Grant Music Festival Wraps Up 79th Season with THE RITE OF SPRING, HARMONIUM and More!

Summer in Chicago wraps up in August with the final weeks of the Grant Park Music Festival, led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar and the Grammy Award-nominaTed Grant Park Orchestra, along with Chorus Director Christopher Bell and the Grant Park Chorus in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago's Millennium Park. In August, the Festival's dynamic programming features the Grant Park Chorus, saxophone virtuoso James Carter, pianist and YouTube sensation Valentina Lisitsa,a collaboration with the Lyric Opera's Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center and two performances honoring the hundredth anniversary of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

All concerts are free and most will take place on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6:30 p.m., and Saturdayevenings at 7:30 p.m. (Please Note: The concerts on August 2 and 3 will take place indoors at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park).

August begins indoors at the Harris Theater for two performances of The Fiddler's Child under the baton ofCarlos Kalmar (August 2 and 3); and continues at the Pritzker Pavilion for Concerto for Saxophones with jazz great James Carter (August 7). The Grant Park Chorus joins the orchestra for Schubert Mass in E Flatfeaturing soloists from the Lyric Opera's Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center (August 9 and 10). The Festival's final week begins with Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto and returning guest artist Valentina Lisitsa (August 14); and the season comes to a close when the Grant Park Chorus returns for John Adams' rarely performed landmark work Harmonium, and the Festival celebrates the hundredth anniversary of Stravinsky's seminal work, The Rite of Spring (August 16 and 17).

In addition to an ambitious schedule of 30 concerts in Millennium Park, this summer the Grant Park Music Festival brings a renewed focus to the neighborhoods of Chicago. Following a series of outreach performances throughout the city, Christopher Bell leads the Grant Park Chorus in Songs of Praise and Passion, a program of a cappella music at the Columbus Park Refectory, 5701 W. Jackson Boulevard on August 1 at 7 p.m.

The Festival continues to provide educational experiences for people of all ages encouraging audiences to learn more about the music. Returning for a second year is Club 615, the free pre-concert lecture series that takes place every Saturday night throughout the season at 6:15 p.m. in the Choral Hall, located on the east side of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Open lunchtime rehearsals of the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus continue through August 16 and typically take place Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Audiences are welcome to sit in the Pavilion Seating Bowl during rehearsals and Festival docents will be on site to talk about the week's concerts during rehearsal breaks.

Memberships to the Grant Park Music Festival 79th Season are still available. Most membership levels include specific reserved seats or general seating in a reserved section of the Pavilion for all Grant Park Music Festival concerts. Memberships with seating benefits begin at $150.

For more information about the Grant Park Music Festival including membership and group seating, visitgpmf.org or call 312.742.7638. For additional information, visit the Grant Park Music Festival Facebook page or follow the Festival on Twitter @gpmf.

GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL
AUGUST SCHEDULE

THE FIDDLER'S CHILD NOTE LOCATION
Friday, August 2 at 6:30PM
Saturday, August 3 at 7:30PM
Location: Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph Street
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor

Hear the Grant Park Orchestra in a more intimate setting as the Festival moves indoors to the Harris Theater for a concert of American and Czech music.

Elgar, Nursery Suite
Janá?ek, The Fiddler's Child
Carpenter, Adventures in a Perambulator

CONCERTO FOR SAXOPHONES
Wednesday, August 7 at 6:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; James Carter, saxophones

Summer heats up with jazz virtuoso James Carter performing Roberto Sierra's Concerto for Saxophones. Works exploring Brazilian folklore and the prairies of Argentina round out this night of Latin music.

Piazzolla (arr. Castagna), Milongón Festivo
Ginastera, Pampeana No. 3
Sierra, Concerto for Saxophones
Villa-Lobos, Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7

James Carter, saxophone
Born in 1969 and raised in Detroit, Carter grew up surrounded by music, soaking up everything from funk and fusion to rock, soul, and various strains of acoustic jazz. It was Lester Bowie, the late trumpeter, who first brought Carter to New York, and the connection led to Carter's debut recording at age 23, 1993's JC on the Set. In 2000, he released two albums simultaneously: Chasin' the Gypsy, a voluptuous, lyrical session partly inspired by the timeless collaboration between Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, and Layin' in the Cut, which combines harmolodic freedom with a deep reservoir of funk. The Concerto for Saxophones was commissioned by the Detroit Symphony for James Carter from Roberto Sierra, marrying classical and jazz elements and showcasing Carter's virtuosity.

