The Advocate for the Arts Award honors those who have made outstanding contributions to Chicago’s cultural landscape, investing in the life of the city—today and in the future. Join us for an evening of special performances as we celebrate great friends of the arts and raise crucial support for the Festival’s free concerts and programs in Millennium Park and across the city.
Please join us as we celebrate 20 years in Millennium Park and visionary Chicagoans who played a key role in the creation of our iconic home.
2024 Advocate for the Arts Awards
Eileen Friestad
President, CWP Management, Inc. (retired)
Julian Oettinger
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Walgreens (retired)
Celebrating 20 years in Millennium Park
Featuring a special presentation by:
Donna LaPietra, Chair and President, Millennium Park Foundation
Many thanks to our 2024 Awards Benefit Co-Chairs:
Lisa Tesarik and Jenny Willcox
If possible, kindly consider check or wire transfer payment for gifts of $5,000+.
If you prefer to pay by check, please mail your contribution to:
Grant Park Orchestral Association
PO BOX 8930
Carol Stream, IL 60197-8930
Event Contact: Jennifer Breslin
About Grant Park Music Festival
The Grant Park Music Festival is the nation’s only free, outdoor classical music series of its kind. Created as a response to the Great Depression of the 1930s, by Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak and James Petrillo, President of the Musicians’ Union, the ten-week festival has become a beloved summertime tradition in Chicago.
The Grammy® Award-nominated Grant Park Orchestra and the award-winning Grant Park Chorus feature more than 250 professional musicians who perform at the Festival for the ten-week season each summer. Throughout the rest of the year, they can be found playing with major orchestras, teaching at universities and appearing on concert stages throughout the U.S.
The Festival offers more than 270 free events each summer, including concerts in Millennium Park and in neighborhoods throughout the city, docent-led open rehearsals, pre-concert lectures as well as additional community engagement events. The Grant Park Music Festival serves more than 800,000 people each summer, including Chicagoans and visitors alike.
Over the past decade, under the leadership of Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar and Chorus Director Christopher Bell, the Grant Park Music Festival has established a reputation for providing adventurous programing at world-class standards, in an environment welcoming and accessible to all.
The Festival operates today as a unique collaboration among the Grant Park Orchestral Association, the City of Chicago, and the Chicago Park District. The contributions of corporations, foundations, and thousands of individual donors help keep the music playing all summer long.