Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

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Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1921 by State Street businessman George Lytton as the “Chicago Businessmen's Orchestra,” the orchestra enjoyed an excellent reputation.

Concerts were played at Orchestra Hall under the direction of such noteworthy guest conductors as Frederick Stock, Rafael Kubelík, George Dasch, and Igor Stravinsky. Soloists included such distinguished names as Percy Grainger, Mischa Mischakoff, Louis Sudler, and William Warfield. Today transformed into the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, it has grown tremendously, performing outstanding

repertoire, including Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra; Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique; Strauss' Death and Transfiguration; Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5; and Mahler's Symphony No. 1. The CMSO has performed with soloists from the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra and Chorus and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, the audience has dramatically increased and enjoys accessibly priced concerts at the modern and elegant Gottlieb Concert Hall in the Joy Faith Knapp Music Center, located in the West Loop/Greektown neighborhood of Chicago. In 2001, Mayor Richard M. Daley proclaimed an entire day to honor this orchestra. Under the direction of our award-winning Music Director and Conductor, Russell Vinick, the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra celebrates 97 years of outstanding programs for the Chicago community!

03/22/2026

Join us this Saturday for our second performance of the season. Enjoy this with a friend! Debussy based this on the poem of his close friend, Ravel commemorated friends who died in WWI, and Elgar represented each of his friends with a variation.

12/02/2025

On this Giving Tuesday, the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra humbly asks for your contribution to the continued legacy of our organization.
As one of the city's most enduring institutions, the CMSO has proudly served the Chicago community for over a century providing exceptional musical programming. This tradition of excellence is maintained through the support of patrons like you.
Your contribution is critical. All gifts, large and small, allow us to continue providing high caliber performances for our community and maintain our operational budget.
Your donation ensures the ongoing preservation and performance of classical music for our community and our beloved city of Chicago.

Donate today at www.cmsorch.org

11/13/2025

Mozart’s sublime music with Brahms’s dramatic masterpiece! Featuring Qing Hou and Lawrence Neuman of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Join us on Saturday, November 22nd at 7:30pm for the first performance of our 2025-2026 season!

Tickets for this show, along with our other performances for the season, are available now at www.cmsorch.org

Interested in joining the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra? Reach out at auditions@cmsorch.org Details and more i...

08/14/2025

Interested in joining the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra? Reach out at [email protected]

Details and more information at the link in our bio, or www.cmsorch.org

04/04/2025

Come one, come all to our final performance of the season! Join us Sunday April 27th at 3pm. Tickets available at cmsorch.org, we hope to see you then!

03/14/2025

Time is almost out to buy tickets for tomorrow's "Tragedy and Comedy" concert at 7:30pm!

WFMT's Robbie Ellis Musics will be performing some of his own works and favorites by renowned American satirist and musician Tom Lehrer.

Robbie is sure to have us all laughing and then together we'll recount the perils and joys of forbidden love with Bernstein's beautifully tragic Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

See you there!

A treasured tragic love story along with comedy songs performed by WFMT's Robbie Ellis!

01/31/2025

Tragedy and Comedy
A treasured tragic love story along with comedy songs performed by WFMT’s Robbie Ellis!
We look forward to seeing you on March 15th. Tickets available at www.cmsorch.org

12/03/2024

Today, and every day, we are thankful for your support of the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Consider us for your Giving Tuesday donations and help keep music alive. Visit www.cmsorch.org to support.

11/25/2024

What a fantastic concert last Saturday! The orchestra loved performing the Elgar Cello Concerto with Stephen Balderston and there was palpable energy in the air throughout Dvorak Symphony No. 7.

We're so thankful for our connections in the community this week. There was a special guest in the audience on Saturday, Mr. Otto Dolansky, who was a member of the viola section back in 1957 with music director Herbert Zipper when we were still known as the Chicago Business Men's Orchestra.

Mr. Dolansky even wrote a thesis about our orchestra in 1961 while getting his Masters in Music from Northwestern University and him and his friend Anna Ramirez have begun helping us fill in some of our historical gaps (more to come on this). Sadly we failed to capture any pictures of Mr. Dolansky's very special socks featuring Dvorak's face!

11/18/2024

Weekend plans? Look no further! We can't wait to perform for you this Saturday, November 23rd. See you there!
Tickets available at www.cmsorch.org

11/04/2024

We look forward to seeing you at our next performance, just a few weeks away! You won’t want to miss it.
Tickets are available at www.cmsorch.org

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Chicago, IL

Website

https://www.cmsorch.org/

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About the CMSO

Founded in 1921 by State Street businessman George Lytton as the “Chicago Businessmen's Orchestra,” the orchestra enjoyed an excellent reputation. Concerts were played at Orchestra Hall under the direction of such noteworthy guest conductors as Frederick Stock, Rafael Kubelík, George Dasch, and Igor Stravinsky. Soloists included such distinguished names as Percy Grainger, Mischa Mischakoff, Louis Sudler, and William Warfield. Today transformed into the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, it has grown tremendously, performing outstanding repertoire, including Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra; Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique; Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration; Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5; and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. The CMSO has performed with soloists from the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra and Chorus and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, the audience has dramatically increased and enjoys accessibly priced concerts at the modern and elegant Gottlieb Concert Hall in the Joy Faith Knapp Music Center, located in the West Loop/Greektown neighborhood of Chicago. In 2001, Mayor Richard M. Daley proclaimed an entire day to honor this orchestra. Under the direction of our award-winning Music Director and Conductor, Russell Vinick, the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra celebrates nearly 100 years of outstanding programs for the Chicago community!