gpmf.org | 19
2 0 1 5 G R AN T PA R K MU S I C F E S T I VA L
INDEPENDENCE
DAY SALUTE
The Grant Park Music Festival’s annual
Independence Day Salute
distinguishes
itself as one of Millennium Park’s most
popular concerts of the summer. A standout
among the City’s plentiful summertime
cultural offerings, the program of rousing
marches and anthems attracts more than
11,000 Chicagoans and visitors to the
Pritzker Pavilion, providing the ultimate
soundtrack to downtown’s favorite
Independence Day picnic under the stars.
Audiences look forward to the program of patriotic stalwarts – particularly
the
1812 Overture, Appalachian Spring
and the
Armed Forces Salute –
with
Christopher Bell leading the Grant Park
Orchestra. This year, Grammy-nominated
pianist Terrence Wilson shakes up the
festivities, performing Gershwin’s jazz-
flavored Piano Concerto in F.
Patrons have come to anticipate Bell’s
signature flashy outfits of red, white and
blue, including starred and striped vests,
kilts and platform shoes. Bell, an Irishman
who calls it a privilege to conduct these
concerts, remains tight-lipped about this
year’s garb, but this season audiences
can get a sneak peek at his outfit; the
entire
Independence Day Salute
will
be previewed on Wednesday, July 1,
6:30pm at the South Shore Cultural
Center, where a limited number of free
seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The preview performance
is part of the Chicago Park District’s
Night Out in the Parks
program.
To celebrate the nation’s 239
th
birthday, Chicagoans are invited to grab a seat
down front or pack a picnic on the lawn and take in the sounds of Sousa’s
Stars
and Stripes Forever
before shifting their attention to the Navy Pier fireworks
visible along the lakefront
after the conclusion of the
concert at 9:30pm.
To purchase a One Night pass for
the Independence Day Salute
at the Pritzker Pavilion,
call 312.742.7647 or vis
Audience members showing their
patriotic spirit.
Chorus Director Christopher Bell in his
Independence Day finery.
