Christopher Bell conducts a Grant Park Music Festival Independence Day Salute concert (Photo: Norman Timonera)
With the Grant Park Music Festival’s long-awaited return to live programming in sight, WFMT is thrilled to resume the annual series of live radio broadcasts from the Pritzker Pavilion. Last month, the festival announced its plans for a slimmed-down 2021 season, and today, WFMT is announcing this year’s ten installments in the Grant Park Music Festival live broadcast series, kicking off on July 2 and concluding on August 20.
Independence Day Salute
July 2, 2021, at 6:30 pm
The Grant Park Music Festival’s 2021 season premiere is also one of its hallmark programs: the perennial Independence Day Salute, which samples celebratory and quintessentially American music. This year, the concert will be conducted by Christopher Bell and Carlos Kalmar and will feature music by Tchaikovsky, Price, Walker, and Sousa.
William Tell Overture
July 7, 2021, at 6:30 pm
Carlos Kalmar conducts the Grant Park Orchestra and guest soloist Joyce Yang, piano, in music by Bizet, Grieg, Rossini, and Perry.
Beethoven’s First Symphony
July 14, 2021, at 6:30 pm
Carlos Kalmar conducts this program of music by Beethoven, Haydn, and Anna Clyne.
Conductor Carlos Kalmar leads the Grant Park Orchestra.
Sibelius Symphony No. 5
July 16, 2021, at 6:30 pm
Carlos Kalmar welcomes violist Masumi Per Rostad to perform Margaret Brouwer’s Viola Concerto. a Grant Park Music Festival co-commission. Also featured in this program is music by Bernstein and Sibelius.
Dvořák’s New World Symphony
July 23, 2021, at 6:30 pm
Guest conductor Eun Sun Kim leads the Grant Park Orchestra and guest artist Natasha Paremski in this performance of music by Shostakovich, Dvořák, and Texu Kim.
Eun Sun Kim
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
July 28, 2021, at 6:30 pm
Carlos Kalmar conducts the Grant Park Orchestra and guest artist Anthony Trionfo, flute, in music by Debussy, Mercadante, and Saint-Saëns.
Anthony Trionfo
From Ireland with Love
August 4, 2021, at 6:30 pm
Christopher Bell conducts the Grant Park Chorus in an evening of music from the Isle of Erin.
Sibelius Violin Concerto
August 6, 2021, at 6:30 pm
Carlos Kalmar conducts the Grant Park Orchestra and violinist Augustin Hadelich in music by Sibelius and Tchaikovsky.
Family Night: Carnival of the Animals
August 11, 2021, at 6:30 pm
An evening of music for everyone! Kid-friendly selections by Offenbach, Saint-Saëns, and Grieg conducted by Norman Huynh.
Norman Huynh
Handel ‘Te Deum’
August 20, 2021, at 6:30 pm
2021 Season Finale: Carlos Kalmar conducts violinist Vadim Gluzman and the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus in music by Gabriela Lena Frank, Mozart, and Handel.
On June 14, the Grant Park Music Festival announced that Jessie Montgomery’s L.E.S. Characters — a festival co-commission that Masumi Per Rostad was originally slated to perform in this program — will have its world premiere postponed to 2022.
