Ravinia Festival Tours Illinois in Celebration of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial

April 24, 2009

David Davis Mansion, Bloomington

Seventy-five chairs were placed ever so cleverly in the mansion parlor for the intimate performance last Friday. Many guests arrived 15 minutes early in order to secure a great seat. The picturesque mansion, gas lit and beautifully decorated, was the perfect setting for music written during Lincoln’s lifetime. Behind the parlor, doors opened to a formal dining room set with white china, as if it were ready for guests that evening. A large painting of Abraham Lincoln hung in the middle of the back wall looming over the table, and other drawings and paintings adorned the wall of the mansion, including Judge Davis and family, welcoming you to the home set back in a contemporary neighborhood.

The trio performed works of Mendelssohn and Brahms, both contemporaries of Lincoln. Sitting in this old mansion, I wondered if musicians during Lincoln’s time ever performed in this same room.

Mansion staff sat on the front stairs listening in. I noticed the back stairway, which in the past was meant for the wait staff separate from the family’s entrance into the house. An African-American woman myself, I could not help but think that in the 1800s I may not have been allowed to enter through the front door of this home much less listen to the exquisite music played by the Lincoln Trio in the parlor.

The music swelled and the audience clapped loudly at the end the performance, which was followed by a lovely reception featuring small desserts such as bite-sized cheesecake, chocolate and cherry cakes. They even toasted us with champagne. It was a warm night and moment in time to be remembered by all of us.

– Erika Walton Sitzberger, Artistic Coordinator

April 21, 2009, 4:30 p.m.

Colorful Music

The Lincoln Trio performs at the Sherwin Williams Paint Store in Lincoln, IL. The land where the store sits was once owned by Abraham Lincoln.

Everyone says music has many colors, but we proved it with a concert in a paint store (of all places) when we brought the Lincoln Trio tour to the Sherwin Williams paint store in Lincoln, Illinois. The unlikely concert hall was selected because it stands on a site formerly owned by Abraham Lincoln. The trio performed a bit of Mendelssohn and even got the chance to “brush up” on their pop playing with an impromptu “Danny Boy.” One patron was overheard saying to another, “I’ll bet you never heard music like this in a paint store before.” And the response was, “I never get to hear music like this anywhere.” So we were thrilled to make to happen!

The Ravinia "crew" pose in front of the plot of land the Lincoln once owned. From left to right: Welz Kauffman, Stephen Smoot, Marta Aznavoorian, David Cunliffe, Desiree Ruhstrat, Erika Sitzberger and Nick Pullia.

— Nick Pullia, Director of Communications

April 21, 2009, 7 p.m.

See For Yourself

WTTW's Andrea Guthman interviews Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman on stage at the Lincoln College Chapel for the Arts Across Illinois television special.

The Lincoln Trio performance at Lincoln College was taped by Chicago’s PBS television station WTTW for their show Arts Across Illinois. The full-length concert attracted a sizable crowd of all ages that enthusiastically welcomed the trio in what was their fifth performance of the day on Tuesday! The TV program will feature a variety of Lincoln events, including a section on Ramsey Lewis’s Ravinia-commissioned work, which receives its world premiere at Ravinia on June 12. The piece is scheduled to air in late June, so please check it out!

— Nick Pullia, Director of Communications

March 14, 2009

Lincoln City, Indiana

The Lincoln Trio performs at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City, Indiana on March 14. Photo credit: Mike Capps

March 13, 2009

Thank you Lincoln Trio!

May I extend my heartfelt thanks and enthusiastic bravos for your concert in Brookens Auditorium at UIS last evening. I am so grateful that you included us on your tour schedule, as it is not often we have the opportunity to hear chamber music of that level of excellence here in Springfield. The rich sonorities of the stringed instruments, the intricate fingering and bowing techniques, your attention to detail, and your obvious enjoyment of the pieces all worked together for a most pleasing performance. Lawrence Dillon's The Better Angels of our Nature, was a playful, clever, and memorable interaction and collaboration between vocal and musical performers.

