Community Engagement

An overview of the April 2026 residency activities with 2025/26 CSO Artist-in-Residence Joyce DiDonato, including her participation in the Notes for Peace Reunion Concert and recording session, a master class with singers from the Ryan Opera Center and a workshop with choir and orchestra students at Lincoln Park High School.

On April 22, 2026, community members gathered in Buntrock Hall at Symphony Center for the Chicago Refugee Coalition concert. First introduced in 2023/24 Season as a pilot project of the Negaunee Music Institute with the Civic Orchestra Fellows, the free, annual performance brings together participants affiliated with the Coalition who share and celebrate their cultural identities through music with mentors from the Irene Taylor Trust, Civic Orchestra and CSO musicians.

On March 15, the Negaunee Music Institute held its annual showcase of the CSO's inspiring education and community programs.

The Civic Orchestra’s Bach Marathon has become a treasured tradition and annual highlight for Civic musicians and community members in Chicago. This year marked the twelfth annual Bach Marathon for the Negaunee Music Institute. On December 15, Civic musicians travelled to perform at 10 community partner sites in Chicago neighborhoods on the South, West, and North sides of the city, before coming together for a grand finale concert that evening at Fourth Presbyterian Church.

Civic Fellow J Holzen's “Transcendent Souls: A Celebration of Trans Identity and Sound” explores the intersection of trans and Christian communities through music.   

This season, Civic will perform seven full-orchestra concerts in venues across Chicago’s neighborhoods and suburbs — a total that has steadily increased in recent years, in alignment with the ensemble’s strategic goals.