Founded in 1891, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is consistently hailed as one of the greatest orchestras in the world. Its music director since 2010 is Riccardo Muti, one of the preeminent conductors of our day. The musicians of the CSO command a vast repertoire and annually perform more than 150 concerts, most at Symphony Center in Chicago, and, since 1936, in the summer at the Ravinia Festival. Since its first tour to Canada in 1892, the Orchestra has performed in 29 countries on five continents during 61 international tours.

Since 1916, recording has been significant in establishing the Orchestra's international reputation, with recordings by the CSO earning a total of 62 Grammy awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Its independent label, CSO Resound, was launched in 2007. The 2010 release of Verdi's Messa da Requiem, with the CSO and Chicago Symphony Chorus conducted by Muti, was recognized with two Grammy awards. Listeners around the world can hear the CSO in weekly airings of the CSO Radio Broadcast Series, which is syndicated on the WFMT Radio Network and online at CSO.org/Radio.