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The
Grant Park Orchestra
was formed in 1944 when the Chicago
Park District assembled a single resident orchestra under the direction of Chief
Conductor Nikolai Malko to perform at the Grant Park Music Festival (which began
in 1935 and featured a series of visiting orchestras). Since then, other prestigious
conductors have included Irwin Hoffman, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Zdnek
Macal and Hugh Wolff. In 2000, Carlos Kalmar was named the Festival’s Principal
Conductor.
Today, the Grant Park Orchestra draws its musicians from different orchestras and
musical institutions throughout the United States. Each summer, the orchestra
members gather in Millennium Park for a ten-week season consisting of intensive
rehearsals and performances. During the year, the musicians can be found across
the country performing with major orchestras, teaching at numerous universities
and appearing frequently in concert stages across the country. Organizations
represented by Grant Park Orchestra musicians include the Lyric Opera of
Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, the Buffalo, Colorado, Jacksonville, Kansas City,
Milwaukee, New Mexico, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Richmond, San Antonio, Seattle and
Utah Symphonies. The Grant Park Orchestra was nominated for a Grammy award
in 2004 for its CD entitled Robert Kurka: Symphonic Works.
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, 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 artistic 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 Grant Park
Chorus released Songs of Smaller Creatures and other American Choral Works, a
recording of a cappella music to commemorate its 50th anniversary. This summer,
the Grant Park Chorus will perform at two iconic venues in Chicago neighborhoods:
the South Shore Cultural Center and the Columbus Park Refectory.
orchestra & chorus
