Grant Park Music Festival announces 2026 lineup, featuring Ben Folds and ample American music
Chicago Sun-Times••entertainment
Key Points:
- Chicago’s Grant Park Music Festival announced its 2026 season lineup, featuring 10 weeks of free classical music from June 10 to August 15, primarily at Millennium Park venues.
- The season, led by Artistic Director Giancarlo Guerrero for his second year, emphasizes American composers in celebration of the U.S. semiquincentennial, including works by Gershwin, Copland, Bernstein, and contemporary artists like Jessie Montgomery.
- Highlights include two world premieres by Clarice Assad and Jasmine Barnes, the Illinois premiere of Julie Wolfe’s “Liberty Bell,” and headlining performances by singer-songwriter Ben Folds and opera star Karen Slack.
- The festival will also present its traditional Independence Day Salute conducted by Christopher Bell, marking
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