News | Joseph Schwantner, Composer

Chicago Premiere of the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Yegeny Kutik soloist with Conductor Leonard Slatkin and the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra

July 10, 2026

Former Grant Park Music Festival Principal Conductor Leonard Slatkin returns to conduct Tchaikovsky’s fatalistic Symphony No. 5. Violinist Yevgeny Kutik makes his Festival debut in the Chicago premiere of Joseph Schwantner’s Violin Concerto.with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion on July 10 and 11, 2026.

Event Announcements

Fast Track Concerto for Percussion and Wind Ensemble

November 16, 2024

FAST TRACK “Concerto for Percussion and Wind Ensemble” FAST TRACK “Concerto for Percussion and Wind Ensemble,” is a project initiated by Professor Glen Adsit, Director of Bands at the University of Hartford’s, Hartt School, for Professor of Percussion, Benjamin Toth. The School is the lead commissioner of a consortium of participating universities…

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra- Premiere performance

October 15, 2021

Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, premiere performance

Dream Drapery Recording- the Galax Quartet with contralto, Karen Clark "Music & Arts CD-1297

July 27, 2021

Dream Drapery recording, The Galax Quartet and contralto, Karen Clark

Awards & Commissions

Schwantner awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of Connecticut-May 2019

May 11, 2019

American composer Joseph Schwantner was awarded a Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, in a special ceremony that includes the world premiere performance of a piece commissioned for this occasion. One of Schwanter’s students, Roger Briggs, wrote the piece.