The Grant Park Music Festival (the Festival) in Chicago, Illinois seeks a General Manager to join its senior leadership team. Reporting to the President and CEO, the General Manager leads artistic operations, production planning, labor relations, and education and community engagement in support of the Festival’s mission and strategic priorities.
As the Festival enters a new chapter under President and CEO Anwar Nasir, the General Manager will partner closely with the President and CEO, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero, and Chorus Director Christopher Bell to develop and deliver innovative programs aligned with the Festival’s vision, mission, values, and goals.
The General Manager will join a senior team which is deeply committed to advancing the Festival’s civic and artistic impact in Chicago. We’re seeking a creative, collaborative leader who brings sound judgment, fiscal discipline, demonstrated labor relations and production expertise, and the ability to lead effectively in a highly visible, mission-driven environment.
The General Manager will lead a talented team of staff and external partners, encompassing artistic operations, production, personnel management, and education and community engagement.
Key Leadership Responsibilities
- In partnership with the President and CEO, Artistic Director & Principal Conductor, and Chorus Director, oversee artistic and education programming and shape strategies that advance the Festival’s mission, support audience growth, align with DEIB goals, and contribute to earned and contributed revenue objectives.
- Lead the planning and execution of all Festival productions - including rehearsals, concerts, neighborhood run-out programs, education and community engagement activities, broadcasts, recordings, and other media projects - ensuring artistic excellence, operational feasibility, and adherence to budget.
- Provide strategic oversight of production operations, including facility coordination, technical planning, equipment and instrument acquisition and maintenance.
- Lead guest artist engagement processes, including identifying artists, evaluating availability, and negotiating contracts and riders for conductors, soloists, and commissioning projects.
- Serve as the labor relations lead for the organization’s artistic workforce. Serve as a key management representative in negotiations with the Chicago Federation of Musicians and the American Guild of Musical Artists, support a constructive working environment for orchestra and chorus musicians, and oversee the resolution of musician concerns, complaints, and grievances.
- Ensure musician contracts, tenure notifications, and related documentation are issued and administered accurately and in accordance with applicable master agreements.
- Partner with the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer to develop and manage artistic, production, community engagement, and library budgets; monitor forecasts and variances throughout the year. Collaborate with Development and Marketing to align programming strategies with earned and philanthropic revenue goals.
- Lead, develop, and support a high-performing artistic and community engagement team, including the Associate Director of Operations & Education (full time), orchestra and chorus personnel managers (part time), and fellowship manager (part time), while reinforcing accountability, communication, and collaboration across functions.
Minimum Candidate Qualifications
- Seven or more years of progressive leadership experience in orchestra, opera, festival, or comparable performing arts management, with meaningful responsibility for artistic planning, operations, and production.
- Demonstrated success producing symphonic and choral performances at a high artistic level within complex, deadline-driven environments.
- Experience negotiating, administering, and interpreting collective bargaining agreements and managing constructive relationships with musicians and labor representatives.
- Comprehensive knowledge of classical orchestral, choral, and pops programming repertoire.
- Excellent communication, diplomacy, and management skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with artistic, administrative, municipal, and board stakeholders.
- Highly organized and self-directed, with strong attention to detail, follow-through, and the capacity to manage multiple priorities with composure.
- A collaborative leadership style and a commitment to fostering a high-performance team culture.
- Experience with OPAS (or similar). Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite applications, with an emphasis on Excel and PowerPoint.
- We recognize that candidates may bring relevant experience in different forms and encourage applications from those whose backgrounds align with many, though not necessarily all, of the qualifications listed.
Compensation
- $135,000 - $145,000 annually, commensurate with experience.
- This position is full-time and exempt.
- Competitive annual benefits package includes 15 days paid vacation, 10 paid holidays, 4 paid personal days, and 12 paid sick days.
- Health insurance for employees and dependent (75% employer paid); dental and vision insurance (25% employer paid); employer-paid life insurance.
- 403(b) retirement plan with 3.75% employer match after one year of employment.
Schedule & Work Location
- This role is based in the Festival’s Chicago office at 205 E. Randolph St, within the Harris Theater and Millennium Park.
- Full-time exempt staff currently have the option to work remotely on Fridays, except during the ten-week Festival season.
- Festival office hours are generally 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. During the ten-week summer season and other critical periods, the General Manager and other exempt staff members routinely work more than 40 hours per week.
- During the ten-week concert season, the General Manager is expected to attend all Festival performances at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park and select locations around Chicago. Outside of the summer season, the General Manager participates in evening organizational events approximately five to ten times per year.
- Preferred Start Date: September 2026
About the Festival
For more than 90 years, the Grant Park Music Festival has been Chicago's summer musical sensation, demonstrating that classical music performed by a world-class orchestra and chorus can have a transformative impact on the city. Showcased in the city's most spectacular setting, the Festival continues to be the summer gathering place for all of Chicago. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park is the official home of the Grant Park Music Festival, with free seats available for every concert.
The Festival boasts a reputation for wide-ranging and adventurous repertoire that spans well-loved favorites, rarely performed masterworks, music from the present day—including regular commissions and world premieres—and innovative multidisciplinary events. The Festival regularly collaborates with rising and established national and international guest soloists, intentionally elevating diverse artists and composers who reflect the rich multiplicity of Chicago. Through its Festival Fellows program, the organization also offers vital performance and development opportunities for pre-professional artists from historically underrepresented racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic groups, enabling them to work alongside the Orchestra and Chorus under the Festival’s artistic leadership and positioning them for successful careers.
The Festival strives to create a workplace that reflects the diversity of our city and the audiences we serve. People of all backgrounds and experiences, and especially those that have been historically underrepresented in the field, are encouraged to apply for open positions at the Festival. Read more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging HERE.
The Association provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to actual or perceived race (including traits associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, pregnancy (including childbirth, or medical or common conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), genetic information, marital status, familial/parental status, disability (physical and mental), military status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, citizenship or immigration status, unfavorable discharge from military service, order of protection status, credit history, arrest record, conviction record, family responsibilities, and any other classification/characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
For more information on the Grant Park Music Festival, please visit our website: gpmf.org.
