On July 19, 2026, the Chicago Philharmonic performed with Grammy Award–winning artist Lucy Dacus in her first-ever symphonic concert, presented at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. More than 7,000 audience members filled the lawn for the world‑premiere event, which featured full-orchestra arrangements of Dacus’ catalog by UK-based Greek composer Phoenix Rousiamani. The program will be performed twice in 2026; the first with the Chicago Philharmonic and next in Los Angeles for Dacus’ Hollywood Bowl debut.
Since releasing her first album No Burden in 2016, Dacus has been recognized as one of the most influential songwriters of her generation. She has released three additional albums, toured internationally, and co-founded boygenius with Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker – the trio earned three Grammy Awards in 2024. The July 19 program traced ten years of Dacus’ work, with standout orchestral performances of “Night Shift” and “Forever is a Feeling.”
Opening the evening was Chicago indie-rock band Ratboys, a longtime fixture of the city’s music scene. Now in their sixteenth year, the group is receiving national attention for their critically acclaimed 2026 album Singing to an Empty Chair.
The Philharmonic’s collaboration with Dacus continues a long tradition of cross-genre partnerships. Founded in 1989 by musicians of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, the ensemble has become a sought‑after orchestra for artists across popular and classical music. Past collaborators include Laufey, Tank and the Bangas, Weird Al Yankovic, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, and Kishi Bashi. Earlier this month, on July 1, the Philharmonic became the first orchestra to perform at the Obama Presidential Center, reuniting with Kishi Bashi for the occasion.
Executive Director Terell Johnson reflected on the impact of these partnerships in an interview with WBEZ Chicago: “You see it in their eyes at the first rehearsal, when they hear their music in this way for the first time. It’s such a special experience for them.”
The concert also marked the Philharmonic debut of Maestro Chad Goodman, currently Music Director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Goodman has led the ESO since 2023, earning recognition for new commissions, community programs, and a 2025 Conductor of the Year award from the Illinois Council of Orchestras.
Composer Phoenix Rousiamani’s arrangements were another major debut of the night. Known for genre‑defying work that blends instrumental and electronic music, Rousiamani’s orchestrations brought new dimension to Dacus’ indie‑folk and indie‑rock catalog. As Preludes describes her: “Phoenix Rousiamani is a UK-based Greek composer of instrumental and electric music, songwriter, and performer … creating genre-defying music that finds beauty in dark, violent, and uncomfortable contexts.”
The July 19 performance is part of the Philharmonic’s ongoing commitment to innovative programming that reaches new audiences. Upcoming engagements include concerts with Hugh Jackman and Gregory Alan Isakov during the orchestra’s 31st summer at Ravinia Festival, followed by the Top Gun: Maverick in Concert, launching the 2026-27 Auditorium Philms series.
