Make Music Chicago plugs the Windy City into a worldwide celebration

“The whole nature of Make Music Chicago is that anyone can take part,” says Deborah Sobol, the cultural whiz curating the brand-new (to Chicago, anyway), all-day, free festival of joyful noise on June 21. “This is really for all people, all generations, all genres of music, coming together across the city.”

And what better time to throw a daylong celebration than on the summer solstice—the longest day of the year? The idea of filling the streets with sound began in Paris 30 years ago; since that time, Fête de la Musique has become an institution in France and has spread to more than 450 cities in 110 countries around the world.

For Chicago’s iteration, some of the events will be traditional concerts performed by professionals, but organizers also hope that bystanders will become participants. Think pianos on Michigan Avenue, marching bands at Daley Plaza and, in the case of the family concert that afternoon, an interactive 75-minute show that includes performances by young musicians from Chicago Suzuki Ensemble, a class led by Musikgarten at Concordia University, and a globe-spanning show from the acclaimed ensemble, Quintet Attacca.

A regular presence at Chicago Public Schools, Attacca is “a dynamic young woodwind quintet,” says Sobol, who’s also the artistic and executive director Rush Hour Concerts at St. James Cathedral, a free summer-concert series and the org producing Make Music Chicago. While Attacca plays traditional chamber music, the group also “actually creates their own programs for kids, rather than just playing ‘Peter and the Wolf’ and the standard children’s concert music.”

When the five musicians came together more than a decade ago, they knew they wanted to practice outreach to public schools, says executive director and horn player Jeremiah Frederick. “The last part of our name means attached or connected in Italian,” he says. “We really strive to be connected to each other in a musical sense and connected to our community. One of the ways we do that is through our education programs.”

One of the ensemble’s elementary-school shows is Where in the World is Quintet Attacca? The concept and title riff, of course, on the hit PBS game show from the ’90s, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The five musicians turn learning geography into a game for students by playing compositions from various countries. Costumes and flags add to the fun. It’s the perfect performance for a day that unites the world through sound and song.

“This show gives us the opportunity to play some fantastic music,” says clarinetist Barbara Drapcho, “from the famous wind quintet by Jean Françaix to Ugandan composer Tamusuza’s ‘Abaafa Luli’ to Soong Fu-Yuan’s ‘Little Scenes from China.’ ” By the show’s end, “We’re all wearing costumes at this point, and the world map is dazzling with its five colorful flags.”

Despite the enthusiasm about Make Music Chicago, Frederick offers one caveat as he considers the potential size of the audience: “We might have to make a bigger map!”

Make Music Chicago happens throughout the city June 21; see Calendar and makemusicchicago.com for details.