Internationally renowned conductor Jan Pellant returns to Sandpoint

The Music Conservatory of Sandpoint is excited to present "Magical Musical Moments," a concert performed by children for children and families. 

This concert, which will be performed Friday, Aug. 16, and Sunday, Aug. 18, will showcase the achievements of the Music Matters! Summer Academy. Equally exciting is the conservatory’s first global "Concert for a Cause" on the same weekend.  

The students enrolled in this enriching summer camp enjoyed the opportunity to work with guest conductor Jan Pellant. Pellant is a native of the Czech Republic and studied at the Prague Academy of the Performing Arts. He also holds degrees from the Prague Conservatory, Carnegie Mellon University, and a doctorate from the University of Kentucky. In addition, he has been on the faculty of the New York Conservatory in Prague.

“Maestro Pellant currently lives in Prague and conducts all around the world, most recently in China," Kathi Samuels, the conservatory's development director, said. "He was the guest conductor for the Summer Academy two years ago, and many students are familiar with him and eagerly anticipated his return.”  

The Music Matters! Summer Academy included youth orchestra, advanced orchestra, and choir students. A preview of their mid-August performances includes featured music such as "Magic Flute Overture," "Jupiter," "Royal Fireworks Overture," and "Themes from The Planets."

The Friday, Aug. 16, performance will occur at 4:30 p.m. at North Summit Church, 201 N. Division Ave., Sandpoint. On Sunday, Aug. 18, the performance will be at Farmin Park, Third and Main, at 2:30 p.m., weather permitting.  

The Music Conservatory will also host its inaugural global "Concert for a Cause" on Friday, Aug. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. at North Summit Church. It will feature Music Conservatory, regional, and international artists.  

“The goal of Music Matters! Global is to connect talent without boundaries and promote cultural harmony through music,” said the conservatory’s founder and director, Karin Wedemeyer. "Whether hosting exchange students, international guest artists, or inviting global groups to perform for or alongside our students, we aim to harness the power of music as a source of unity and togetherness of play.” 

This performance will feature the North Idaho Philharmonia and will open with the talent of 16-year-old Daniel Beal, with whom Pellant performed in December 2021. That performance earned the duo the platinum prize at the World Classical Music Awards international music competition.  

“Daniel will perform Grieg’s iconic piano concerto alongside the North Idaho Philharmonia conducted by Pellant,” said Wedemeyer. 

There will also be a celebration of composer Anton Bruckner's 200th anniversary of his "Symphony No. 7." 

Wedemeyer, a dramatic soprano from Germany, will sing the Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss. These pieces are exquisitely beautiful and were written by Strauss in his final years. 

“This Concert for a Cause is the first of its kind for the school, and after 15 years of coming alongside the youth of Sandpoint, we are excited to go global with a concert of this quality and magnitude,” said Samuels.  

While the daytime performances are free to the public, the ticket sales — $5 for students and $20 for adults — and donations for the global Concert for a Cause will support Music Matters! The conservatory's outreach program brings year-long classes and performing groups to the youth of Sandpoint and the surrounding areas.  

Tickets are available for early purchase, and there is also a discounted family donation ticket option, allowing the community to join this concert for a donation amount of their choosing.  

The evening concert will also be livestreamed worldwide, and there is a donation ticket option to watch from the comfort of your home.  

“We hope to repeat this event annually, reaching listeners all around the world and creating a Kinder Music Fest as well in the near future,” said Wedemeyer.  

"Our children put forth so much effort. It would be incredible for the community to come alongside their efforts," adds Samuels.

Those at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint are grateful to their grant partners, the Idaho Commission on the Arts, Idaho Community Foundation, and Innovia Foundation for making concerts and camps possible for the youth of the community, saying they appreciate the efforts of so many who sustain the vitality of the arts for the youth. 

Information: sandpointconservatory.org/events

    Members of the Music Matters! Summer Academy orchestra are pictured prior to an upcoming pair of concerts celebrating their achievements.
  

    Daniel Beal will perform at a Music Conservatory of Sandpoint's "Concert for a Cause" on Friday, Aug. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. at North Summit Church.