Overview
- The rebuilt Hunter Pavilion has reopened for Ravinia’s summer season and hosted rehearsals and an inaugural program by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by Marin Alsop.
- The work is the capstone of the multi-year 'Setting the Stages' campaign funded by the Hunter Family Foundation and other donors, with reported costs around $70 million to $75 million.
- Design and acoustic changes include a new acoustic shell, movable stage walls, rigid foam clad panels and consultation by Threshold Acoustics to soften brass and spread sound more evenly on stage.
- Accessibility and artist amenities were upgraded with wider ADA-compliant seats that reduced capacity from 3,350 to 2,840, new ventilation and LED lighting, plus backstage space such as a women’s locker room, practice rooms and piano storage excavated beneath the audience area.
- The reopening coincides with Ravinia’s 122nd season and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s long summer residency, supporting a schedule of nearly 94 programs and building on the festival’s recent high attendance numbers.