The Grant Park Music Festival will host thirty concerts, put on at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar and several guest conductors will lead the Grant Park Orchestra, along with Chorus Director Christopher Bell and the Grant Park Chorus, in a ten-week season.
Highlights of the season include
Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana
Mozart’s Violin Concerto with William Hagen
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5
Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Natasha Paremski
Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Johannes Moser
Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Ēriks Ešenvalds — world premiere of a large-scale work for orchestra and chorus by Latvian composer.
Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Kirill Gerstein, with conductor Gemma New
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue
Highlighted Vocalists at the Festival
John Brancy, baritone
Janai Brugger, soprano
Claire de Sevigne, soprano
Michael Maniaci, counter tenor
Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano
Lauren Segal, mezzo-soprano
Michael Sumuel, bass
Brendan Tuohy, tenor
The City of Chicago’s Year of Creative Youth — Young Guest Artist Showcase
16 year old pianist Emily Bear
22 year old pianist George Li performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1
24 year old violinist William Hagen
25 year old Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrández
The Festival will also showcase the return of rarely performed works
William Walton’s choral piece Belshazzar’s Feast
Charles Tomlinson Griffes’ Poem for Flute and Orchestra
Gian CarloMenotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief
Antonin Dvořák’s Water Goblin
Serge Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 4.
The season will also feature the debuts of guest conductors Roderick Cox, David Danzmayr, Dennis Russell Davies, Vinay Parameswaran and Markus Stenz.
Featured Conductors
Carlos Kalmar
Carlos Kalmar has been Principal Conductor of the Grant Park Music Festival since 2000, and in 2011 was named Artistic Director and Principal Conductor.
Christopher Bell
Now in his 17th Season with the Grant Park Music Festival, Christopher Bell has served as Chorus Director of the Grant Park Chorus since 2002. Born in Belfast, Bell was educated at Edinburgh University and held his first post as Associate Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony.
2018 Season Repertoire
OPENING NIGHT
HAYDN AND WALTON
Wednesday, June 13, 6:30 PM
Saturday June 16, 7:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Dashon Burton, baritone
Shepherd: Magiya
Haydn: Symphony No. 99
Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast
MOZART VIOLIN CONCERTO
Friday, June 15, 6:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; William Hagen, violin
Gluck: Overture: Orfeo ed Euridice
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major
Weber: Overture: Euryanthe
Elgar: Enigma Variations
BERNSTEIN, BRAHMS AND A WORLD PREMIERE
Wednesday, June 20, 6:30 PM
Friday, June 22, 6:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus; Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Brahms: Gesang der Parzen
Messiaen: O Sacrum Convivium
Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Ešenvalds: World Premiere
RACHMANINOV PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3
Saturday, June 23, 7:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Natasha Paremski, piano
Piston: Symphony No. 6
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3
SCHUBERT SYMPHONY NO. 3
Wednesday, June 27, 6:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Adam Walker, flute
Roussel: Le festin de l’araignée
Nielsen: Flute Concerto
Griffes: Poem
Schubert: Symphony No. 3
DVOŘÁK CELLO CONCERTO
Friday, June 29, 6:30 PM
Saturday June 30, 7:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Johannes Moser, cello
Dvořák: Cello Concerto
Kodály: Summer Evening
Janáček: Sinfonietta
INDEPENDENCE DAY SALUTE + GERSHWIN’S RHAPSODY IN BLUE
Wednesday, July 4, 6:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Christopher Bell, conductor; Emily Bear, piano
Christopher Bell leads the Festival’s annual Independence Day tradition, featuring an evening of patriotic favorites, plus George Gershwin’s triumphant Rhapsody in Blue.