SCHUBERT MASS IN E FLAT
Friday, August 9 at 6:30PM
Saturday, August 10 at 7:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Christopher Bell, chorus director; Guest artists from the Lyric Opera's Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center--Emily Birsan, soprano, Julie Anne Miller, mezzo-soprano, Adam Bonanni, tenor, John Irvin, tenor, Richard Ollarsaba, bass baritone

Written just four months before his untimely death, Schubert's Mass in E-Flat Major is presented with Messiaen's mystical symphonic meditation and James MacMillan's requiem that captures the soul of Scotland.

Messiaen, Les offrandis oubliées
MacMillan, Confessions of Isobel Gowdie
Schubert, Mass in E Flat Major

Emily Birsan, soprano
Soprano Emily Birsan, born in Neenah, Wisconsin, is a third-year Ryan Opera Center member. She studied at Lawrence University and University of Wisconsin-Madison, and participated in the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute and the Voci nel Montefeltro Academy in Italy. In 2010 she debuted with Madison Opera as Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro. She made her Lyric debut as Stella in The Tales of Hoffmann and has since appeared in Boris Godunov, Elektra, and Rigoletto. During the upcoming season she performs in Parsifaland La Clemenza di Tito.

Julie Anne Miller, mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano Julie Anne Miller is a first-year member of the Ryan Opera Center. A native of Sacramento, she has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Miller has appeared as Tisbe/La Cenerentola, Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni, and Stéphano/Roméo et Juliette. Miller completed her graduate studies in the inaugural class of Dawn Upshaw's graduate program at Bard College and studied at California State University, Sacramento. This season at Lyric she appears in Otello (debut), La Traviata andDie Fledermaus.

Adam Bonanni, tenor
A first-year Ryan Opera Center member, tenor Adam Bonanni is a native of Nazareth, Pennsylvania. He made his Carnegie Hall debut as soloist in Handel's Messiah with the St. Cecilia Chorus. Bonanni recently completed graduate studies at Mannes College, where he was featured as Bardolfo/Falstaff, Don Ottavio/Don Giovanni, and Dorvil/Rossini's La scala di seta. He portrayed Arturo/Lucia di Lammermoor at Chautauqua Opera. In the 2013-14 Lyric season he will appear in Parsifal (debut) and La Traviata.

John Irvin, tenor
Tenor John Irvin, a second-year Ryan Opera Center member, made his professional debut in 2011 as a Boston Lyric Opera Emerging Artist in Macbeth. He sang Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sir Andrew Davis conducting. Originally a piano major, Irvin completed his academic training at Boston University Opera Institute. He has participated in the apprentice artist programs of Central City Opera and Santa Fe Opera. At the Lyric, he sang in Werther (debut), Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Rigoletto,and next season will appear in Otello, Parsifal, La Traviata and The Barber of Seville.

Richard Ollarsaba, bass baritone
A first-year Ryan Opera Center member, bass-baritone Richard Ollarsaba, a native of Tempe, Arizona, earned a master of music degree at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He appeared there in roles by Mozart, Donizetti and Nicolai, and with Piedmont Opera and North Carolina Opera. He earned his bachelors from the Cleveland Institute of Music and made his professional debut at Opera Cleveland in The Marriage of Figaro. As a resident artist at Minnesota Opera, he was featured in Nabucco, Anna Bolena, Hamlet and Turandot. He will appear in Lyric Productions of Otello (debut), Madama Butterfly, Parsifal and La Traviata.

RACHMANINOV SECOND PIANO CONCERTO
Wednesday, August 14 at 6:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Grant Park Orchestra; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Valentina Lisitsa, piano

Catch the return of Festival favorite and YouTube sensation Valentina Lisitsa who has excited audiences around the world with her captivating performances of Rachmaninov. Also on the program are Shchedrin's satirical The Naughty Limericks and Borodin's nationalistic Symphony No. 2.

