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Register by October 17 to Secure Your Spot!
| Registration Type | Member Price |
|---|---|
| Early Bird Registration (Sept. 11-Oct.3) | $750 |
| General Registration (Oct. 4-Oct.17) | $850 |
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus
Conference Host
For more than 80 years, the Grant Park Music Festival has been Chicago's summer musical sensation, demonstrating that classical music, performed by a world-class orchestra and chorus, can have a transformative impact on the city.
As a creative response to the Great Depression of the 1930s, Mayor Anton Cermak joined forces with James C. Petrillo, the president of the musicians' union, to begin what would become a beloved summertime tradition in Chicago. By 1935, symphonic concerts had become a staple of cultural life in Grant Park, and in 1944 the Chicago Park District formed the Grant Park Orchestra under the direction of Principal Conductor Nikolai Malko. Over the ensuing decades, principal conductors of the Grant Park Orchestra included such illustrious figures as Irwin Hoffman, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Zdenek Macal, and Hugh Wolff, culminating with the appointment of Carlos Kalmar in 2000.
The 100+ member Grant Park Chorus was formed in 1962 by Thomas Peck, who led the group until his death in 1994. His protégé, Michael Cullen, then led the chorus until 1997, after which a series of guest conductors worked with the ensemble until 2002 when an international search identified current chorus director, Christopher Bell. In addition to providing artistic leadership to the Grant Park Chorus, Christopher Bell is also founder of the Apprentice Chorale, which features some of the most talented young vocalists from DePaul and Roosevelt Universities.
Winners of the 2006 Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, the Grant Park Chorus is a fully-professional ensemble, and the majority of the vocalists reside in Illinois. In addition to frequent solo appearances and teaching careers, members of the Grant Park Chorus perform with ensembles such as Chicago a cappella, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Chicago Symphony Chorus. In 2012, the Chorus released Songs of Smaller Creatures and Other American Choral Works, a recording of a cappella music to commemorate its 50th anniversary.
