Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Center Presents Concerts - The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association offers concerts by acclaimed guest artists in the fields of jazz, classical, world and folk music as part of the Symphony Center Presents series. The 23/24 Season featured over 30 concerts, including recital debuts by pianists Bruce Liu and Lucas and Arthur Jussen; three visiting orchestras, the Staatskapelle Berlin, Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Mahler Chamber Orchestra; and the SCP Jazz series debut of Samara Joy. Christian McBride led a musical tribute to civic rights icons and the all-Black Gateways Festival Orchestra also made its debut. Other artists and ensembles featured on the series included Eliades Ochoa, Anoushka Shankar, "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, Herbie Hancock, Evgeny Kissin and Yo-Yo Ma.

Civic Orchestra of Chicago - The Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the CSO's prestigious training program for young professional musicians, presented seven programs in Orchestra Hall and community venues, including South Shore Cultural Center, Nicholas Senn High School, Kenwood Academy High School and Fourth Presbyterian Church. In addition to gaining performance experience, Civic musicians participated in coaching sessions and workshops with Principal Conductor Ken-David Masur, CSO musicians and guest artists. Eleven Fellows participated in the Civic Fellowship program, which provides select Civic members with supplemental training in artistic planning, music education, social justice and project management. Civic Fellows collaborated with the Chicago Refugee Coalition in a new partnership this season.

Retail Sales - Music-related merchandise is available for purchase at The Symphony Store and online.

Media and Royalty - Radio Broadcast series, in-house recording label, audio recordings in compact disc and digital download formats.

Rentals, Commissions, and Restaurant - Hall Rentals - Performance space provided to Chicagoland arts organizations.

Rentals, Commissions, and Restaurant - Parking Lot provided for audiences' convenience to attend concerts.

Rentals, Commissions, and Restaurant - A dining club and concessions are provided for audiences attending concerts and catering is provided for certain internal events.

Education Concerts and Activities - Across Chicago and around the world, the Negaunee Music Institute connects people to the extraordinary resources of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In the 2023/24 Season, the NMI presented 36 CSO for Kids concerts at Symphony Center, reaching 13,000 Chicago Public School students in 149 CPS schools. Training programs and performance opportunities for young musicians included the Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition, Chicago Youth in Music Festival, Percussion Scholarship Program, Young Composers Initiative and partnerships with local schools and the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. The NMI continued to co-present Notes for Peace, a songwriting project that empowers parents who have lost children to gun violence to create original songs of tribute.

Other Program Services - Program Book Advertising