Chicago Youth in Music Festival
The Chicago Youth in Music Festival is an annual celebration of young people who are passionate about symphony orchestras. The 2025 Festival takes place throughout April at Symphony Center and across the city of Chicago.
2025 Equity Arc Annual Convening and Pathways Orchestra
Equity Arc is a national music organization that provides specialized mentorship for BIPOC youth and helps institutions take meaningful steps toward equity and inclusion. Equity Arc’s 2025 Annual Convening takes place in Chicago April 4-6, 2025 and is co-hosted and co-presented by the Negaunee Music Institute. The Convening includes a festival ensemble (the “Equity Arc Pathways Orchestra” or EAPO) of over 60 high school musicians from pathways programs across the country. The ensemble is conducted by Kyle Dickson and students rehearse at Symphony Center throughout the weekend. For its final concert on Sunday, April 6 at 2:00pm in Orchestra Hall, students will be joined by musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Civic Orchestra of Chicago. In addition, EAPO students will attend a CSO concert and CSO musicians will lead sectionals.
Civic Orchestra Cycle with Carlos Miguel Prieto and Professional Fellows
Equity Arc supports BIPOC musicians at all stages of the training pathway. As part of the 2025 Annual Convening, the NMI and Equity Arc will engage approximately ten musicians from professional orchestra diversity fellowships in the Civic Orchestra’s concerts of Shostakovich Symphony No. 7 led by conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto. The concert cycle culminates in a performance in Orchestra Hall on Sunday, April 6 at 7:00pm. The ensemble will also perform a free community concert on Saturday, April 5 at 2:00pm at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville.
CSO Fellows Jesús Linárez and Oliva Reyes are two of the guest musicians in this project playing as concertmaster and principal bass, respectively. Additional fellows represent orchestras in Minnesota, Cincinnati, Dallas, and more.
Community Youth Orchestra Convening
On Saturday, April 19, students from four community youth orchestras come together for side-by-side rehearsals and activities with the Civic Orchestra. The participating programs are Chicago Arts and Music Project, Chicago Metamorphosis Orchestra Project, The People’s Music School and Sistema Ravinia.
CPS Band Convening
On Thursday, April 24, NMI hosts the first-ever CPS Band Convening, inviting 100 CPS high school band students to join Civic Members for a day of side-by-side rehearsals on stage in Orchestra Hall. The participating schools are King College Prep, Lincoln Park High School, Mather High School and Northside College Prep.
Students participating in both CPS convenings will receive over 250 visits from Civic Mentors throughout the winter as part of the NMI’s Connect School Partnership Program.
CPS String Orchestra Convening
On Friday, April 25, Chicago Public Schools string orchestra students from four partner high schools convene for side-by-side rehearsals with musicians from the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. The participating schools are Amundsen High School, Kenwood Academy, Mather High School and Northside College Prep.
Students participating in both CPS convenings will receive over 250 visits from Civic Mentors throughout the winter as part of the NMI’s Connect School Partnership Program.
CSO Masterclass Series
To engage Chicago’s most advanced young musicians, the NMI will present a series of masterclasses led by CSO musicians for students from Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, Merit School of Music, Music Institute of Chicago, Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative and The People’s Music School. These masterclasses will be hosted at each partner’s site across the city throughout the month of April.
2024 Chicago Youth in Music Festival
Watch these short videos about past Youth in Music Festivals:
Sponsors
The Chicago Youth in Music Festival is generously sponsored by Megan and Steve Shebik and by Michael and Linda Simon.