Financially ailing Sinfonietta pulls the plug on 2026-27 season
The Chicago Sinfonietta announced Thursday that the orchestra will not present a 2026-27 season and would pause its concerts and educational activities after this weekend’s season-closing program.
In a press release, the Sinfonietta said it would embark on a “Strategic Renewal Period” to “stabilize and grow its finances, ensuring it is strategically aligned to sustain the non-profit organization’s mission to advance equity in classical music.”
Board chair Wendy Lewis stated that the Sinfonietta’s annual Martin Luther King Day concert would be “a special fundraising event” next year and that the ensemble looks forward to ”relaunching public programs” sometime in 2027, the Sinfonietta’s 40th anniversary year.
“Momentum and financial stability are not the same thing,” said the Sinfonietta’s CEO Sidney Jackson. “While we have made significant mission-driven and programmatic progress in recent years, we cannot be sustainable if we don’t make changes to our operating model.
“This strategic pause will allow us to reimagine future artistic and educational programs that will also be financially positive. Future seasons and programming may look different but will be rooted both in our mission and a growth mindset, operating from a position of strength and sustainability.”
Conductor Mei-Ann Chen, now in her 15th season as music director, stated that “Securing the future of this organization is crucial. Maestro Paul Freeman’s pioneering legacy has contributed to the way that orchestral music inspires and is viewed today.”
The Sinfonietta’s final season program, “American Rhapsody,” features music of Gershwin, William Dawson and a world premiere by Seth Pae. Concerts take place 7 p.m. Friday at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville and 3 p.m. Sunday at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston.
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4 Responses to “Financially ailing Sinfonietta pulls the plug on 2026-27 season ”
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Posted May 07, 2026 at 5:41 pm by Plush
This news is sad. How could their board let this happen?
So many valuable Chicago music groups are a moment away from bankruptcy.
Posted May 08, 2026 at 7:52 am by Randy Wilson
In an era when public funding for arts groups is disappearing fast, I guess we all expect the patron class to step up and donate. It’s a shame that seems not to have happened here.
Posted May 08, 2026 at 1:00 pm by Joyce M Norman
This brings tears to my eyes. As a member of the Southside Fiends of the Chicago Sinfonietta, I had opportunities to interact with the Founder, Maestro Paul Freeman, at many subscription drives.
My hope is that this wonderfully realized dream of his will have a strong and lasting rebirth and renewal after this strategic pause.
Posted May 08, 2026 at 10:08 pm by Liane Curtis
Let’s hope that the Sinfonietta can come back stronger, as we need their vital and committed voice. With diversity, equity and inclusion under direct attack by the Federal government, we all need to stand up in defense of these vital principles, lest we be left with monotony, oppression and exclusion.