Dear friends,
Every week, I feel immense gratitude and joy to spend time in a room filled with young voices, each one carrying a spark of hope, creativity and exceptional potential. Yet beyond that room, the world moves at breakneck speed: technology accelerates toward unimaginable frontiers, social media and gaming redefine how young people connect. The cultural and political landscape reshapes the future before their very eyes. Our youth are coming of age in a moment of extraordinary possibility, but also profound challenge. It is our shared responsibility to equip them with the tools not just to survive this era of change, but to lead and thrive within it.
This report highlights the ways in which the 2024–25 season built upon Uniting Voices’ commitment to accessible music education, fostering community and belonging at a time when the world feels increasingly divided, and underscoring that the need for our programs is greater than ever. We have also witnessed “Little Voices, Big Growth” through our Prelude program, where we have expanded access to the life-changing power of music to our youngest singers, ages 6-8.
This year, our singers traveled abroad across Italy and to six cities across the United States, building coalitions of harmony among other young artists. Through these connections, we are empowering the next generation of leaders to step forward with courage and understanding.
I am deeply grateful to have been honored at the 2024 Red Jacket Optional gala. Even more remarkably, we raised over $2 million, affirming the incredible support that sustains our mission.
As we approach our 70th anniversary, which will commence during our 2026-27 season, I am struck by the countless young voices who have shaped our organization’s history. Each generation leaves its mark on the world.
Today, a new generation is waiting for guidance, connection and a chance to shine. Our enduring work is to help their extraordinary potential take shape as empathetic and compassionate leaders, a mission Uniting Voices has pursued since 1956. In that same room where I witness this generation’s sparks of promise each week, I see the future taking shape. It gives me hope that, together, we can ensure every young person has the chance to find their voice, discover their strength and lead the way forward towards our vision of a harmonious world.
With gratitude,
Josephine Lee
President
Ellen-Blair Chube
Chair of the Board
At Uniting Voices, we are committed to keeping our programs accessible through a sliding-scale tuition model based on reported family income. Yet the need for subsidies continues to grow as family income decreases year-over-year and cost of living increases.
From FY23 to FY25, the percentage of singers from low-to-moderate income households increased by 11.7%—and because our overall participation has grown, that represents a 43% increase in the number of families who reported a low-to-moderate income. Moreover, the specific distribution of singers within this range compounds the issue–from FY23 to FY25, the number of singers whose family income fell within the lowest bracket of our sliding-scale increased by 330%.
Support from our community makes it possible to meet this rising need, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to experience the life-changing power of music.
The need for School Program subsidies has steadily grown year after year since 2020, underscoring how essential support is to keeping music education accessible. This rise reflects the economic pressures schools are facing. Our School Programs are vital to a thriving generation of youth in Chicago, fostering creativity, confidence and connection in young people.
Our Prelude programs experienced 20 percent growth in 2024-25!
Music isn’t just fun! It can play a critical role in cognitive and behavioral development for our youngest singers. Children who sing and learn music may experience improvements in language skills, better performance in reading, math, science and memory skills and improved attention spans.
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Uniting Voices Chicago’s Bridging America Tours provide opportunities for children to travel outside of their communities and connect with other young people across the U.S.
Touring is an essential opportunity Uniting Voices provides, expanding horizons through travel and connection for the young people in our after-school programs.
“Social-emotional learning is not a lens; it is the act of learning itself.” - Uniting Voices faculty
Our world-class music education programs emphasize social-emotional learning and a culturally responsive curriculum. Our singers don’t just learn music from many genres, cultures and languages, but understand how the music is created and engage in conversation about the historical and social context of the songs. They also develop social-emotional skills like self-awareness and empathy alongside musical skills.
Our learning resource packets, created by our faculty and provided to singers at every level of our programs, assist the singers in learning the songs and their cultural contexts, and participating in reflections on their meaning. In these packets, our faculty uses storytelling as a teaching tool and way to convey knowledge and build a sense of empathy and belonging, following epic journeys of a young person who represented perspectives born out of real cultural experiences. Then, at our pillar programs, like Canto Latino, Black Futures Concert Series and Paint the Town Red, singers from around the city come together to perform the songs and forge connections through this shared experience.
Read the Uniting Voices blog for a deep dive into the learning resource packets provided to our singers for Canto Latino and the Black Futures Concert Series!
When young people learn to lead through connection, they become global changemakers. Voice of Chicago, our premier ensemble, reflects the rich diversity of our city and shares that spirit with the world on international tours.
Varese Summer Festival
Sunday, July 6
Cometa Formazione
Monday, July 8
Porretta Soul Festival
Wednesday, July 9
Ravello Festival
Friday, July 11
Your support of Uniting Voices equips the city’s youth with the necessary skills to become the next generation of leaders.
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This year at our Red Jacket Optional gala, we honored our President and Artistic Director, Josephine Lee, for 25 years of visionary leadership and the indelible impact she’s had on a generation of young people. In celebration of her leadership, we raised over $2 million to support accessible music education and youth empowerment.
“She pushes us to be better every day. I think it’s so powerful to teach young people how to take music seriously. It’s something that can really change our lives.” – Myra, Voice of Chicago 2024-25 alum
The Ambassadors Board of Uniting Voices Chicago is a group of Chicago’s next generation of philanthropic leaders who collaborate on a range of events and initiatives to develop their skills as advocates for cultural diversity, while raising significant funds in support of our mission to inspire and change lives through music. For the past three years, Katie Ashcroft has served as the Chair for this group, leading the way to increasing success in member growth and funds raised. At the end of the 2024-2025 season, Katie and the Ambassadors Board achieved a total of 48 active members and raised a record-breaking $148,000 at their annual fundraiser, SoundBites. Katie and her husband Rob have long served as advocates for the mission of Uniting Voices Chicago. They are deeply valued members of the Uniting Voices community and provide a much-needed example of the future for arts and culture philanthropy in Chicago.
Peoples Gas has provided financial support to Uniting Voices Chicago for more than 25 years as part of its commitment to a strong arts and culture sector in Chicago. The company’s donations include support for the annual Red Jacket Optional gala, as well as general program support. Peoples Gas also provides employee volunteers for Uniting Voices Chicago's pillar programs. The long-term partnership between Peoples Gas and Uniting Voices has improved accessibility to arts education programming in Chicago, enhancing the overall well-being of the communities served by the company and organization.
Through the generous support of Genesis vehicle owners and dealers, and in partnership with Genesis Motor America, the Genesis Inspiration Foundation has invested significantly into youth arts programs since its inception in 2018. Committed to connecting youth with the transformative power of the arts, the Genesis Inspiration Foundation awarded a $50,000 grant to Uniting Voices Chicago in 2025. This partnership reflects a shared belief that the arts can inspire and change lives, and together, we are opening doors for the next generation, ensuring access to Uniting Voices’ programming for every young person in Chicago.
Our work wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our donor community. Thank you to our supporters for making it all possible.
Meet Our CommunityYour support ensures access to life-affirming music education and youth empowerment programs to young people from every corner of Chicago and beyond.
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Uniting Voices Chicago mourns the loss of Brian Vandenberg, a beloved husband, father, and longtime member of our Board of Directors whose 15 years of service left a lasting impact. His generosity and advocacy, from providing vital support during the pandemic to championing events and scholarships, opened doors for thousands of young people to experience the power of music. We will always remember Brian for his compassion, leadership and dedication to our mission.
