Grant Park Music Festival sets summer lineup

The Grant Park Music Festival on Tuesday announced its 2025 season, the first under new artistic director and principal conductor Giancarlo Guerrero.

The free 10-week series runs June 11 through Aug. 16 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., Chicago.

Highlights include Holst’s “The Planets,” Ravel’s “Bolero,” Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto” and Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” along with a Rodgers and Hammerstein celebration and the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus’ annual Independence Day concert.

“Our programming reflects the rich and multifaceted culture of Chicago,” said Guerrero in a prepared statement. “Everyone from classical music fans to those new to the genre will find something to love. Well-known works by the giants of classical music will be presented on the same programs as music from spectacular contemporary composers whose pieces deserve to be heard alongside those legendary composers.”

The season features works by composers with Chicago ties Augusta Read Thomas and Stacy Garrop, whose new composition inspired by the Jay Pritzker Pavilion premieres this summer. It is one of 10 Illinois premieres and two Chicago premieres including Chelsea Komschilies’ “Mycelialore,” a Grant Park Music Festival co-commission.

Most performances take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Pritzker Pavilion. Exceptions include June 26 and 30 concerts with the Grant Park Chorus at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive, Chicago; concerts June 27 and 28 and Aug. 1 and 2 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St., Chicago, and the July 3 Pritzker Pavilion concert (no performance July 5).

Concerts are free, but Grant Park Music Festival memberships are available. They include reserved seats and access to preconcert receptions. Memberships start at $103. (312) 742-7647 or gpmf.org.