I’m a proud Chicagoan, through and through. I was born here, and later in life, when the opportunity came about to relocate, there was no doubt that the Chicago area would become home. As such, I’ve been to hear the Grant Park Symphony many times, and when the opportunity arose to write a piece for the festival, I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

I wanted to write a piece that would recognize the venue and orchestra for which I was writing, as well as the city I call home. One can’t help but...