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June 10 - August 15, 2026

Welcome

The Grant Park Music Festival is a ten-week classical music concert series held annually in Chicago, Illinois’ Millennium Park.

It features the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, along with guest performers and conductors, and is one of the only free outdoor classical-music concert series in the US.

2018 Season

Millennium Park

Haydn and Walton

Wed, Jun 13, 2018, 6:30-8PM & Sat, Jun 16, 2018, 7:30-9:15PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra And Chorus
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
Christopher Bell, Chorus Director
Dashon Burton, Baritone

Program

Sean Shepherd: Magiya
Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 99
William Walton: Belshazzar's Feast


Millennium Park

Mozart Violin Concerto

Fri, Jun 15, 2018, 6:30-8:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
William Hagen, Violin

Program

Christoph Willibald Gluck: Overture: Orfeo ed Euridice
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major
Carl Maria Von Weber: Euryanthe Overture
Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations


Millennium Park

Bernstein, Brahms and a World Premiere

Wed, Jun 20, 2018, 6:30-8:15PM & Fri, Jun 22, 2018, 6:30-8:15PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra And Chorus
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
Christopher Bell, Chorus Director

Program

Johannes Brahms: Gesang der Parzen
Olivier Messiaen: O Sacrum Convivium
Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Êriks Ešenvalds: World Premiere - Festival Commission


Millennium Park

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3

Sat, Jun 23, 2018, 7:30-9:15PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
Natasha Paremski, Piano

Program

Walter Piston: Symphony No. 6
Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3


Millennium Park

Schubert Symphony No. 3

Wed, Jun 27, 2018, 6:30-8PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
Adam Walker, Flute

Program

Albert Roussel: Le festin de l'araignée
Carl Nielsen: Concerto for Flute
Charles Tomlinson Griffes: Poem
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 3


Millennium Park

Dvořák Cello Concerto

Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 6:30-8:0PM & Sat, Jun 30, 2018, 7:30-9:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
Johannes Moser, Cello

Program

Antonin Dvořák: Cello Concerto
Zoltán Kodály: Summer Evening
Leoš Janáček: Sinfonietta


Millennium Park

Independence Day Salute

Wed, Jul 4, 2018, 6:30-8:45PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Christopher Bell, Conductor
Emily Bear, Piano

Program

John Williams: Liberty Fanfare
Aaron Copland: Variations on a Shaker Melody
Adolphus Hailstork: Three Spirituals
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
John Philip Sousa: The Belle of Chicago
Robert Wendell: From Sea to Shining Sea
(Arr. Robert Lowden): Armed Forces Salute
(Arr. Carmen Dragon): America the Beautiful
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture
John Philip Sousa: Stars and Stripes Forever


Millennium Park

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Fri, Jul 5, 2018, 6:30-8:45PM & Sat, Jul 7, 2018, 7:30-9:45PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Dennis Russell Davies, Guest Conductor
Kelley O'Connor, Mezzo Soprano

Program

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
William Bolcom: Symphony No. 4, The Rose
William Bolcom: Machine from Symphony No. 5


Millennium Park

Vivaldi Four Seasons: Grant Park Orchestra in the Parks

Mon, Jul 9, 2018, 7-8PM & Thu, Jul 12, 2018, 7-8PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Members of the Grant Park Orchestra
Jeremy Black, Violin And Conductor

Program

Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite
Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons


Millennium Park

Music of the Silver Screen: An American in Paris and More

Wed, Jul 11, 2018, 8-9:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Vinay Parameswaran, Guest Conductor

Program

Miklós Rózsa: Parade of the Charioteers from Ben Hur
Serge Prokofiev: Suite from Lieutenant Kije
Bernard Herrmann: Overture to Citizen Kane
Erich Korngold: The Adventures of Robin Hood
George Gershwin: An American in Paris
John Williams: "Raiders March” from Raiders of the Lost Ark


Millennium Park

Music of the Silver Screen: An American in Paris and More

Wed, Jul 11, 2018, 8-9:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Vinay Parameswaran, Guest Conductor

Program

Miklós Rózsa: Parade of the Charioteers from Ben Hur
Serge Prokofiev: Suite from Lieutenant Kije
Bernard Herrmann: Overture to Citizen Kane
Erich Korngold: The Adventures of Robin Hood
George Gershwin: An American in Paris
John Williams: "Raiders March” from Raiders of the Lost Ark


