Chicago Symphony
With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at its core, the mission of Chicago Symphony is to enrich, inspire and transform lives through music, community engagement and education — locally, nationally and internationally.
About Chicago Symphony
A beacon of musical excellence and inspiration both in Chicago and around the world, Chicago Symphony stewards three acclaimed classical music ensembles, including the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra; presents a dynamic performance series with guest artists; and comprises an embedded music education institute. At Chicago Symphony, the legendary sound of the CSO meets the future of music, inviting everyone to experience and connect with the transformative power of live performance.
Chicago Symphony comprises:
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the most esteemed ensembles in classical music and a global artistic leader. Through their command of a deep, evolving repertoire, the CSO’s musicians create their signature sound for music lovers around the world.
- Chicago Symphony Chorus — the nation’s largest professional chorus — regularly performs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is known for its precision, purity and vocal splendor.
- Civic Orchestra of Chicago, a prestigious ensemble that serves a pillar of Chicago Symphony’s commitment to the future of classical music, prepares its members for careers in orchestral music and beyond.
- Chicago Symphony Presents, one of the country’s most renowned concert series, brings a dynamic mix of jazz, global music, chamber music, touring orchestras and leading pianists in recital to Chicago Symphony Center.
- Chicago Symphony Negaunee Music Institute provides transformative music education and community programs to students, families, community members and early-career musicians.
- Chicago Symphony Center is the home for classical music on the Chicago Cultural Mile, where audiences come to be transformed by the musical brilliance of the artists that appear on the stage of historic Orchestra Hall.
Introducing Chicago Symphony
With the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at its core, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association is updating its name to Chicago Symphony, effective September 24, 2026.
Over the CSO’s nearly 140-year history, Chicago Symphony has grown to steward three acclaimed classical music ensembles, deliver a dynamic concert presentation series with guest artists and ensembles, provide transformative education and community engagement programs and offer a wide range of performances for people of all ages and backgrounds. Today, the full breadth of these offerings align publicly under the Chicago Symphony name for the first time.
You’ll see a refreshed visual identity, including a new logo and an expanded palette of reds, all selected to honor the Orchestra’s legacy and reflect a spirit of forward momentum and the ambition of its future. The updated C logo conveys the motion and energy of live music and maintains a nod to musical notation.
You may also notice some naming changes, notably that the venue will be officially known as Chicago Symphony Center, and that concerts including piano recitals, chamber music and jazz will fall under a new heading of Chicago Symphony Presents.
These changes were informed by rigorous market research, including patron surveys and focus groups, as well as extensive stakeholder conversations and collaboration across the organization over several years.
As we prepare to welcome Klaus Mäkelä to lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as its next music director beginning in the 2027/28 Season, this is the perfect moment to reintroduce ourselves to Chicago and the world.
Whether you are a live-music aficionado, looking to discover new artists, a longtime Chicago Symphony Orchestra fan or seeking connection with your community, Chicago Symphony is where you belong.