Chicago Symphony Orchestra

05/24/2026

This week on , Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä leads Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, featuring vocal soloist Wiebke Lehmkuhl, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and Uniting Voices Chicago. Tune in tonight on WFMT!

Listen on demand starting tomorrow at cso.org/radio

This week, Zell Music Designate Klaus Mäkelä leads Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, featuring vocal soloist Wiebke Lehmkuhl, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and Uniting Voices Chicago.

05/23/2026

Guest conductor Marin Alsop invites you to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's America 250: A Musical Journey celebration, running throughout June 2026. Experience a dynamic series of programs honoring the rich and evolving landscape of American music.

Learn more and explore the lineup at cso.org/america250

05/22/2026

The CSO continues its wide-ranging tribute to 250 years of American history, with Joshua Weilerstein at the podium for concerts June 18-21. Chicago native and Tony Award-nominee Harry J. Lennix features as narrator in Copland’s powerful Lincoln Portrait.

Get tickets at cso.org/ps/25136

05/22/2026

Congratulations to CSO Assistant Concertmaster Yuan-Qing Yu on a beautiful and technical performance of Kreisler’s Violin Concerto (In the Style of Vivaldi) on Thursday evening!

With James Gaffigan at the helm, the Orchestra also presented a witty program of works inspired by the rhythms found in dance and language — including the first CSO performance of former Mead Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne’s Sound and Fury, alongside Grieg’s Holberg Suite and Haydn’s The Clock.

Hear the program repeated on Friday at 1:30 pm and Saturday at 7:30 pm! Get tickets at cso.org/ps/25132

📷: Todd Rosenberg

05/21/2026

For inspiration, composer Adolphus Hailstork has observed: “I always go to the Psalms. What I do is select the words that create a visceral response in me." Hear his three-movement cantata I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, under conductor James Gaffigan, and the Apostolic Church of God Sanctuary Choir in concerts June 11-13.

Get tickets → cso.org/ps/25135

For inspiration, composer Adolphus Hailstork has observed: “I always go to the Psalms. What I do is select the words that create a visceral response in me."

05/21/2026

We are so fortunate to have James Gaffigan back on the podium in Orchestra Hall, for not one but TWO programs this spring!

Hear more about the concerts he has in store for you:
♦️ Sound and Fury, May 21-23 (featuring CSO Assistant Concertmaster Yuan-Qing Yu in Kreisler’s Violin Concerto)
♦️ Gaffigan, Jean-Yves Thibaudet & Bernstein, June 11-13 (featuring the Apostolic Church of God - Chicago Sanctuary Choir in a selection of spirituals)

Visit cso.org to learn more.

Primo Artists

05/21/2026

Celebrate some of history’s greatest American jazz band leaders at Symphony Center next month — with live performances of works by Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and more.

Explore programming at cso.org/america250

05/21/2026

From its digital launch to a pilot program across 42 classrooms in 12 Chicago public Pre-K schools, and finally to its live symphonic debut, Cabinet of Wonder "acts as a powerful teaching tool designed to harness music to stimulate early cognitive, social, and emotional development," says speech-language pathologist Meredith Harrison. Learn more about this unique partnership featuring Natalie Merchant, the CSO's Negaunee Music Institute, and Chicago Children's Theatre.

Explore music, videos and learning resources at cabinetofwonder.org

How NMI's Mother Goose & the Cabinet of Wonder acts as a powerful teaching tool designed to harness music to stimulate early cognitive, social and emotional development.

05/20/2026

For his upcoming solo recital, pianist Conrad Tao homes in on the early 20th century American music to explore a “cloud of associations” among the musical styles of this period, including jazz, theatrical and cinematic music. Read his full remarks on the program before his performance on June 7.

Get tickets → cso.org/ps/25273

Pianist Conrad Tao believes he owes a debt to Chicago: “Looking back, I’m just so delighted [Chicago] was where I got my musical start, because it has such amazing musicians, but there is also just an intimacy and a calmness to it.”

05/20/2026

“Performing and nurturing the future of jazz and its musicians through JALC has been the honor of a lifetime,” said artistic director and founder Wynton Marsalis, who begins a 2.5-year leadership transition next season.

Don’t miss your chance to hear the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in two programs this June at Symphony Center. Learn more at order.cso.org/events/25134,25367

Composer-trumpeter Wynton Marsalis has decided to pare back his leadership roles of Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

05/20/2026

What audiences will hear throughout the month of June at Symphony Center is a distinctively American lineup of music — not because it has a singular instantly identifiable accent or style, but because it reflects the breadth and variety of the landscapes, traditions and peoples of our country.

Learn more about America 250: A Musical Journey and plan your visit at cso.org/america250

A series of programs reflect how far we have come as a land of music and musicians. And in the end, they speak to us about who we are now.