Drones or other flying apparatus
- Items intended for protest, solicitation, or promotion not related to the event
Contact the box office (847-266-5100) with any questions.
Performance Content
At Ravinia, we believe that music has the power to bring people together. While we do not control what artists share, we ask all participants—artists and audiences alike—to uphold the spirit of respect, community, and connection that Ravinia offers.
Should any circumstance threaten physical safety, we will take appropriate action to ensure the well-being of our guests, artists, and staff.
Park Map
View or download our park map for the locations of Ravinia’s venues, parking lots, restrooms, first aid station, chair/table rental pickup, Festival Shop, and in-park dining options.
About the Performance
Ravinia is grateful for the support of
The Negaunee Foundation
Premier Sponsor
The “always thoughtful, lyrical, and lustrous” (Washington Post) pianist Emanuel Ax celebrates the 50th anniversary of his CSO debut by joining Marin Alsop and the orchestra on John Williams’s new concerto, an astounding miracle of new music inspired by three iconic voices of jazz: Art Tatum, Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson.
The first movement evokes the dazzling virtuosity of Art Tatum, and the second unfolds as a velvety, impressionistic meditation—almost haunted by the ghost of Bill Evans. In the final movement, hints of Oscar Peterson’s athletic drive create the feeling of a "circus" for Williams, who elaborates that this “may be the definition of a concerto finale” (New York Times).
Though widely celebrated for his iconic film scores, Williams has long written for the concert hall as well. His classical catalog includes a symphony, chamber works, and concertos for more than a dozen instruments. For decades, however, he resisted writing for piano, remarking simply, “I just thought it was impossible.” Now in his nineties, Williams has decided to do the impossible, aided by trusted friend and colleague Emmanuel Ax. With Emanuel Ax’s extraordinary playing in mind, the composer said it “broadens the way and lights it—just knowing you’re going to have that glow on a few notes" (New York Times).
The all-American program also features Rachmaninoff’s jazzy Symphonic Dances and John Adams’s driving Short Ride in a Fast Machine.
Performers
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
Program
7:30 PM – Hunter Pavilion
John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
John Williams: Piano Concerto (Midwest premiere)
Serge Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances, op. 45
–No Intermission–