iPalpiti Festival Returns To Encinitas

ENCINITAS, Calif. - June 24, 2014 - PRLog -- The 3 week music festival starts in Encinitas with the Soloists Concerts, then the full 30 member orchestra gathers and performs in Orange County, Los Angeles and concludes with a finale performance at Disney Hall. “Each musician is a foremost artist in their respective countries and has won a major international competition,” said Laura Schmieder, iPalpiti Director.

iPalpiti Artists International was founded in 1997 by renowned violinists and music educators, Eduard and Laura Schmieder.  iPalpiti [pronounced ‘ee-PAHL-pit-ee’] in  Italian means “heartbeat.” The nonprofit discovers and promotes talented young professional artists from around the world. Each summer, 30 are selected to travel to Southern California for the festival where they perform in solo, ensemble and orchestral concerts. iPalpiti artists is often referred to as the “Musical Peace Corps.”

This is the 3^rd year for the Encinitas concerts. “It was a remarkable experience for Eduard and myself, particularly seeing the pride among audience members after last year’s performances,” said Laura Schmieder. “They left the concert in awe, saying ‘We don’t have to go to La Jolla anymore. We have our own festival with such great international musicians here in Encinitas.’”  “The City is honored to bring these world-class musicians to Encinitas. To witness an iPalpiti Festival is to glimpse the future of classical music,” said Jim Gilliam, Arts Administrator for Encinitas.

The Encinitas concerts will feature Irakli Tsadaia, violinist from Georgia (USSR), Catharina Chen, violinist from Norway, Midori Maruyama, violist from Japan, Jacob Shaw, cellist from the United Kingdom/Denmark, and Timothy Durkovic, pianist from Guatemala/USA. For complete biographies on the musicians, visit: www.iPalpiti.org.

“We select musicians for their talent corresponding with iPalpiti’s mission of peace and understanding through music. Talent comes first, then personality. The camaraderie is unprecedented. There is no competition whatsoever between musicians, there is a remarkable friendship and professional respect between all of them,” said Schmieder.

An example, Schmieder adds, is Jacob Shaw, a cellist from the UK. “Jacob is the founder and director of the Musique de Chambre en Charent [festival] in southwest France,” she said. “This is his sixth season with iPalpiti artists. This is our mission: to create a cultural network among world-class musicians.”

The soloists arrive on July 8 with dinner at Moonlight Beach. “We want them to enjoy their time in Encinitas and dinner on the beach is the perfect start,” said Gilliam.  Rehearsals begin later that night; they present their first concert two days later. All rehearsals are scheduled at the Encinitas Library. iPalpiti Music Director Eduard Schmieder will mentor the musicians for their Encinitas concerts. “The opportunity to experience Downtown Encinitas for five days will be a blast for the soloists, while hearing them in concert will be a thrill for Encinitas audiences,” said Dody Crawford, Encinitas 101 Executive Director. The musicians will stay at the McNeill Guest House, one block south of the library, and eat in downtown restaurants.

Encinitas concert tickets are $15 and may be purchased online at www.encinitas.tix.com, by calling (800) 595-4849, or at the door. For concert information, visit: www.encinitasca.gov/ipalpiti, or call: (760) 633-2746. Attendees will enjoy a pre-concert reception on the patio overlooking the Pacific Ocean, hosted by downtown restaurants and local wineries. For info on the entire festival, visit: www.ipalpiti.org. The Encinitas Library is located at 540 Cornish Drive, Encinitas, CA 92024. The festival is funded in part by the City of Encinitas and Mizel Family Foundation Community Grant Program.