芝加哥交响乐合唱团的历史始于1957年9月22日，当时芝加哥交响乐团（CSO）宣布玛格丽特·希利斯将组织和训练交响乐合唱团。音乐总监Fritz Reiner最初的意图是利用合唱团参加为期两周的订阅音乐会，表演 12月的George Frideric Handel 's Messiah和4月份的Giuseppe Verdi 's Requiem。当布鲁诺·沃尔特告诉管弦乐队的管理层时，他在1958年3月的出场将是他在芝加哥的最后一次出场，董事会主席埃里克·奥德伯格坚持要求沃尔特执行沃尔夫冈阿马德乌斯莫扎特的安魂曲利用新的合唱。在第一季中，希利斯在逻辑上不可能在不到四个月的时间内为三部主要作品进行试镜和准备新的合唱。作为临时修复，芝加哥的阿波罗合唱团被用于圣诞弥赛亚音乐会。　　 　　The history of the Chicago Symphony Chorus began on September 22, 1957, when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced that Margaret Hillis would organize and train a symphony chorus. Music Director Fritz Reiner’s original intent was to utilize the Chorus for the two weeks of subscription concerts that season, performing — George Frideric Handel’s Messiah in December and Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem in April. When Bruno Walter informed the Orchestra’s management that his March 1958 appearances would be his last in Chicago the board president Eric Oldberg insisted that Walter conduct Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem utilizing the new Chorus. During that first season, it would have been logistically impossible for Hillis to audition and prepare a new Chorus for three major works within less than four months. As an interim fix the Apollo Chorus of Chicago was used for the Christmas Messiah concerts.