A Sneak Peek of Our 2026 Season
“As always, we will present works by American composers,” said Giancarlo Guerrero, the Festival’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, when he announced the 2026 season in January. Inspired by the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this season also showcases “those who have found refuge in the United States and those who wrote significant repertoire here.”
Three weeks later at the Festival’s annual Season Prelude, he stood on the stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion before a crowded room of nearly 150 donors to present a preview of highlights of Festival 2026.
He began with Czech-born composer Antonín Dvořák, who spent three years in the United States in the 1890s shaping a distinctly American sound—drawing on African American spirituals and Native American melodies. Ahead of its time, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 From the New World became an enduring orchestral favorite. In this America 250 year, the Grant Park Music Festival will feature the New World Symphony as a cornerstone of its celebration.
Guerrero also shared insights and musical excerpts from contemporary composers whose works he will conduct throughout the summer. The season opens with the GRAMMY? award–winning Made in America by Pulitzer Prize winner Joan Tower, based on a theme from America the Beautiful. Opening weekend features Gabriela Lena Frank’s Conquest Requiem, rooted in Latin American folklore. In August, Guerrero will conduct John Corigliano’s Symphony No. 1, a 1990 work reflecting the AIDS crisis, paired with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem.
“What I loved most was hearing Giancarlo passionately describe how each composer's background translated into their music.” – Festival Board Member Lisa Tesarik
“The Grant Park Music Festival has long been known for championing living composers, especially Americans,” Guerrero said, citing artists already making a major impact in the classical music world, including Jimmy López, Jessie Montgomery, Reena Esmail, and Jennifer Higdon.
The evening included remarks by President and CEO Paul Winberg and concluded with a virtuoso performance of Gaspar Cassadó’s Requiebros, by cellist Oliver Herbert, who makes his debut with the Grant Park Orchestra in June performing Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1.
“It was wonderful getting a sneak peek of the upcoming season,” said Festival board member Amber Carpenter. “I’m looking forward to another summer of music as a unifying force for the city.”