Michael Moore
Brookens Library
University of Illinois at Springfield

February 13, 2009, Midnight

There’s No Place Like Home

It was a long two days in Springfield celebrating the Lincoln Bicentennial, and it felt good to finally be home. The Lincoln Trio and our very own Ravinia “roadies” pulled up just hours before the trio’s anticipated Rising Stars performance at the festival’s Bennett • Gordon Hall. After a quick stretch and time to get settled, everyone split to get ready and meet back for the performance. For the first time, I was going to be able to relax, set the camera down and enjoy the music since I had been taking photos for the past two days of our experiences in Springfield. Strolling in with my beautiful lady on my arm, I could hear the eager excitement filling the lobby. Finally moving into the hall, each guest packed in snugly with one another as the lights dimmed. Then spot lights illuminated the Lincoln Trio such as stars illuminate the sky. Tonight their music was strong, powerful and confident, unlike the church on Thursday, where the music felt spiritual and hopeful, or Lincoln’s home where it felt fragile and humble. Tonight, at home on Ravinia’s grounds, the acoustics rang true. The notes were bold and the transitions smooth. The crowd rose to their feet applauding at the end and leaped up once again for an encore.

The Lincoln Trio

— Russell Jenkins, Manager of Graphics

February 13, 2009

A Day at the Museum

Today we had the honor of presenting the Lincoln Trio at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The space was incredible; the trio performed in the round plaza, which is the heart of the museum surrounded by a number of galleries that take you on a tour of the president’s life. Since the space is open and bright, the sound of the trio sang beautifully throughout area, reaching the highest ceilings and longest hallways, welcoming guests as they entered the room. Ravinia Life Trustee Harrison Steans joined the trio to perform one of the Ravinia composition competition winners’ pieces, Lawrence Dillion’s The Better Angels of Our Nature. With his resonant voice, Steans read an excerpt of Lincoln’s first inaugural address from 1861, hushing the crowd of people as they listened to the words of our 16th president. One sentence that affected me the most was, “If we cannot call this country the ‘land of the free,’ then how can we dare say ‘home of the brave?’”

Even Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd stopped by to listen to the music, while pausing to pose for photos with Lincoln enthusiasts along the way. I should have asked Lincoln to write a blog about his experience today, although I did not have a quill pen handy.

The Lincoln Trio poses with Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln.

The Lincoln Trio performs with Ravinia Life Trustee Harrison Steans at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum.

— Amy Schrage, Associate Director of Communications

February 12, 2009 - Part 2

Welcome, Mr. President

Palms sweaty, my pulse began to speed up. Then, after what seemed an eternity of waiting, the Secret Service men paraded in one after another. Surveying the crowd, they pushed arms and cameras back as a change entered the room. You could feel the energy of our newly elected President far sooner than you could see it. I lifted my camera high above those around me and hoped to capture a smile. Barack Obama was soon a few feet away. What to say? Or do I take a picture? I remained, speechless, as the President approached. He extended his hand and said, eye-to-eye, “Thanks for coming.” I shook his hand in disbelief and said, “It is an honor, Mr. President.” It quickly drew me back to the chilling night in Grant Park when I heard him accept the newest and greatest honor in his life. Now, as then, I find an overwhelming magnetism about him. He is humble yet confident, proud and pure. It’s no wonder people have compared him to Abraham Lincoln and all that our 16th president stood for. It was a night to remember, a moment in my life that I will never forget.

