| 13rd | Top festivals in Chicago |
| Grant Park Music Festival | |
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July 5, 2008
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| Location(s) | Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, Chicago, IL,  United States |
| Years active | July 1, 1935-present |
| Date(s) | Wed - Sun, June - August |
| Genre | classical music festival |
| Website | www.grantparkmusicfestival.com |
Grant Park Music Festival is an annual classical music concert series held in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is claimed to be the nation's only free, outdoor classical music series.[1] It is currently housed in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The 2004 season in which the festival moved to the Pritzker Pavilion was the 70th season for the festival.[2] Formerly, the Grant Park Music Festival was held at the Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park.[3] On occasion, the festival is held at the Harris Theater.[4]
The Grant Park Music Festival has been a Chicago tradition since 1931 when Anton Cermak suggested free concerts to lift spirits of Chicagoans during the Great Depression.[5][6] The first concert occurred after the completion of the original Petrillo Music Shell on July 1, 1935 with a march from Richard Wagner's Tannhauser.[6] In the past, National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS) have broadcast concerts for the free concerts.[6] The first summer boasted an attendance of approximately 1.9 million ofr 65 concerts.[7] In 1939, the single-concert attendance record was set with over 300,000 for the Lily Pons concert.[8] David Rubinoff was estimated to have drawn as many as 225,000.[9]
In addition to lifing spirits, the Grant Park Music Festival has been able to provide musicians a living wage. In 1938, when the minimum wage was $0.25/hour, the musicians were paid $10 ($151.23 in current dollar terms) for a 2 hour concert.[9]
Currently, The festival features the Grammy-Nominated Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and is sponsored by the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the Grant Park Orchestral Association.[1] The performance schedule includes ten consecutive weeks of performances on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from mid June to mid August.[10] Currently , performances usually begin at 6:30 with band shell seats reserved for subscribers. Unclaimed seats are released to the public 15 minutes before each performance. The lawn seating is free and commonly adorned with blankets and families.
The principal conductor is Carlos Kalmar. Guests in the 2007 season included Marc-André Hamelin, Russell Braun, Erin Wall, Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus and many more performing the works of composers such as Brahms, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Leo Brouwer, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Tan Dun, and Ferruccio Busoni.[10]
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   | Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park - Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park - Grant Park Museums - Chicago, IL 60602 | Metromix Chicago |
| | The Jay Pritzker Music Pavilion Sounds as Good as it Looks - Millenium Park Chicago |
| | www.grantparkmusicfestival.com - Classical Concerts in Millennium Park | The Grant Park Music Festival |
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