BROOKINGS — Anna DeGraff (mezzo-soprano) will present her chamber recital, “Connections,” at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 at First Lutheran Brookings, 337 Eighth St., featuring music by 20th and 21st century composers.

DeGraff is an instructor of voice and music history at South Dakota State University whose voice has been described as having “great expressive power, errant and wild” (Duluth News Tribune) while her interpretations have been noted as “comely” and “cute, quirky, and flirty” (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Lincoln Journal Star).

Joining DeGraff will be Kurt Knecht, a long-time composer and pianist currently residing in Kansas City. His compositions have been lauded as “funky,” “joyous,” and “brilliant” by publications such as The Washington Post and The Tracker magazine. His music has been heard at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.

The recital is made possible through a collaborative artist grant awarded to DeGraff and Knecht through the South Dakota Arts Council. SDAC support is provided with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The performance will feature the premiere of two new compositions featuring the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay and Lewis Carroll written by Knecht for this project. Three additional premieres include a third song by Knecht, a duet from an in-progress opera written by Kentucky-based composer Stephen Variames, and a new instrumentation of an instrumental piece by Dale Trumbore.

DeGraff and Knecht will be joined by Las Vegas-based soprano Kayla Wilkens as well as Elizabeth Robinson (flute) and Michael Walsh (clarinet), both professors at South Dakota State University. The concert is free and open to the public.