“After the Parkland shooting, I was determined to show support for the survivors of this tragic event, and for gun violence prevention. I turned to my craft — composing music — to make a statement. Working with Portia, SEVENTEEN evolved to include an array of topics dominating the headlines and affecting the lives of young people. We want to bring orchestral music audiences together with young people and provide a place for performance, thoughtful discussion and reconciliation within the intimate environment of the concert hall.”
Ron Ramin was born and raised in New York City. He earned his undergraduate degree at Princeton University, where he majored in music and studied privately with Milton Babbitt. Upon graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he composed music for 20 Primetime television series and 30 movies/telefilms. Ron is the recipient of a CableACE Award, a Primetime EMMY nomination, and TV/Film Awards from BMI and ASCAP. He has composed Golden State of Mind, a 16-minute symphonic suite depicting the beauty & drama of the California landscape and its cultural diversity. Greetings! was given its world premiere performance in 2016 by the Marin Symphony, conducted by Music Director Alasdair Neale. A former Board member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, Ron currently resides in Northern California and New York City.
CREATIVE TEAM
photo by Logan Rubenstein
Portia Kamons is a writer and producer of theater, music, live events, and feature film. In New York City with En Garde Arts, she produced FATHER WAS A PECULIAR MAN, ANOTHER PERSON IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY, and BASETRACK LIVE, a verbatim multimedia work named in the top ten productions of 2014 by The New York Times. She was Executive Producer of the WW1 National Centennial Commemoration, narrated by Kevin Costner, including "Visions of Peace" a documentary with President Jimmy Carter. She wrote the libretto for BIEDERMAN’S MATCH with music by Michelle DiBucci, script by Beau Willimon (“House of Cards”) at UC Santa Barbara’s Launch Pad. A founding member of Primary Stages Theater, she worked as a producer for the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the London International Festival of Theater, and was the lead producer of the award-winning indie feature film DORIAN BLUES. She is a consultant to Danish web-based documentary/social activism platform, OTHER STORY. Portia graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University.
“Ron and I set out to create a new work that would help soothe America’s collective grief. But our course was changed by the young people we met, who are emerging into adulthood at an uneasy time. They are laser-focused on gun safety, and fizzing with energy aimed at finding solutions for the monumental challenges facing their generation. All with unique Gen-Z flair, humor and digital native vibe. I created the libretto from verbatim text to ensure their voices are at the center of this music-driven story.”
Welz Kauffman, former Ravinia Festival President and CEO, is dedicated to preserving and building audiences for classical music through innovative programming and a focus on access and education. During his 20 years at Ravinia, Kauffman programmed the full slate of performances – classical and nonclassical – bringing a diverse range of artists from Leonard Bernstein to Lady Gaga and Opera Africa to the Festival. Previously, he worked for the New York and LA Philharmonics; the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival; The J. Paul Getty Trust; LA Chamber Orchestra; and the Atlanta Symphony, where he collaborated with the legendary conductor Robert Shaw and former president Jimmy Carter. Kauffman’s educational focus has included establishing El Sistema music training at Ravinia and developing community programs with Bobby McFerrin at the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Kauffman serves as Vice-President of the Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation and as a trustee of the Kurt Weill Foundation.
