The Prima Music Foundation's returns to Ventfort Hall with their popular Opera Meets Hollywood concert. This special evening at Ventfort Hall, presented by Anastasia Dedik Prima Music Foundation Artistic Director, features a rich blend of opera, musical theater, and iconic piano works from film, brought to life by a cast of remarkable talent including young pianists from the Prima Music Foundation.
Anastasia Dedik is a passionate educator. She founded the Prima Music Foundation, Prima Music Academy, and the Prima Music Institute and Festival Summer Camp that is held every summer in Berkshires. Her students have performed at Carnegie Hall and won top national and international awards. She is an internationally acclaimed pianist, praised for her "flawless and memorable" performances (New York Concert Artist Review). In addition to her performing career,
Dedik is honored to welcome soprano Jeanne Gérard, a special guest from Paris, France, reuniting with pianist Anastasia Dedik, her longtime collaborator from their years at The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. Praised as "a revelation" (Le Figaro) and "one of the most outstanding sopranos of her generation" (Première Loge), French soprano Jeanne Gérard has earned acclaim for her expressive artistry, flawless technique, and musical sensitivity.
This concert also marks the Prima Music Foundation debut of soprano Sadiyah Babatunde, a dynamic young artist whose voice bridges tradition and innovation. She is a dynamic and versatile performer equally at home in opera, concert, and genre-crossing repertoire.
PMF and Artistic Director Anastasia Dedik is especially proud to present outstanding young pianists from the Foundation; Artois Sancho, Opal Garg and Dylan Conuel, who recently participated in the 2025 Prima Music Institute and Festival held at the Berkshire Music School. Once again, Anastasia Dedik brings together music and friends for an unforgettable evening celebrating passion, artistry, and the next generation of talent.
Artois Sancho, a 15 year old rising junior at Wahconah Regional High School where he is an accomplished flutist in the school's concert band, is a dedicated music student at the Berkshire Music School in Pittsfield, where he studies piano with Anastasia Dedik and Amy Renak. He is a regular participant in the annual MMEA District Music Festival as well as Prima Music Institute and Festival. Artois was awarded a full talent scholarship by PMF to return in 2026.
Opal Garg, nine, began studying piano at age four at the Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City, where she is an EDA McFarlane Clark Piano Honors student. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, and Merkin Hall, and was a four-time featured soloist in Third Street's Stowe C. Phelps Annual Concert.
Dylan Conuel, 12, began playing piano just over a year ago after discovering he could transpose Für Elise from his xylophone to the keyboard. A percussionist in his school band, this moment sparked a deep and lasting passion for the piano. Though new to the instrument, Dylan has quickly immersed himself in the works of the great masters—particularly Rachmaninov, Liszt, and Chopin—and studies their music with remarkable dedication. He currently studies piano with Anastasia Dedik.
