For 100+ years, Chicago's summer festival offers music for the masses (from June until September) in unfussy settings, giving some of opera's coolest talent a place to hang out, sing, and get paid. Last week's Ravinia gave concert versions of Mozart's Le Nozze and Così fan tutte with Maestro James Conlon and the CSO in celebration of Conlon's 60th birthday (he's also Ravinia Festival's Music Director).
Le Nozze was with Nathan Gunn as the Count, Ailyn Perez as the Countess, Lisette Oropesa as Susanna, and John Relyea as Figaro.
The night prior was Così fan tutte with Frederica von Stade's Despina (photo above with Maestro Conlon), Ana Maria Martinez's Fiordiligi, Ruxandra Donose's Dorabella, Rodion Pogossov's Guglielmo, and Saimir Pirgu's Ferrando.
Photos AP