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Dear Friends,
Welcome to summer in Chicago at the Grant Park
Music Festival!
Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Carlos
Kalmar, Chorus Director Christopher Bell and I are
thrilled to present another season of free concerts at
the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Again this year, the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus
will perform a mix of beloved classics and rarely performed works. You’ll also
hear an evening of Cole Porter music, see a Charlie Chaplin silent film accompa-
nied by the orchestra, and experience a world premiere, as part of the Festival’s
commitment to producing new work.
We’re so proud of
Festival Connect,
our music education and engagement ini-
tiative that we’ve expanded this year. We offer free lectures each night, led by
expert commentators one hour before the concert in the Park’s Family Fun Tent.
Informal talks also take place in the seating bowl at lunchtime, when Festival
docents share insights about the music being rehearsed. This year, we’ll bring
more than 1,500 children from neighborhoods all over Chicago to our half-day
music and arts immersion program,
Classical Campers,
in partnership with the
Chicago Park District.
We hope that you’ll join us when the orchestra and chorus head out to city parks
as part of Mayor Emanuel’s
Night Out in the Parks
program. We can’t wait to
bring the music of Mendelssohn and a Shakespearean choral
a cappella
pro-
gram to the neighborhoods in July.
Our concerts would not be possible without the generous support of our long-
standing partners—the Chicago Park District and the Department of Cultural
Affairs and Special Events. A heartfelt thanks to our members, along with the
many foundations, corporate and individual donors, whose contributed support
help to make our concerts free and accessible for all.
Enjoy tonight’s concert. We hope to see you all season long.
Warm regards,
Paul Winberg
President and CEO
2 0 1 6 G R AN T PA R K MU S I C F E S T I VA L
WELCOME
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