Our
Inspiration
On June 12, 1994, Matfield Green rancher Jane Koger celebrated her 40th birthday by inviting the people of Chase County to a “Symphony on the Prairie.” Jane organized and produced this symphony with an all-woman orchestra, whose members came from the symphony orchestras of St. Louis, Denver and Kansas City, to perform in a natural amphitheater on the prairie of her Homestead Ranch.
More than 3,000 people, not only from Chase County but from around the Midwest and beyond, sat in lawn chairs and on blankets with their neighbors and new friends. They experienced the magic of symphonic music wafting on the evening prairie breeze, accompanied by grass and sky as far as the eye could see – along with a gorgeous Kansas sunset for the finale.
Jane’s stated goal for this event: “To provide an experience of great music in the Flint Hills, and bring together art and environment to nourish the soul. No politics and no hidden agendas; just a simple pairing of music and prairie for an unforgettable and soul-enriching evening.”
This “Symphony on the Prairie” is legendary in the Midwest. Since that magical night over a decade ago, people – many of whom were not even present that evening – have been asking, “Will there ever be another symphony on the prairie?”
Symphony in the Flint Hills, Inc. can unequivocally answer, “Yes!” With the resounding popularity of the 2006 Inaugural Concert, witnessed by a sell-out crowd and the generosity of sponsors and patrons, the commitment to an annual series of “Symphony in the Flint Hills Concerts” has deepened.