This week we feature cellist Eytan Raviv of Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. A senior at the Latin School of Chicago, Eytan presents a program of Johann Sebastian Bach, Daniël van Goens, Dmitry Kabalevsky, Gabriel Fauré and Bright Sheng on acoustic cello; plus his own electric cello loop of the hit rock song Eye of the Tiger. Thanks to pianist Shirley Trissell, and to the Music Institute of Chicago for letting WFMT record in Nichols Hall.
A Chicago native, Eytan Raviv plays with Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, and as a member of a string quartet through the Music Institute of Chicago Academy. He is a current student of Northwestern Bienen School of Music Professor Hans Jørgen Jensen and of Oleksa Mycyk. At age four, he began his cello studies with Meg Lauderbach. Since then, Eytan has learned from Nina Wallenberg, Blake Brasch, and Sihao He.
He has won the Chicago Chamber Music Festival Concerto Competition and the CYSO Philharmonic Orchestra Concerto Competition; and was the second place winner of the Lakeview Orchestra Concerto Competition. He was also named winner of the 34th Music Festival in Honor of Confucius, senior division, as well as the Society of American Musicians, intermediate division. Eytan has performed with the Moscow Ballet, Yo-Yo Ma, and members of the bands Wilco and The Decemberists. He has regularly performed in local nursing homes; and on Thursday evenings, he enjoys volunteering at the Merit School of Music, where he is constantly refreshed by the enthusiasm and hard work of the school’s young string players.
Eytan is a graduate of the Chicago Jewish Day School and is currently a high school senior at The Latin School of Chicago, where he plays Varsity Soccer. When he is not playing cello, he enjoys spending time with his siblings, Eden and Gabi, and riding his electric skateboard.