Previous—Next 
The Cicada vs. The Symphony
12 March 2007 Send To a Friend
Part of the charm of Ravinia, the outdoor concert venue in Highland Park, is communing with nature while listening to your favorite artists. However, this year nature is going to be like the guy who pulls up next to you at the stoplight blaring his music so loudly that his speakers are rattling.
Every 17 years cicadas come out of the ground in Northern Illinois and sing a mating song, and this is their year. Unfortunately for Chicago Symphony Orchestra fans, they can turn up the volume to 90 decibels (about the sound of a kitchen blender)!
Instead of trying to compete, being the genteel folks they are, the CSO is delaying their season debut until July 6. Some shows in June will be moved inside. Popular acts like the Indigo Girls and Lyle Lovett will still perform in the outdoor pavilion since they don’t have to be as quiet. (We classical music fans are a bit anal about our pianissimo passages. The CSO even has people that walk around with signs saying “Quiet please”, the sidewalks are of sound-deadening material, and if you cough you WILL get nasty looks.)
Visit Ravinia’s website for this summer’s schedule.
