GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL JULY HIGHLIGHTS
INCLUDE AN INDEPENDENCE DAY SALUTE AND A SONDHEIM CELEBRATION WITH GUEST CONDUCTOR PAUL GEMIGNANI
CHICAGO (June 22, 2015) — The 81st annual Grant Park Music Festival continues into July with the patriotic annual Independence Day Salute, a theatrical Sondheim Celebration, Leonard Bernstein’s vibrant, jazz-tinged Fancy Free and more. Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar leads the Grammy-nominated Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus Director Christopher Bell directs the award-winning Grant Park Chorus in a ten-week season that continues through August 22 at the Festival’s home in Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion, with additional performances at the South Shore Cultural Center, the Columbus Park Refectory and the Harris Theatre. With a few exceptions during the neighboring Taste of Chicago, Festival concerts are Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. The July program schedule is below. A complete Grant Park Music Festival schedule is accessible at www.gpmf.org.
July highlights of the nation’s only free, summer-long outdoor classical music series of its kind include Christopher Bell leading the Grant Park Orchestra for the annual Independence Day Salute, full of patriotic favorites including Gershwin’s soaring Piano Concerto in F with pianist Terrence Wilson (July 4). Then enjoy a little night music and celebrate the award-winning master of the musical in A Sondheim Celebration led by Broadway conductor and long-time Sondheim collaborator Paul Gemignani, with Illinois native and Broadway veteran Elizabeth Stanley, Broadway tenor Alexander Gemignani and the Grant Park Orchestra performing Sondheim favorites, including selections from Sweeney Todd, Company, Into the Woods and the world premiere of A Little Night Music symphonic suite (July 10-11).
Prolific film, TV and stage composer Douglas Cuomo (who wrote the theme song to Sex and the City) will be busy during his five-day residency with the Festival. The Grant Park Orchestra will perform excerpts from Cuomo’s opera Doubt (based on John Patrick Shanley’s play and film of the same name) during the contemporary American opera program (July 22). Audiences can learn more about Cuomo’s work first-hand at a Brown Bag lunch Q&A at the open rehearsal July 21 during the orchestra break (approximately 12 noon). On performance day, Seth Boustead, host of WFMT’s Relevant Tones, leads an in-depth discussion with Cuomo about his creative process at the Club 615 pre-concert lecture on July 22, 5:30 p.m. in Millennium Park’s Family Fun Tent.
In July, audiences will also hear Schummann’s beloved Rhenish Symphony and Lalo’s Cello Concerto with guest artist Tanja Tetzlaff (July 3), excerpts from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet with guest conductor Thierry Fischer (July 15), Brahms’ lush A German Requiem with rising stars Caitlin Lynch and Stephen Hegedus (July 17-18) and Dvořák’s beautiful, large-scale Symphony No. 6 with guest conductor Thomas Wilkins (July 29). The month concludes with a powerful program including the prelude to Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 with guest conductor Christoph König making his Festival debut, indoors at the Harris Theatre (July 31 and Aug. 1).
Christopher Bell and the Grant Park Chorus return to two of the city’s cultural hubs – the magnificent South Shore Cultural Center July 21 at 7 p.m., and the Columbus Park Refectory July 23 at 7 p.m. – with Songs from the Heart, a concert of a cappella music including Douglas Cuomo’s Kyrie, as part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Night Out in the Parks program.
WFMT’s Relevant Tones host Seth Boustead, Rivet Radio’s Dialogue host Ron Litke, CSO’s Sounds and Stories contributor Laura Sauer, former WFMT Program Director Dennis Moore and production manager Gary Zabinski host free Club 615 pre-concert lectures every Wednesday and Friday at 5:30pm and Saturdays at 6:15 p.m. in Millennium Park’s Family Fun Tent located just west of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Special guests at these lectures include Project Inclusion String Quartet (July 15), soprano Caitlin Lynch and bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus (July 17, 18), composer Douglas Cuomo (July 22) and pianist Andrew von Oeyen (July 24, 25).
Creative Chicagoans are invited to pack a festive picnic and show off their clever, elaborate and imaginative feasts in the fourth annual Grant Park Music Festival Picnic Contest Saturday, July 25, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. on the Great Lawn before the Grant Park Orchestra takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. to perform Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 with guest conductor Emmanuel Villaume and guest pianist Andrew von Oeyen. This year’s contest theme, A Danceable Feast, is inspired by the furious tarantella that closes Saint-Saëns’ popular work. For more information about the Grant Park Music Festival picnic contest, visit grantparkmusicfestival.com/dining or call 312.742.7638.
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