Chicago Philharmonic Awarded MacArthur Fund Grant

The Chicago Philharmonic Society has been awarded a three- year, $90,000 grant from the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince for general operating support. The total amount of the grant will be distributed to the Society evenly over the next three years. This renewed and expanded grant comes after the Society received a one-year, $30,000 grant from the MacArthur Fund in 2014.

The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince supports arts groups in Metropolitan Chicago with annual budgets between $500,000 and $2 million. In 2014, the Fund awarded $1,450,000 to 48 organizations.

"This grant will help us to build a firmer financial base as we continue to grow our musical and educational offerings in and around the city of Chicago," said Executive Director Donna Milanovich, "but it is also very meaningful to us as an organization to have the continued support of this widely respected foundation."

The Chicago Philharmonic is a collaboration of over 200 of the highest-level classical musicians performing in the Chicago metropolitan area. Founded 26 years ago by principal musicians from the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic has consistently won accolades from music critics and audiences alike. Its symphonic and chamber concerts at locations throughout the Chicago area cover the full spectrum of classical music, from Bach to Britten and beyond. Governed under a groundbreaking structure of musician leadership, the Chicago Philharmonic's mission is to excite, engage, and transform diverse audiences with the beauty and power of great music. Its outreach programs - which connect Chicago-area youth to classical music and provide public performance opportunities for members of the community - play an important role in achieving this objective. The Chicago Philharmonic proudly serves as the official orchestra of the Joffrey Ballet, continues its 21-year association with the Ravinia Festival, and will begin a new residency at the Harris Theater in 2016.

The Chicago Philharmonic is currently presenting its 26th season, "Chasing the Sun," a series of concerts exploring music written at significant moments in composers' lives, careers, and works. Its next symphonic concert, "Eight Seasons" is on February 7, 2016, 2:00 p.m. at Pick-Staiger Hall on Northwestern University's Evanston campus.