— Russell Jenkins, Manager of Graphics

February 12, 2009 - Part 1

Welcome, Mr. President

Two presidents were in the room tonight, Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama. Ok, so Lincoln wasn’t actually in the room, but I know his spirit was. The Lincoln Trio was asked to perform at the official Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Birthday Celebration at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield—what an honor! A week ago the White House announced that Obama was going to attend the dinner. I was speechless. Actually, I wasn’t speechless; I told everyone I knew that I was going to be in the same room as our President (what can I say? I’ve never met a president; I was having a “cool” moment.) Obama’s visit was a natural fit. Ever since he announced his candidacy in front of the old state capital building in Springfield on Lincoln’s 198th birthday in 2007, the media as well as Obama have made connections between the 44th and 16th presidents. After all, that was the very place where Lincoln delivered his famous “House Divided” speech in 1858. Hearing Obama speak tonight about how Lincoln made his own story possible really humbled me. We wouldn’t be where we are without a true leader like Lincoln. He means so much to Illinois and the United States. Ravinia and the Lincoln Trio are honored to be a part of this day.

President Obama in Springfield.

The Lincoln Trio meets Illinois governor Pat Quinn.

Ravinia trustees attend the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Birthday Party at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield.

— Amy Schrage, Associate Director of Communications

February 12, 2009 - Part 2

Happy Birthday, Lincoln!

I can’t believe that I’ve lived in Illinois my whole life and never been to the site of Lincoln’s house. It’s nestled on a street of historic homes right in the heart of Springfield. I walked in and felt the rush of history wash over me as I walked through the house and saw Abraham Lincoln’s things, such as his desk at which he wrote letter to friends. The Lincoln Trio brought their instruments in and began to set up for their performance. How amazed we were when they allowed the musicians to cross the red ropes and actually play in Lincoln’s parlor! Tourists walked by, stopping to listen to the beautiful sounds of the trio, imagining that Lincoln himself was sitting in his chair enjoying the music. After speaking to the park rangers who run the historic sites, they expressed excitement when they told me that this was the first time ever that live music was played in the Lincoln home, including when the Lincoln family lived there. It sent chills through me. I think the Lincoln Trio agreed.

The Lincoln Trio performs in the Lincoln home.

— Amy Schrage, Associate Director of Communications

February 12, 2009 - Part 1

Happy Birthday, Lincoln!

What a beautiful day it was—not only the weather, but the joy of seeing people flock to Springfield’s historic sites and take advantage of everything the city has to offer. We began at the First Presbyterian Church, the church that Lincoln and his family attended regularly. At noon the city went quiet as all of the church bells in town rang together as a commemoration of the 16th president. The concert began and the trio sounded beautiful as they performed Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in C minor. They then moved on to a new piece that was one of the winners of Ravinia’s very first composition competition, which featured spoken text, words from Lincoln’s letters. Hearing the piece in the church with echoing acoustics, only feet away from the Lincoln family’s original pew, was truly historic.

The Lincoln Trio in front of the original pew that the Lincoln family used.

The Lincoln Trio performs in the church that Lincoln and his family attended regularly.

— Amy Schrage, Associate Director of Communications

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 – midnight

And so the tour begins...

Tonight we left for Springfield (in our Lincoln Navigators—how fitting!), the heart of many Abraham Lincoln bicentennial activities and, of course, our state capital. Even though we got in pretty late and the city is quiet, I can still feel the buzz for the big birthday tomorrow. Everywhere I turn there are reminders of what is happening; signs expressing birthday wishes, posters of events and photos of Lincoln. There are even drapes of red, white and blue on the buildings, symbolizing a true America, a true president.

We head off to the First Presbyterian Church at noon tomorrow, the church that Lincoln and his family attended every Sunday. I hear they still have the pew on display where the family always sat. Here's a photo of the pew in its original location from the 1850's.

I'm hoping to get a photo of it as it looks today. Later we'll be performing at the Lincoln Home, and in the evening the big event happens: the official Abraham Lincoln Birthday Party at the Crowne Plaza. A special guest will be speaking at the dinner, a little-known government official known to the world as the President of the United States. That's right, Barack Obama will be there! We are all so excited to catch a glimpse of him on this joyful occasion. I wonder if the secret service will allow me to sneak my camera in . . .

— Amy Schrage, Associate Director of Communications

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