On August 2nd, 2025, the young musicians of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras (CYSO) made their debut at Lollapalooza, bringing the authentic sounds of live instruments to the stage. Their performance marked a historic first for CYSO at one of the world’s most iconic and well-known music festivals.
Trumpet player Bennett King, an eight-year veteran and then-current principal in the Symphony Orchestra, said, “Being able to share orchestral repertoire through young people is particularly powerful because it demonstrates how classical music is continuing to thrive through future generations.” Bennett, who had played with multiple conductors since joining in Concert Orchestra, was most looking forward to the opening act: the beginning of Also Sprach Zarathustraby Richard Strauss, famously known as the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
“Not only is it one of the most recognizable and significant orchestral excerpts in pop culture,” he added, “but it also includes a challenging trumpet part where the entire section plays an ominous melody in unison. Being able to share this part with our audience as our first act on stage was so exciting, and I believed the audience would enjoy hearing this piece.”
Violist Esme Conour, in her fourth year with CYSO, was equally excited, especially for the more modern pieces. “My two favorites that we played were Star Wars and Symphonypalooza, which was a mash-up of a bunch of previous headliners’ songs from Lollapalooza. I was really excited for the crowd to hear them because I thought they’d really like them,” she explained.
Fans may have questioned seeing CYSO first announced on the setlist. After all, Lollapalooza is typically recognized for its rock bands and mosh pits. But to the musicians, that was the entire point.
“Lollapalooza is so special because of the diverse range of musical artists who perform there,” said Bennett. “Being able to bring classical music was exciting, as it brought a new genre of music to the festival.”
Esme added that it created a chance to redefine how younger audiences view classical music: “It’s kind of not really well known to my generation. I think by bringing classical music to Lollapalooza, maybe some more people my age discovered it and realized it’s pretty cool.” (Spoiler alert: It is.)
For all the musicians, the performance was the result of years of hard work and a demonstration of the community CYSO had built. “CYSO has been such a formative part of my life,” Bennett shared. “Receiving music training from such caring and dedicated educators was really special, and I think that the efforts of all the staff at CYSO helped make the experience feel transformative. The opportunities that CYSO provided, like playing at Lollapalooza, were enriching and helped prepare young people not only for music but also for the future. Working in a collaborative environment like an orchestra teaches young people so many valuable lessons on teamwork, leadership, and collaboration.”
As CYSO brought live orchestral music to Lollapalooza, their classical repertoire surprised—and even inspired—audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
CYSO performed live at 7:30 PM on August 2nd, 2025.
Written by CYSO student Max Vannopas.
