Visiting Chicago

No trip to Chicago is complete without a Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert. With a recording history that includes 65 Grammy Awards, this storied ensemble promises a live concert experience where extraordinary musicians transform notes on a page into living, breathing art in historic Orchestra Hall, located on Michigan Avenue.

The spring 2025 program schedule includes opportunities to hear the CSO under the baton of Music Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti, who leads the CSO in two weeks of concerts, including Verdi’s dramatic Requiem. Other CSO Classical programs feature the music of Gershwin, Bernstein, Dvořák, Prokofiev, Price and Wagner.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra also offers a movie-going experience like none other. Hear the Orchestra perform the scores alongside the films on the big screen. Upcoming film concerts include the baseball classic Field of Dreams, featuring Kevin Kostner, and the time-traveling adventure Back to the Future, featuring Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox.

Symphony Center also is Chicago’s premier venue for jazz. June brings an all-star ensemble that includes John Clayton, Benny Green and Christian McBride for a rare performance of Oscar Peterson’s Africa Suite, which was inspired by Nelson Mandela and the campaign for human rights in apartheid-era South Africa.

Reserve your seats and head to Chicago, where live music moves beyond sound to stir the spirit.