Conductor Jan Pellant returns to Sandpoint for conservatory’s inaugural Concert for a Cause

By Reader Staff

The Music Conservatory of Sandpoint will welcome back internationally recognized Maestro Jan Pellant to Sandpoint for its first-ever Global Concert for a Cause, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 16, from 7-9 p.m. at the North Summit Church (201 N. Division Ave., in Sandpoint).

A native of the Czech Republic, Pellant studied at the Prague Academy of the Performing Arts, and he holds degrees from the Prague Conservatory, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Kentucky. He has also served as professor of conducting and orchestra studies on the faculty of the New York Conservatory in Prague.

Jan Pellant conducts the North Idaho Philharmonia. Courtesy photo.

Under the direction of Pellant, MCS, regional and international artists will perform a range of classical pieces — from Edvard Grieg’s iconic piano concerto (featuring Daniel Beal with the North Idaho Philharmonia) to Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 (in honor of the composer’s 200th birthday) to soprano Karin Wedemeyer singing the “Four Last Songs” by Richard Strauss.

Tickets are $5 for students and $20 for adults, with all proceeds and donations benefiting the conservatory’s Music Matters! program, which offers year-long after-school classes that bring together creative ensembles and performance opportunities for area youth. 

“We plan for this event to be the first of an annual summer concert dedicated to music accessibility and education for the youth of our town,” organizers stated. “Music Matters! annually reaches over 300 children in Bonner County. Through weekly classes and groups, such as youth orchestra, children’s choir, percussion, musical theater and handbells, Music Matters! aims to remove barriers to participation.”

Advanced purchase is preferred, and tickets are available at sandpointconservatory.org/events or at the conservatory (110 Main St., in Sandpoint). Tickets for each performance will also be available at the door.

The performances will be streamed live and recorded on YouTube and available to donors, who are invited to give whatever amount they choose under the “select your own” donation ticket on the conservatory’s website.

For more info, visit sandpointconservatory.org or call 208-265-4444.