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GRANT PARK ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS. CARLOS KALMAR, principal conductor. CHRISTOPHER BELL, chorus director. presented by the CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT, THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, and THE GRANT PARK ORCHESTRAL ASSOCIATION
   
 

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Celebrating the Festival´s 75th Anniversary in 2009

Click here to submit your fondest stories and remembrances, any of which could be used as part of a published history

2008 Season Schedule
Click here for full season schedule

June 2008
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30          
July 2008
    1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31    
August 2008
          1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31            

Grant Park Music Festival

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Chicago, IL 60601
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Kayo Ishimaru Biography

Kayo Ishimaru
Kayo Ishimaru

Kayo Ishimaru is enjoying her 19th season as principal harpist with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. A renowned orchestral musician, Ms. Ishimaru serves as principal harpist with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, a position she has held since 1991. She has performed with many major orchestras in the United States, Japan, France and Mexico, including the St. Louis Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo) and the Tokyo Philharmonic.

In demand as a soloist, Ms. Ishimaru has performed concertos and solo recitals in Italy, France, and the United States. She has appeared in numerous television and radio programs and has been featured on several recordings including J.S. Bach with JSO hornist Aaron Brask.

A native of Osaka, Japan, Ms. Ishimaru began her musical studies on piano at the age of three, and transferred to the harp at age ten. She continued her formal study at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, after which she was granted a scholarship from the French Government to study at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris where she was awarded the coveted Premier Prix (First Prize).

In August 2005, Ms. Ishimaru was invited to play memorial concerts in Japan for the 60th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Ms. Ishimaru enjoys collecting rare antique harps (including the instrument of comedian Harpo Marx), and spending time with her two German shepherds, Mari and Rodan.

 
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