Ravinia is both North America’s longest-running music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events by a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers make up a typical summer season on our two open-air and two indoor stages. Each year the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is featured in six weeks of concerts, many with Chief Conductor Marin Alsop. During the same summer months, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute provides young professional classical and jazz musicians with career-advancing training and concert settings. 

Offstage and year-round, Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play education programs engage 75,000 children and adults—in schools with little to no music curriculum, in our Chicagoland communities, and at our 36-acre park—in our mission to make music equitably accessible to all.

National Seminario Support Staff (Support Staff) provide administrative and logistical support for the implementation of National Seminario Ravinia, a gathering of more than 120 diverse students from El Sistema-inspired organizations internationally. The main responsibilities of Support Staff are to assist with administrative duties along with the coordination and implementation of the various activities and events surrounding National Seminario Ravinia.  Support Staff report to the Reach Teach Play Operations Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Move instruments and supplies to event locations
• Organize student supplies and music
• Coordinate student transitions
• Monitor rehearsal rooms
• Coordinate loading and unloading of buses for participant travel
• Take student attendance for each activity
• Register students upon arrival
• Assist with student arrival and departure of dorms
• Other duties as assigned including, but not limited to, general administrative tasks

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Strong interest in community development and education
• Superior interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds
• Diligent work ethic and detail oriented with strong organizational abilities
• Physical labor required; ability to move chairs, instruments, and supplies between locations and floors

Education and Experience

• High School diploma or equivalent. At least two years of college experience preferred.
• Coursework in Music Education, Arts Administration or Communications preferred.
• Experience and desire to work with children and adults from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds 
• Access to reliable transportation  

Work Environment

• Full availability for, including evenings and weekend, for event/position dates (July 1-12)
• Possible additional hours available (up to 40) for the weeks of June 10, 17 and 24
• Interaction with young students, parents and administrators where the safety of the students is paramount

Compensation & Dates of Position

• $16.50 per hour
• July 1-12
• Additional hours possible the week of June 24 

Ravinia is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Ravinia strongly believes that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives is essential to our success and we strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees. Ravinia does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.

About the project

This summer, under the leadership of Chief Conductor Marin Alsop, Ravinia will host National Seminario Ravinia 2024: Orchestras For All, a gathering of more than 120 students from El Sistema-inspired organizations in 18 states, Mexico, Canada, Greece and Sweden, including Sistema Ravinia. Participating students will experience four days of  orchestral training and mentorship from members of the National Seminario Ravinia Orchestra Partner National Orchestral Institute (NOI).

National Seminario Ravinia extends the vision of Reach Teach Play to open doors where everyone can access and experience the positive impact of music and create pathways for continued success. “Bringing this diverse group of kids together from around the country will be such a special experience,” said Christine Taylor Conda, Director of Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play education programs. “We hope that students will see that this movement [El Sistema] is much larger and more connected than just their local ensemble or community, that they will be challenged musically and that they will develop lasting friendships.”  

The Seminario, which takes place from July 7-11, will culminate in a free, public side-by-side Pavilion concert with the National Orchestral Institute on July 10.  Marin Alsop and Jessica Altarriba will lead performances of Sibelius’s Finlandia, Distant Worlds by Brian Nabors, and an arrangement of John Williams’s movie themes. In addition, Ravinia–in partnership with El Sistema USA–will provide a series of professional development workshops for El Sistema teachers and administrators.

To learn more about Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play programs, visit bit.ly/RaviniaRTP.