Shchedrin, The Naughty Limericks
Borodin, Symphony No. 2
Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No. 2

Valentina Lisitsa, piano
With more than 40 concertos in her orchestral repertoire alone, pianist Valentina Lisitsa is at ease in a vast repertoire. In May 2010, she performed the Dutch premiere of Rachmaninov's "New 5th" Concerto in her debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic. In June 2012, she made her recital debut at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Highlights of previous seasons include appearances with the Chicago Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Pittsburgh Symphony. Her 2011-2012 season featured performances with the Helsinki Philharmonic and Colorado Symphony and recitals at Ravinia, Festival of the Arts Boca, Teatro de Colon in Buenos Aires and Casals Festival in Puerto Rico. With more than 30 million YouTube channel views, Valentina Lisitsa is one of the most sought-after classical musicians on the Web. Last summer, thousands of music fans worldwide witnessed the live broadcast of Ms. Lisitsa's practice sessions, revealing a different aspect of her artistic persona.

THE RITE OF SPRING
Friday, August 16 at 6:30PM
Saturday, August 17 at 7:30PM
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus; Carlos Kalmar, conductor; Donald Nally, guest chorus director

The 79th Season comes to a close with John Adams' Harmonium, a visionary choral setting of poems by John Donne and Emily Dickinson. Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, radical for its time, is as powerful and relevant today as when it premiered one hundred years ago.

Adams, Black Gondola
Adams, Harmonium
Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring

Donald Nally, guest chorus conductor
Donald Nally begins his new role as director of choral organizations at Northwestern University this fall. He is conductor of The Crossing, a professional chamber choir in Philadelphia focused on new music and winner of the 2009 and 2011 ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Mr. Nally has served in many prestigious international positions: as chorus master at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Welsh National Opera, and for many seasons at the Spoleto Festival in Italy. Prior to Wales, he lived in Philadelphia, where he was chorus master at the Opera Company of Philadelphia and music director of the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, the recipient of the 2002 Margaret Hillis National Award for Excellence in Choral Music. Mr. Nally holds a unique position in that over the last three seasons his ensembles have been listed in the Top Ten Classical Music Events by the major newspapers of Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati.

Grant Park Music Festival
Acclaimed by critics and beloved by audiences, the Grant Park Music Festival is the nation's only free, summer-long outdoor classical music series of its kind. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, located between Michigan and Columbus Avenues at Washington Street, is the official home of the Grant Park Music Festival. The Grant Park Music Festival is proudly presented by the Grant Park Orchestral Association with key support from the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

In addition to his role at the Grant Park Music Festival, Carlos Kalmar is the Music Director of the Oregon Symphony, a position he has held since 2003 and Principal Conductor of the Orquestra Sinfónica de Radio Televisión Española in Madrid. He has served in artistic leadership roles for the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, the Opera House and Philharmonic Orchestra in Dessau, Germany and the Tonkünstler Orchestra in Vienna, while also traveling the world as a guest conductor appearing with the world's most important orchestras. Kalmar has made six recordings with the Grant Park Orchestra.

The 2013 Grant Park Music Festival season marks Christopher Bell's 12th season as chorus director of the Grant Park Chorus. Bell also serves as chorusmaster for the Edinburgh International Festival, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus and the Belfast Philharmonic Choir. He was largely responsible for the formation of the National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCoS) in 1996 and is its artistic director. He has also worked with many other major orchestras in the UK and Ireland, including the Royal Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, BBC Scottish Symphony, City of London Sinfonia, and London Concert. He is the 2013 recipient of the Michael Korn Founders Award from Chorus America honoring his lifetime contributions to the professional choral art.

The Grant Park Music Festival is led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Carlos Kalmar, along with Grant Park Chorus Director Christopher Bell, Grant Park Orchestral Association President and CEO Paul Winberg, and Board Chair Chuck Kierscht.

The Grant Park Music Festival gratefully acknowledges the generous support from its 2013 sponsors: BMO Harris Bank, Season Sponsor; American Airlines, Official Airline; Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, Official Hotel; ComEd, Fifth Third Bank, Colleen and Lloyd Fry and The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Smart Family Foundation and Joan and Robert Feitler, and Marion and Charles Kierscht, Concert Sponsors; Mariano's, Official Picnic Sponsor; and Millennium Park Garages, Parking Sponsor. The Grant Park Music Festival is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Additional program support includes: ComEd, Fifth Third Bank, The Henrietta Lange Burk Fund and Robert and Isabelle Bass Foundation for Classical Campers; The Boeing Company, Field Foundation of Illinois, Colleen and Lloyd Fry and The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and Peter and Lucy Ascoli for Project Inclusion; and Joyce Saxon for Club 615.