Grant Park Music Festival kicks off summer concert series with performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue

CHICAGO — The Grant Park Music Festival is bringing world-class performances back to downtown Chicago this summer, and it all gets underway this week.

The Grant Park Music Festival, a free summer-long outdoor concert series dedicated to classical music, kicks off on Wednesday evening with a performance of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, under the direction of conductor Andrew Litton, at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.

In addition to serving as conductor for Wednesday’s performance, Litton will also serve as the featured piano soloist. 

It is the first of more than 20 events set to take place throughout the festival, which runs through Aug. 16.

While several performances will be packed in during the summer series, notable performances include the annual Independence Day Salute on July 4, as well as Joshua Bell and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet on Aug. 6.

The festival wraps up with Carmina Burana on Aug. 15 & 16.

For the most part, concerts are set to take place on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., though there are some additional performances scheduled for Thursdays at a small number of additional locations.

Organizers say the city requires all patrons attending concerts or events in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion to enter from either Randolph or Monroe Streets or from the Millennium Garage and guests are advised to allow for extra time for security checks.

Visit the Grant Park Music Festival website for more information on the festival or to view a full lineup.