Save the Date – 2027 CYSO Gala
February 20, 2027 at 7pm
Cocktail Hour at 6PM
The Four Seasons Chicago
Governor JB Pritzker & First Lady MK Pritzker
Honorary Co-Chairs
John Schladweiler
Distinguished Service Honoree
On the evening of Saturday, February 20, 2027, we will bring together more than 400 of CYSO’s cherished supporters at the Four Seasons Chicago to celebrate the power of music education in Chicago! The money raised during this annual fundraising event directly fuels our mission and contributes meaningfully to the lives our students.
As CYSO celebrates its 80th anniversary, we remain committed to inspiring and cultivating personal excellence through music for the next 80 years.
Conductor – Oksana Lyniv
Interested in Gala Sponsorship Opportunities?
Note of Excellence Honorees
Demarre McGill
Demarre McGill is a celebrated flutist known for his lyrical expressiveness and technical mastery. Winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, he has performed as soloist with top orchestras including the Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco Symphonies.
He currently serves as Principal Flute of the Seattle Symphony. Demarre McGill’s 2026–27 season features a performance of Billy Childs’s double concerto, A More Perfect Union, with his brother Anthony McGill and the New World Symphony. Additional highlights include engagements in Tahoe, Chicago, and Cincinnati, as well as performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
A founding member of the Myriad Trio and McGill/McHale Trio, he champions inclusivity in classical music. McGill studied at Curtis and Juilliard and is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
He currently serves as Principal Flute of the Seattle Symphony. Demarre McGill’s 2026–27 season features a performance of Billy Childs’s double concerto, A More Perfect Union, with his brother Anthony McGill and the New World Symphony. Additional highlights include engagements in Tahoe, Chicago, and Cincinnati, as well as performances with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
A founding member of the Myriad Trio and McGill/McHale Trio, he champions inclusivity in classical music. McGill studied at Curtis and Juilliard and is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
Anthony McGill
Anthony McGill, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, is celebrated for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (New York Times). A two-time Avery Fisher honoree and 2024 Musical America Instrumentalist of the Year, McGill has appeared as soloist with leading orchestras including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Deeply committed to music education and social equity, he serves on the faculties of the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music.
