The Advocate for the Arts Awards Benefit is a festive evening of musical entertainment. Proceeds from this event play a critical role in the Grant Park Music Festival’s ability to present spectacular free classical concerts in Millennium Park for thousands of audience members, free String Quartet Concerts in neighborhood parks as part of the Mayor’s Night Out in the Parks program, master classes and pre-concert lectures, and Classical Campers music programs for Chicago Park District day camps in Millennium Park.
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.
HONORING
David Hiller
President and CEO (retired), Robert R. McCormick Foundation
Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation, Inc.
Accepted by Susan Noel
Caitlin Edwards
Violinist, Arranger, Recording Artist, Teacher
CO-CHAIRS
Pamela Crutchfield
Phil Lumpkin
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 Music Festival
PO Box 71553
Chicago, IL 60694-1553
Event Contact: Rina Tsang
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.