Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Center marks the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary with performances that honor the nation’s rich and evolving cultural landscape. From concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to appearances by guest artists and jazz ensembles, these programs reflect the country’s resilience, creativity and musical traditions. Highlights include a Wynton Marsalis’ symphony with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Conrad Tao’s recital with music by American composers.

When the Chicago Symphony Orchestra returns in July to its longtime summer home, the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, for its 90th anniversary residency, it will be performing on the completely renovated stage of the newly named Hunter Pavilion. The Pavilion, Ravinia’s largest theater, has received a new stage, seats and lighting, along with enhanced acoustics and improved production capabilities as part of Ravinia’s $75 million “Setting the Stages” campaign.

Giving blood saves lives, but the process often seems daunting for potential donors, especially those who feel anxious in medical settings. Abbott Laboratories, a medical technology and pharmaceutical company based in Chicago’s northern suburbs, aims to make the experience more comfortable through an initiative that combines interactive video games with original music.

As part of the America 250 programming planned at Symphony Center in June 2026, audiences can enhance their exploration of some of the featured artists and music through a new curated reading list created in partnership with staff at the Chicago Public Library. Books on the reading list highlight the stories and music of American composers including John Adams, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Wynton Marsalis and John Williams.

May 26, 2026 Frank Villella 5 min read Samuel Magad in the 1990s The Chicago Symphony Orchestra family mourns the loss of Samuel Magad, who served as a member of the first violin section from 1958 until 2007, including 35 years as concertmaster, the position he held longer than any other player in the CSO’s history. He died on May 25, 2026, in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Magad was 94. Samuel Magad was born in Chicago on May 14, 1932.

Joshua Weilerstein’s conducting career has taken him far afield from his hometown of Rochester, New York. Currently based in London, he’s the music director of the Orchestre National de Lille (France) and chief conductor of the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra in Denmark. Still, American music remains a staple of his repertoire.

May 15, 2026 Frank Villella ‹ 5 min read Leonard Bernstein in rehearsal with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in June 1988 In September 1943 Artur Rodziński, music director of the New York Philharmonic, invited Leonard Bernstein to be his assistant conductor. Barely two months later, on November 14, the 25-year-old conductor was a last-minute substitute for an ailing Bruno Walter, leading the ensemble in Carnegie Hall without a rehearsal.

Harry Lennix has had a long career as an actor on stage, screen and TV. But when he narrates Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, he will also be drawing on his musical training. The Chicago native has done the piece elsewhere, and he says, “The music does a lot of the work for me.

May 07, 2026 Laura Emerick 15 min read Hailed throughout Mexico and Latin America as "The Queen of Ranchera Music," Aida Cuevas says of her early mentor Juan Gabriel: "He perfectly understood how to touch people’s souls through a song," Ranchera, the signature sound of Mexico, has had its royalty, notably Vicente Fernández (1940-2021), "El Rey (The King) de la Música Ranchera.” And there has been a succession of queens, including Lucha Reyes (1906-1944), Amalia Mendoza (1923–2001) and Lola...

Cheryl Frazes Hill In 1976 Cheryl Frazes Hill joined the Chicago Symphony Chorus as a singer, and in 1987 she was appointed to the conducting staff by founder and first director Margaret Hillis. She assisted Hillis until her retirement in 1994, continued in that role with former director Duain Wolfe from 1994 until his retirement in 2022 and she currently works with Donald Palumbo, who became director in 2025. In 2025–26, Frazes Hill celebrates her 50th season with the Chorus.