For 50 years, Young Concert Artists has been presenting young, talented, previously unknown classical artists to the musical world. Violinist Benjamin Beilman won the auditions in 2010, and he'll perform at the Krannert Center in Urbana Sunday afternoon-including the premiere of a new work. Mr. Beilman will be my guest on the Friday edition of "Live and Local.
By virtue of its location, its instrumentation and the content of its songs, Greensky Bluegrass could perhaps be called a post-newgrass band. They'll play in Urbana Thursday night, and I'll talk with one of their founders on the Wednesday edition of "Live and Local." And conductor Steven Larsen joins me to talk about Saturday's concert by the Champaign-Urbana Symphony.
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Raul Midón incorporates a genre-defying blend of soul, pop, jazz, folk and Latin elements into his music. Blind since birth, he has experienced the world, and music, differently from most. He'll play a solo show in Bloomington Thursday night, and he'll be my guest on the Tuesday edition of "Live and Local.
William Kinderman has been called "a very rare bird" by no less a classical personage than pianist Alfred Brendel for his ability to blend thorough scholarship with top-notch musicianship. Prof. Kinderman will give a recital of piano works by Beethoven and Brahms at the Krannert Center in Urbana Thursday night, and he'll be my guest on the Monday edition of "Live and Local.
Red Mask Players in Danville are celebrating their 75th anniversary this season, and their current production repeats the show that opened the Kathryn Randolph Theater in 1962, Howard Teichmann's "The Girls in 509." We'll have a live scene on the Friday edition of "Live and Local." Also live in the studio, we'll hear Tom and Matt Turino, the father-and-son duo who specialize in their own brand of old-time string music, playing in Urbana Sunday night.
Andrew Sewell is music director of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the latest music director candidate for the Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestra. He'll conduct the latter this weekend, and he'll be my guest on the Thursday edition of "Live and Local." And we'll hear about the current production by Springfield Theatre Centre of the musical Chess, ending this weekend.
The memory and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. annually inspire festivals of African-American music across the country. Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington will hold its 13th Festival of Spirituals and Songs in honor of Dr. King this Thursday afternoon. I'll talk with the founder and coordinator of the festival, Dr. Carren Moham, on the Wednesday edition of "Live and Local.
Francesca Zambello is an internationally recognized director of opera and theater and artistic director of the Glimmerglass Festival. She'll give a MillerComm lecture at the University of Illinois Thursday afternoon, and she'll be my guest on the Tuesday edition of "Live and Local." I'll also talk with renowned Canadian fiddler, singer, songwriter and step dancer April Verch, who plays in Urbana Thursday night, and we'll sample her latest CD.
The play Frozen is Randi Hard's last production as director of theater at Parkland College. It's an unflinching, award-winning play. Randi and two of the actors will join us for a live preview on the Friday edition of "Live and Local." And we'll hear from a band of two brothers called Manzanita Bones, live in the studio.
Hi, I'm Kevin Kelly. In a song of his, Todd Snider says, "I'm broke as the Ten Commandments and sometimes I'm harder to follow." He's an intriguing guy who writes intriguing songs, and he'll be in our area twice in the coming week: Saturday in Springfield and next Friday in Bloomington. Todd Snider joins me on the Thursday edition of "Live and Local." The show airs weekdays from noon to 1 on FM 90.9.
