LINCOLN PARK — The city celebrates the arrival of summer Wednesday with the annual Make Music Chicago free concerts, including events at DePaul University and Lincoln Park Zoo.
Held on the first full day of summer, Make Music Chicago is guided by the International Music Federation, which also does the Do-It-Yourself Messiah and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts. It's inspired by Paris' Fete de la Musique, which launched 35 years ago and has since expanded worldwide.
Dozens of concerts are scheduled across the city and suburbs from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday. The Chicago Park District is a local co-sponsor and holds Pianos in the Parks events, led by ragtime composer Reginald Robinson's 7:30 p.m. performance on the McKinley Park Fieldhouse Veranda, 2210 W Pershing Road.
In Lincoln Park, both DePaul and the zoo have daylong events scheduled.
Things get started at 11 a.m. at the DePaul Concert Hall, 800 W. Belden Ave., with Lift Every Voice: Fulcrum Point New Music Project String Quartet. They're followed by Angelica Zhang at 2:45 p.m., DePaul Community Music Students at 4 p.m., the Origin Brass Quintet at 5 p.m., the CBASO Quartet at 6 p.m. and Sara Su Jones on violin and Dennis Moore on piano at 6:45.
The zoo will have three stages going. At Cafe Brauer, 2021 N. Stockton Drive, David Dilsizian kicks things off at 11 a.m., followed on the hour by Jay Schraub, Robinlee Garber, Mike Felten, Zeke Costo and Mark Sotira finally at 4 p.m. (While not technically part of Make Music Chicago, the "Locally Sourced" series will take it from there on the cafe patio with Luciano Antonio playing Brazilian music at 5:30 p.m.)
At the Landmark Cafe, 2200 N. Stockton Drive, Rick Vines plays at 11 a.m. and ChiFlutes at noon.
At the Park Place Cafe, 2200 N. Cannon Drive, Music in Urban Schools Inspiring Change starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by Lift Every Voice: Merit School of Music String Quartet at 11:30, the Artist Formally Known as Vince at 12:15 p.m., James Brinkmann at 1 p.m. and the Lucky Trikes at 2 p.m.
