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Chicago Symphony Presents
Freedom Riders with special guests Kurt Elling & Lizz Wright
Oct 2, 2026 — 8:00 PM
Overview
In the 1960s, Freedom Rider activists challenged racial segregation in the Southern United States. With reverence for their courage and struggle, this groundbreaking international jazz collective features a new generation of artists and composers who continue in the tradition of providing a soundtrack to the global civil rights movement. Joined by esteemed vocalists Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright, the Freedom Riders band offers vital inspiration through music that unites audiences with the energy and spirit of shared humanity.
Freedom Riders is a project of NYC Winter JazzFest.
Performers
Sarah Elizabeth Charles
Vocals
Alfredo Colón
Alto saxophone
Tomoki Sanders
Tenor saxophone
Milena Casado
Trumpet
Carmen Staaf
Piano
Sasha Berliner
Vibraphone
Enhance your experience
Preconcert Dining
Explore Chicago Symphony Center’s on-site dining options for a seamless preconcert experience. Preorder a Sound Bites meal to enjoy in the Rotunda before the concert — or make a reservation to dine at the Thomas Club, offering a prix fixe menu featuring traditional American fare and a spectacular view of Lake Michigan.
Reservations Learn more and view the menu
African American Network Event & Preconcert Book Signing
Join African American Network members and friends in Grainger Ballroom for a preconcert conversation with author and jazz critic Howard Reich. His book, The Majesty of Chicago Jazz: Twenty-Five Visionaries Who Define the City’s Sound, highlights many artists featured in the Chicago Symphony Presents Jazz series. The preconcert book signing is open to all ticket holders at 7:15 before the performance.
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Inside the Music
Guest artists
The jazz collective Freedom Riders aims to provide a soundtrack for the global civil rights movement and to spread messages of social justice through music
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Symphony Center Presents
In May 1961, 13 activists dubbed the “Freedom Riders” boarded two buses in Washington, D.C. Their mission: to journey across the Jim Crow-era South to challenge discriminatory state laws and local customs requiring racial segregation on buses and in station facilities.
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Symphony Center Presents
For SCP Jazz 26/27, headliners range from a Cuban legend to artists who have called, or still call, Chicago home. The series also will honor the music’s heroes, while showing how this music remains focused on the future.
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