• Welcome the AAN Advisory Board members for the 2025/26 Season!
• Mark your calendar for Sarabande Africaine: Angélique Kidjo & Yo-Yo Ma
• Check out an offer from our friends at Ravinia
• Stay connected!

As the 2025/26 Season approaches, the CSO African American Network Advisory Board is busy! The board is full of enthusiastic people who bring a wealth of knowledge, talent and passion for music to the AAN. Here is a complete list of the amazing board members:

Tracy Stanciel, chair
Lenese Reynolds, vice chair
Lisa Adams
Raymond Adams
Briana Banks
Lauren Banks
Joyce Carter
Diane Chandler-Marshall
Sena Dawes
Susan Carlotta Ellis
Barry Elmore
Divah Griffin
Cornelius Johnson
Leah McGregory
Marian Perkins-Phillips
Laura G. Rice
Ginger Stanciel
Lauren Stanciel
Ted Tabe

Jessie Montgomery, AAN ambassador
Barbara Wright-Pryor, AAN ambassador
Kori Coleman, AAN ambassador
Renée Baker, AAN artistic consultant

We look forward to an incredible season, and hope that you will join us! Keep an eye on your inbox on Tuesday, September 9, for details about the upcoming AAN season.

Details about the meet-up location will be posted on AAN social media channels in the weeks prior. Please RSVP to receive pre-event and day-of-event updates.

This concert is free and open to the public. For those who wish to enhance their evening, reservations for VIP experiences for supporters of this event are available. The VIP experience includes a number of reserved seats in the pavilion seating bowl and is the only way to guarantee admission to this special concert.

Presented by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).

Sunday, August 24, 7:30 PM | 201 Ravinia Park Rd., Highland Park

Multi-platinum, 12-time Grammy Award-winning artist John Legend brings his signature soul and storytelling to Ravinia for a special night honoring the 20th anniversary of his debut album, Get Lifted. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime concert experience, as Legend takes Ravinia audiences on a journey through the music that started it all — a night of nostalgia and soul under the stars.

Receive 10% off tickets using promo code CSOFRIENDS25 when ordering reserved seats.

While supplies last. Orders are subject to a transaction fee. Offer may not be applied to previously purchased tickets or combined with other offers and does not include Discover Reserved Lawn seating. Onsite parking, food, beverages and chair rentals are sold separately.

For more information on upcoming AAN events or to find out how to get involved, email Alyssa Greenberg, audience engagement manager, at greenberga@cso.org.

Forward this newsletter to someone who might be interested in joining the African American Network! Membership is free and members enjoy access to exclusive special events and ticket offers.