Chicago Symphony Named World's Busiest Orchestra

Bachtrack ranks CSO No. 1 for performances in 2025, raising questions about workload and compensation

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has been named the world's busiest orchestra in 2025 by the classical music publication Bachtrack, performing 140 concerts last year. While the ranking highlights the orchestra's high level of activity, CSO musicians and management caution that the data may not tell the full story, as it does not account for factors like non-subscription concerts and closed-door performances. The ranking has sparked discussions about orchestral workloads and the potential implications for contract negotiations.

Why it matters

The CSO's ranking as the world's busiest orchestra raises questions about the workload and compensation of its musicians. Overwork is a common issue in American orchestras, where principal players are expected to perform the majority of concerts, unlike their European counterparts. This can increase the risk of injuries and impact musicians' recovery time. The data from Bachtrack could be used by both the CSO musicians and management in upcoming contract negotiations.

The details

Bachtrack, a classical music publication, placed the CSO at the top of its 2025 list of the world's 'busiest orchestras,' counting 140 performances by the orchestra last year. The CSO has topped this list before, in 2015, and typically ranks among the top 5 busiest orchestras in Bachtrack's annual rankings. The publication also named CSO music director designate Klaus Mäkelä as the fourth 'busiest conductor' in 2025.

  • Bachtrack published its 2025 list of the world's busiest orchestras in February 2026.
  • The CSO has topped Bachtrack's list once before, in 2015.
  • The CSO has also been ranked No. 4 in 2024 and No. 2 in 2023 on Bachtrack's list of the world's busiest orchestras.

The players

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

A major American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois.

Bachtrack

A classical music online publication that publishes an annual list of the world's busiest orchestras.

Klaus Mäkelä

The music director designate of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Vanessa Moss

The vice president of orchestra and building operations at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Bill Buchman

A bassoonist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the chair of the orchestra's members' committee.

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What they’re saying

“It is really hard to compare orchestras in this way. It reminds me of when Chevy Chase was still on 'Saturday Night Live,' and he would give baseball scores and say, 'Yankees, one,' then not say what the other scores were. You don't know what the numbers are, or how close they are.”

— Vanessa Moss, Vice President of Orchestra and Building Operations, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Chicago Tribune)

“Does that literally mean a member of the (CSO) does more concerts than a member of one of these other orchestras? It's a little hard to say.”

— Bill Buchman, Bassoonist and Chair of the Members' Committee, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Chicago Tribune)

“There's a number of reasons why, especially for the string players, it's become quite an exhausting job. … You need recovery time when you're doing something that physical, and with a very dense calendar, there's very little opportunity for recovery time.”

— Bill Buchman, Bassoonist and Chair of the Members' Committee, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Chicago Tribune)

What’s next

The CSO musicians and management will meet at the negotiating table later this year to discuss the orchestra's contract, which expires in September. The Bachtrack ranking could be used as fodder for these labor negotiations, though both the musicians and management caution against taking the data at face value and say they will seek out their own data to make direct comparisons to peer orchestras.

The takeaway

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra's ranking as the world's busiest orchestra highlights the demanding workload faced by its musicians, which can increase the risk of injuries and impact their recovery time. This data could be used in upcoming contract negotiations, though both the CSO musicians and management say the ranking may not tell the full story and they will seek out their own data for comparison. The case underscores the broader challenges of overwork in American orchestras and the need to find a balance between high performance levels and protecting musicians' well-being.