Entry made in September, 2024, following Dan's Conducting

of the Minnetonka Concert Band.

Classmate Daniel Geldert was in Minnesota to conduct his last Minnetonka Concert Band concert on Sunday, September 29, 2024.  This was billed as his final concert, and he called it his Finale -- "Once More...with Feeling."  The event was held at the Minnetonka High School Arts Center on 7, starting at 3:00 PM.  In attendance from our Class of '58 were Judy Gerber Tess, Janet Aarness Midtbo, Kay Knudson Studebaker, Karen (KC) Cravens Bretzke, Tim Kiernan, Ross Legrand and Roger Johnson.  A reception was held following the concert, to honor Dan, and a few pictures of us with Dan were taken.  The pictures are shown below:

 

Above is Dan (in the center) with the Concert Band on Stage.

 

Dan is in the middle with his wife, Janet, at his left.  There was a very large crowd, all waiting to speak with Dan.  Many were his former students.

 

Here's our Class of '58 SLP group that was able to stay after the concert.  We are at the reception. Kay Studebaker and Ross Legrand had to leave earlier.

Many of us Parkites have known Dan Geldert for decades -- some for over 70 years, from our days with Dan in Junior High School in St. Louis Park.  There's likely something on which we can all agree with the folks who attend his annual Minnetonka concerts: Dan Geldert is a legend.  He devoted his life to music.  Dan has enriched the lives of over 5000 musicians.  His enthusiasm and well-honed talent has inspired and challenged musicians of all ages to find the "music between the notes."  He sets the bar high and the result often takes one's breath away.

During his career, Dan has performed over 600 concerts, conducting with exuberance and passion.  For 62 years he performed on the same stage in Minnetonka High School with his students where his annual concerts have been held.  He brings audiences and musicians alike to the edge of their seats.  Dan has been a dedicated leader in the Minnetonka community.  He served as the Band Director at Minnetonka High School for 35 years, from 1962 to 1997, also as the Choir Director at Minnetonka Lutheran Church for 22 years, from 1967 to 1989, and the Founder and Director of the Minnetonka Concert Band (Music Association of Minnetonka) for 21 years.

Dan has decided to retire, after all these years, concerts held and lives touched.  This concert was his last and final event here.  His Finale concert featured a commissioned work by James M. David, professor of music at the University of Colorado-Fort Collins, and many of Dan's long time favorites.

Included in this final concert are eleven pieces: Fandango (by Frank Perkins); Cakewalk from Suite of Old American Dances (by Robert Russell Bennett); Popular Song from Facade (by William Walton); William Byrd Suite (by Gordon Jacob); Procession of Nobles (an Orchestra-to-Band transcription by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov); Perthshire Majesty (by Samuel Hazo); The Klaxon March (Dan's favorite standard American march); Anything Goes (by Cole Porter); Celebration Scherzo (the commissioned piece especially for this concert, by UC Fort Collins professor James David); Sweet Georgia Brown (arr. by P. Murtha, and featuring Minnetonka HS Band alums Kenni Holmen '76 and Jason Hausback '97) and finally Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral from "Lohengrin" (by Richard Wagner, and Dan Geldert's all-time favorite piece of music to conduct).

Of course, we all know Dan Geldert from the many years we sat next to him in our own classes.  We wish Dan and his wife, Janet, a wonderful retirement, good food and wine, good friends who will visit and extend their love, plus a lot of godspeed and good luck in his continuing travels and hobbies.

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Entry made in 2017, following Dan's Conducting of the Minnetonka Concert Band.

For the past 15 years Classmate Dan Geldert has returned to Minnesota each fall to conduct the Minnetonka Concert Band's first in a series of performances by the Music Association of Minnetonka.  This year the concert was once again at Minnetonka High School, and was held on Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 3:00 PM.  This year's performance was entitled "WINDSPIRATION."  Here is a photo of Dan, speaking to the audience about the music they are about to hear in the performance.

What is most inspiring about Dan Geldert's involvement is his continuing passion for exercising his music craft so long into retirement, plus his commitment to bringing music to the people who knew Dan from the many years when he worked as a music educator at Minnetonka High School.

This year's music included J.S. Bach's 'Little' Fugue in G minor, Go Tell it on the Mountain, arranged by Jay Dawson, Theme from Schindler's List, with a special guest artist, Jenni Volby on the violin, Malaguena, Selections from Les Miserables, Fuego Del Alma, Pavel Tschesnokoff's Salavation is Created, and one of Dan's favorites, Alleluia! Laudemus Te by Alfred Reed.  All in all, it was a terrific afternoon of wonderfully inspiring music!

  Here is a photo of Dan (back to the audience, conducting the Concert Band.

Dan Geldert earned degrees in Music Education from Augsburg College and the University of Colorado and was the Director of Bands at Minnetonka High School from 1962 - 1997.  Among many other directing positions, Dan was choir director at Minnetonka Lutheran Church from 1967 - 1989 and director of the St. Louis Park Community Band from 2000 - 2002.  He was recipient of the "Augsburg College Outstanding Music Graduate" award in 1987 and the International Association of Jazz Educators "Minnesota Jazz Educator of the Year" award in 1991.  At the first annual Minnetonka Alumnus Awards held in November 2009, he was honored as an inductee to the Minnetonka High School Faculty Hall of Fame.  

Dan keeps busy as an avid photographer and loves to travel.  For several weeks, and each week, prior to each fall concert, Dan and his wife, Janet, fly to Minnesota from their home in Fort Collins, Colorado, to practice with the Concert Band.  The result is an annual, inspiring performance for those who have followed this event as the community destination for all who love music.

After the performance Dan and his wife Janet joined our small group of St. Louis Park '58ers, who attended the concert, at a Japanese restaurant in Hopkins.  In attendance were Ross Legrand, Kent and Barbara Nichols, and Roger and Vicki Johnson.  Dan is shown below, thinking in between his stories of our days as children in St. Louis Park.  The nostagila was great too.  We all had a fun time reminiscing about our teachers in both elementary and secondary schools.  Who knew that Dan Geldert worked for a time after high school at the old Creosote Plant in SLP in order to earn money for college?  He proclaims that he still likes the smell of new tar laid down on a highway.  That work prompted Dan to major in music rather than in hard labor!

Dan and Janet have been traveling the world, and intend to keep on in the months ahead.  He has been sending in his pictures, which we have occasionally posted on this website.  If you wish to be in attendance the next time Dan Geldert is here in Minnesota, put next March 25th, 2018, on your calendar, for he will return for another round of conducting the Minnetonka Concert Band.  Watch for upcoming details.

Dan Geldert's music has been his profession; but did you know of his art work?

Dan's art work, his serious hobby for the past 25 years, is on display at his brand new website http://dgeldert.artspan.com where you can see some of Dan's photographic works of art, and where you may even arrange to purchase some of his classics.