News & Stories
Jeremy Black's Concert Picks
We asked Grant Park Orchestra Concertmaster Jeremy Black if he's looking forward to any concerts in particular, and he offered up these four.
Billy Childs Keeps on Keeping on
We live in the age of the unexpected. For the multi-Grammy-winning composer Billy Childs, a canceled premiere led to something new and wonderful: a string quartet
Festival Auditions Draw Hundreds for a Chance at Joining the Orchestra
They came from as far as Philadelphia, Florida, New York, and Houston—all for the chance to spend their summers on stage at Chicago's Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Could You Do an Orchestra Librarian's Job?
Every spring, the Grant Park Music Festival "staffs up" for the summer concert series. Ushers, audio engineers, musicians—they all pass through the employment process. This year, the Festival hired a new orchestra librarian, a person who arguably has the greatest capacity to grease the skids on stage.
Festival Young Artist Program Brings New Talent
Maybe you've seen them on the Pritzker stage, in a neighborhood park, or at the Rush Hour Concerts; the Project Inclusion fellows are integral to the Festival's summertime offerings—and they're picking up valuable professional experience in the process.
The Grant Park Chorus—60 Years Young and Soaring to New Heights
In 1962, Thomas Peck, a young singer and choral conductor founded a vocal ensemble to perform at Chicago's summertime concert series along the lakefront. Sixty years on, the Grant Park Chorus is among the best in the world.
Meet Festival Champion Eileen Friestad
"We need people like you," said Maggie Daley. At the time, Eileen Friestad was happily working in the private sector; her life was about to change.
Women's History and Festival 2022
If you're one of those people who finds history dull and lifeless, think again. Feed your brain with stories about people who dared to live boldly—all part of this year's Grant Park Music Festival.
Then and Now: A Lifetime of Concerts
Julian Oettinger can't exactly remember his first concert in Grant Park—but it was two venues ago. In our 20th-anniversary year, a charter board member of the Grant Park Orchestra Association, founded in 2002 to support the beloved summer series, says the future is bright.
Spotlight - Black History Month
Get to know some of the history makers behind Festival 2022, from Tony-, Grammy- and Pulitzer Prize-winners to an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, awarded by Queen Elizabeth II.