Kai Talim to Host WALK WITH CHILDREN Concert, 5/25

Kai Talim, an alumnus of the Music Institute of Chicago's Academy for gifted pre-college musicians, hosts the second annual Walk with Children benefit concert featuring other Academy alumni, current students, and friends. The program includes works by Handel, Schubert, Prokofiev, Ravel, Villa-Lobos, Smetana, Piazzolla and more. 

Says Talim: "On March 11, 2011, Japan was devastated by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster. The damage was tremendous; every aspect of the lives of the Japanese has been significantly altered. One of the most striking videos of the disaster was of a girl standing amongst piles of debris, crying out for her mother. As a Japanese-American son of two supportive and loving parents, the stories of the children of Japan have had a tremendous impact on me. My family is everything to me, and I cannot imagine what children who lose their parents go through. I decided I wanted to help these children by raising funds for an organization called ASHINAGA, a group dedicated to improving the lives of Japanese orphans. We cannot provide them with their lost parents. But we can give them the feeling and knowledge that a group of people cares for them. 

Who: Music Institute of Chicago Academy alumnus Kai Talim
What: Hosts the second annual Walk with Children concert, benefiting ASHINAGA, supporting Japanese orphans following the 2011 earthquake
When: Friday, May 25, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston
Tickets: $15 adults, $10 students at the door (cash or check only)

For more information, visit musicinst.org.