Grant Park Music Festival

In 2022, the Grant Park music festival marked its 88th season of bringing chicagoans together through the shared experience of live symphonic music. The 2022 festival marked the return to pre-pandemic programming levels, with the Grant Park music festival producing ten weeks of free performances, community activities, and education programs from june 15 - august 20. An estimated 170,000 people of all ages enjoyed the festival's free concerts in millennium Park, while a further 37,000 chicagoans took part in programs citywide. Through its partnership with wfmt, the festival shared its mainstage performances with an additional 500,000 listeners via radio and worldwide internet streaming. Audiences enjoyed a wealth of first-time festival experiences, including five world premieres, three Illinois premieres, and 12 festival premieres - ranging from compositions by florence price, jennifer higdon, dmitri shostakovich, william Grant still, and christopher theofanidis to brand new festival commissions from billy childs and mischa zupko. In a nod to chicago's own rich music culture, the festival presented its first-ever gospel jubilee as well as a special mariachi fiesta concert. And the award-winning Grant Park chorus celebrated its 60th anniversary with britten's spring symphony, haydn's monumental "creation", and a special all-choral program. The festival featured acclaimed guest soloists, introducing audiences to exciting young talent and hosting the return of festival favorites christian tetzlaff and rachel barton pine. New faces at the festival included pianists michelle cann, simon trpeski, andreas haefliger, and the zofo piano duo; flutist marina piccinini; and conductor jonathon heyward.

The festival's free education and community programs for audiences of all ages and levels of experience with classical music extend the festival's reach to neighborhoods throughout chicago. With the lifting of covid-related restrictions in summer 2022, the festival was able to restore the full scope of its pre-pandemic programming, including pre-concert talks and events; the classical campers program; night out in the parks performances; the centerstage recital series; the visiting masters series of master classes; the young artists showcase events; and the festival's string and vocal fellowship programs.