Paying tribute to the Prairie Ensemble and Kevin Kelly

All this month, host Roger Cooper presents concerts of The Prairie Ensemble to salute the group and conductor Kevin Kelly. First up, the Around the World in One Night concert. Kevin, who also hosted Live and Local on WILL-FM, has moved out of the area.

Around the World in One Night

Darius Milhaud: The Creation of the World
Alan Hovhaness: Tzaikerk (“Evening Song”)
Daron Hagen: Koto Concerto “Genji”
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 “Italian”

This program is built around American composer Daron Hagen’s recent concerto for the traditional Japanese harp, the koto, featuring guest soloist Yoko Reikano Kimura. Frenchman Darius Milhaud’s jazz-inspired ballet The Creation of the World sets the stage, and the drama continues with Armenian-American Alan Hovhaness’ exotic work for flute, violin, timpani and strings. The program closes with Mendelssohn’s classic symphony reflecting his journeys through Italy.