The Eastern Illinois University Wind Symphony will give a concert Friday night called "The Art of the Wind Band," with music by (mostly) living composers. Conductor Milton Allen will join us on the Friday edition of "Live and Local" and bring with him one of those composers, Jim Bonney, who will solo on electric guitar in his work called Diabolus Ex Machina.
Violinist Stefan Milenkovich is one of the numerous well-traveled performing faculty at the University of Illinois School of Music. Next week, he'll give a recital in Urbana with his most frequent collaborator, pianist Rohan De Silva. Stefan will join us in the studio on the Wednesday edition of "Live and Local.
For almost four decades, Claudia Schmidt has explored the nuances of acoustic music with her voice, 12-string guitar and mountain dulcimer with an exciting collection of original, traditional and contemporary writing. She will give a vocal workshop and play a concert Saturday at the Independent Media Center in downtown Urbana, and she's my guest on the Tuesday edition of "Live and Local.
On Sunday, Feb. 28, the University of Illinois Wind Symphony will give its first concert under the new director of bands, Robert Rumbelow, in a program of 19th- and 20th-century masterpieces. Dr. Rumbelow will be my guest on the Monday edition of "Live and Local," to talk about the music and give his impressions, so far, of his first semester on campus.
Bali Ha'i," "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger than Springtime," "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame"-all those great songs come from one Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. The University of Illinois opera program will present South Pacific next week at the Krannert Center in Urbana, and we'll have members of the cast in our studio on the Friday edition of "Live and Local.
Viennese-born, Moscow-trained violinist Gernot Winischhofer will play Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony this Friday night in Urbana. He'll be my guest on the Thursday edition of "Live and Local," with conductor Steve Larsen.
On the Wednesday edition of "Live and Local," I'll talk with Ricky McKinnie, drummer for the Blind Boys of Alabama, the renowned gospel group that got its start back in 1939. They're appearing in Springfield at Sangamon Auditorium on Saturday, and of course we'll hear some of their music as a teaser.
On the Monday edition of "Live and Local," we'll feature the Woodwind Quintet of the Army Ground Forces Band, live in our studio. They're on a whirlwind tour of Illinois, playing free recitals at the University of Illinois in Urbana on Tuesday and at Illinois State University in Normal on Wednesday.
On the Friday edition of "Live and Local," we will feature, live in our studio, Rachel Barton Pine, an extraordinarily gifted and versatile violinist. Her repertoire ranges from period-instrument baroque to heavy metal, and she'll show us some of both and more, in advance of her performances with the Illinois Symphony this weekend.
On the Thursday edition of "Live and Local," I'll talk with three prominent guest performers in Urbana this weekend: banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck and African musician Bassekou Kouyate, together at the Canopy Club on Sunday; and Irish flute and whistle player Laurence Nugent, at the Channing-Murray Foundation on Saturday.
