Grant Park Music Festival

Enriching lives through the power of music.

The Grant Park Music Festival was conceived by Mayor A. J. Cermak during the Great Depression in 1931 when the city presented a series of free concerts to lift the spirits of Chicagoans. The following year, James C. Petrillo, the president of the Chicago Federation of Musicians, vigorously labored to turn these concerts into a permanent summer tradition. Petrillos motives were twofold to make...

The Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar and Chorus Director Chri...stopher Bell, is made up of professional musicians from organizations across the country. Each summer they gather in Millennium Park for over 30 free performances of both beloved and rarely heard masterpieces. See More