Grant Park Music Festival Raises $1.3 Million in Support of Artistic and Educational Programming
On Wednesday, October 15, the Grant Park Orchestral Association hosted its Advocate for the Arts Awards Benefit at the stunning Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. The annual event is an essential source of support for the Festival's free programming in Millennium Park and beyond.
Close to 500 dedicated Chicago civic leaders and arts supporters raised a record-shattering $1.3 million in support of the Festival’s ten-week season of free classical music concerts, as well as help to underwrite Festival Connect, the Festival’s robust education and community engagement initiative; together, they bring the joy of music to more than 500,000 people in Chicago and beyond.
Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed fine wine and dinner accompanied by dazzling performances from the 2025 Festival Fellows in addition to violin virtuoso Will Hagen with pianist Chuck Foster. Christopher Bell, Grant Park Chorus Director, introduced Matthew Dexter, 2025 Vocal Fellow. Bell enthusiastically shared that Dexter was recently named a member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s prestigious Ryan Opera Center Ensemble. Rounding out the evening’s musical program were the Festival’s 2025 String Fellows (violinists Maria Gabriela Mendez Martinez and Javier F. Torres-Delgado, violist Joshua Thaver and cellist Manuel Papale) performing a moving piece by composer Stacy Garrop that was commissioned by the Festival for the String Fellows.
Irika Sargent, Evening News Anchor, CBS Chicago, returned once again as emcee. Karen Zupko, President of Karen Zupko and Associates, Inc. and member of the Festival’s board of directors, chaired the event.
“Thank you to all who gave so generously, and to our outstanding benefit chair Karen Zupko” - Grant Park Music Festival President and CEO Paul Winberg
A highlight of the event was the presentation of the Advocate for the Arts Awards, proudly awarded to long-time Festival board member Amy Lee Boonstra and Amsted Industries. The transformative work of this year’s honorees has elevated the impact of the Grant Park Music Festival and wider Chicago arts and cultural landscape.
Amy Lee Boonstra, Executive Director of the Roman Center for Decision Research, has been an unwavering champion for the Festival. Amy shared a humorous moment with current board chair Adam Grais performing a duet on boom whackers, a nod to the Festival’s engaging educational outreach. Thanking everyone in attendance, she shared “It is because of the incredible advocates like you all sitting here tonight that the Festival has weathered global crises from pandemics to recessions. Your generous support of music enables us to preserve, cherish and, above all, share the music of centuries.”
Amsted Industries was also honored, recognized for its outstanding contributions by its Chairman, President and CEO Stephen Smith, and his late predecessor Robert Reum. By honoring Amsted, the Festival also recognized Stephen Smith’s contributions to the Festival as a board member since 2013 and as board chair for three years, including the challenging times at the start of the pandemic.
Festival Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Giancarlo Guerrero, gratefully addressed attendees, saying “Being a part of this beloved community, and working with the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, was a life-changing experience. My thanks to everyone here for all you do to help us provide access to our concerts throughout the city, all season long, for free.”
Photo Credit: Elliot Mandel