TCHAIKOVSKY SYMPHONY NO. 5
Friday, July 6, 6:30 PM
Saturday, July 7, 7:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, guest conductor; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
Bolcom: Symphony No. 4
Bolcom: Symphony No. 5: Machine
MUSIC OF THE SILVER SCREEN: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS AND MORE
Wednesday, July 11, 8:00 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Vinay Parameswaran, guest conductor
Orchestral favorites from An American in Paris, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Citizen Kane, Ben Hur and more
I COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT: BROADWAY’S LERNER AND LOEWE
Friday, July 13, 8:00 PM
Saturday, July 14, 8:00 PM
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus; Kevin Stites, guest conductor; Sierra Boggess, Ryan Silverman, Ben Crawford, vocalists
The Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus and guest artists from the Broadway stage in an evening of favorites by the acclaimed team of librettist-lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe. With selections from My Fair Lady, Camelot, Brigadoon, Gigi and more.
BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 2
Wednesday, July 18, 6:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Roderick Cox, guest conductor; Jeremy Black, violin; Walter Haman, cello; Eric Hall, bassoon; Nathan Mills, oboe
Beethoven: Symphony No. 2
Haydn: Sinfonia Concertante
Wagner: Overture to Tannhäuser
GRANT PARK CHORUS IN THE PARKS NOTE LOCATIONS
Thursday, July 19, 7:00 PM South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive
Sunday, July 22, 7:00 PM Columbus Park Refectory, 5701 W. Jackson Boulevard
Christopher Bell, conductor
Christopher Bell and the Grant Park Chorus return to two of the city’s cultural hubs with a concert of a cappella music, featuring works by Bruckner, Britten, Tippet, Leighton and more.
BARBER VIOLIN CONCERTO
Friday, July 20, 6:30 PM
Saturday, July 21, 7:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Markus Stenz, guest conductor; Paul Huang, violin
Glanert: Frenesia
Barber: Violin Concerto
Schumann: Symphony No. 1, Spring
LISZT PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2
Wednesday, July 25, 6:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Gemma New, guest conductor; Kirill Gerstein, piano
Lilburn: Aotearoa
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2
MENDELSSOHN SCOTTISH SYMPHONY
Friday, July 27, 6:30 PM
Saturday, July 28, 7:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; David Danzmayr, guest conductor; Colin Currie, percussion
Vaughan Williams: Norfolk Rhapsody No. 2
Norman: Switch
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3, Scottish
TCHAIKOVSKY ROMEO AND JULIET
Wednesday, August 1, 6:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Dvořák: Othello Overture
Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde
Strauss: Macbeth
Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasy
HAYDN AND DEBUSSY NOTE LOCATION
Friday, August 3, 6:30 PM
Saturday, August 4, 7:30 PM
Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph Street
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Janai Brugger, Lauren Segal, mezzo-soprano; Brendan Touhy, tenor; Michael Sumuel, bass
Haydn: The Creation: Overture
Debussy: Nocturnes
Haydn: Mass in B-flat Major: Theresa Mass
CHOPIN PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1
Wednesday, August 8, 6:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; George Li, piano
Vincent: Symphony in D Major
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1
Chopin: Nocturne in A-flat Major
Chopin: Grande Valse Brilliante
PROKOFIEV AND VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Friday, August 10, 6:30 PM
Saturday, August 11, 7:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Pablo Ferrández, cello
Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante
Ives: The Unanswered Question
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 4
RYAN OPERA CENTER: THE OLD MAID AND THE THIEF
Wednesday, August 15, 6:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Artists from Lyric Opera’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center
Menotti: The Old Maid and the Thief
CARMINA BURANA
Friday, August 18, 6:30 PM
Saturday, August 19, 7:30 PM
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Claire de Sevigne, soprano; Michael Maniaci, counter tenor; James Westman, baritone; members of the Anima – Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus
Dvořák: Water Goblin
Orff: Carmina Burana
When:
June 13 - August 18
Concerts will take place Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6:30 p.m., and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m.
Where:
Millenium Park
Tickets:
General Admission - free
Grant Park Music Festival Membership - $96
For additional information and a complete schedule, visit the Grant Park Music Festival website.
Photos courtesy of Grant Park Orchestral Association
