EcoTones: The Urban Prairie

MPF is proud to sponsor EcoTones: The Urban Prairie Season, launching this fall with EcoTones: The Urban Prairie at Bellefontaine Cemetery, 4947 West Florissant Ave., St. Louis MO 63115.

EcoTones Concerts presents imaginative outdoor performances sited in public nature spaces, exploring connections between humans and the natural world. The Bellefontaine concert, on September 16 at 2:00 pm, invites audiences to interact with and listen to musicians along a half-mile “music trail” through Bellefontaine Cemetery’s prairie planting, getting up close and personal with instruments from all four instrument families, and gaining insight about prairie ecosystems from volunteer naturalists.

New music inspired by the prairie ecosystem, its superpower roots, specific native plants, and the flora and fauna immediately alongside the trail will be performed. The “music trail” portion of the event is followed by an outdoor sit-down concert sited on a wheelchair-and-stroller-accessible paved area near the trailhead with provided chairs. The performance features St. Louis-area professional musicians from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as well as mainstay players on the regional and international jazz, blues, and folk scenes including Adam Maness (piano), Alan Ferber (trombone), Ann Choomack (flute), Bjorn Ranheim (cello), Bob Deboo (bass & composition), Danny Campbell (trumpet), Jody Redhage-Ferber (cello & compositions), Kaleb Kirby (drums), Kwanae Johnson (saxophones), Thomas Jöstlein (alphorn, French horn), Tricia Jöstlein (alphorn, French horn), Tod Bowermaster (alphorn, French horn), and several guest youth musicians.

Please visit www.ecotonesconcerts.org for tickets and for more information. A limited number of free tickets are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. This event is made possible by a program support grant from the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis, business sponsors Jackson Pianos, Top Notch Violins, Grow Native! Member Pure Air Natives, and donations from private individuals.

Please note: Chairs will be provided for the Sept. 16 event at Bellefontaine Cemetery. Audience members embarking on the “music trail” portion of the event should wear appropriate footwear. Refreshments will be available for purchase. The rain date is Sunday, Sept. 17 at 2:00 pm, also at Bellefontaine Cemetery.