Millennium Park

I Could Have Danced All Night: Broadway's Lerner and Loewe

Fri, Jul 13, 2018, 8-10:15PM & Sat, Jul 14, 2018, 8-10:15PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra And Chorus
Kevin Stites, Guest Conductor
Christopher Bell, Chorus Director
Sierra Boggess, Soprano
Ryan Silverman, Tenor
Ben Crawford, Baritone

Program

Lerner and Loewe: Classic Broadway


Millennium Park

Beethoven Symphony No. 2

Wed, Jul 18, 2018, 6:30-8PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Roderick Cox, Guest Conductor
Jeremy Black, Violin
Eric Hall, Bassoon
Walter Haman, Cello
Nathan Mills, Oboe

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2
Franz Joseph Haydn: Sinfonia Concertante
Richard Wagner: Overture to Tannhäuser


Millennium Park

Grant Park Chorus in the Parks 2018

Thu, Jul 19, 2018, 7-8:15PM & Sun, Jul 22, 2018, 7-8:15PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Chorus
Christopher Bell, Chorus Director

Program

Samuel Barber: God’s Grandeur
William Henry Harris: Faire is the Heaven
Anton Bruckner: Virga Jesse
Anton Bruckner: Christus Factus Est
Anton Bruckner: Ave Maria
Benjamin Britten: Hymn to St. Cecilia
Michael Tippet: Spirituals from Child of Our Time
Kenneth Leighton: God’s Grandeur


Millennium Park

Barber Violin Concerto

Fri, Jul 20, 2018, 6:30-8:30PM & Sat, Jul 21, 2018, 7:30-9:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Markus Stenz, Guest Conductor
Paul Huang, Violin

Program

Detlev Glanert: Frenesia
Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 1 - Spring


Millennium Park

Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2

Wed, Jul 25, 2018, 6:30-8PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Gemma New, Guest Conductor
Kirill Gerstein, Piano

Program

Douglas Lilburn: Aotearoa Overture
Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 2


Millennium Park

Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony

Fri, Jul 27, 2018, 6:30-8:30PM & Sat, Jul 28, 2018, 7:30-9:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
David Danzmayr, Guest Conductor
Colin Currie, Percussion

Program

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Norfolk Rhapsody No. 2
Andrew Norman: Switch
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3, Scottish


Millennium Park

Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet

Wed, Aug 1, 2018, 6:30-8PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor

Program

Antonin Dvořák: Othello Overture
Richard Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
Richard Strauss: Macbeth
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasy


Millennium Park

Haydn and Debussy

Fri, Aug 3, 2018, 6:30-8:30PM & Sat, Aug 4, 2018, 7:30-9:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra And Chorus
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
Janai Brugger, Soprano
Lauren Segal, Mezzo Soprano
Brendan Tuohy, Tenor
Michael Sumuel, Bass

Program

Franz Joseph Haydn: Overture: "The Representation of Chaos" from The Creation
Claude Debussy: Nocturnes
Franz Joseph Haydn: Mass in B-flat Major: Theresa Mass


Millennium Park

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1

Wed, Aug 8, 2018, 6:30-8PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
George Li, Piano

Program

John Vincent: Symphony in D Major
Frédéric Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1
Frédéric Chopin (arr. Igor Stravinsky): Nocturne in A-flat Major
Frédéric Chopin (arr. Igor Stravinsky): Grande Valse Brillante


Millennium Park

Prokofiev and Vaughan Williams

Fri, Aug 10, 2018, 6:30-8:30PM & Sat, Aug 11, 2018, 7:30-9:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
Pablo Ferrández, Cello

Program

Sergei Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante
Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphony No 4


Millennium Park

Ryan Opera Center: The Old Maid and the Thief

Wed, Aug 15, 2018, 6:30-7:45PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
Artists Of The Patrick G. And Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center
Ann Toomey, Soprano
Whitney Morrison, Soprano
Lauren Decker, Contralto
Christopher Kenney, Baritone
Ron Magers, Narrator

Program

Gian Carlo Menotti: The Old Maid and the Thief

Millennium Park

Carmina Burana

Fri Aug 17, 2018, 6:30-8:30PM & Sat, Aug 18, 2019, 7:30-9:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Featuring

Grant Park Orchestra And Chorus
Carlos Kalmar, Principal Conductor
Benjamin Rivera, Guest Chorus Director
Claire De Sevigne, Soprano
Michael Maniaci, Counter Tenor
James Westman, Baritone
Members Of The Anima - Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus

Program

Antonin Dvořák: The Water Goblin
Carl Orff: Carmina Burana