Franklin County Arts Council Hosts Annual Scholarship Concert

The concert will feature performances by soprano Isabel Blakewell and tenor Zachary Dean Smith.

Mar. 20, 2026 at 11:22pm

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The Franklin County Arts Council is hosting its annual Young Performing Artist Scholarship Benefit Concert on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Faith Baptist Church in Hampton. The concert will feature performances by soprano Isabel Blakewell and tenor Zachary Dean Smith, along with the combined high school choirs from Hampton-Dumont-CAL and West Fork. A freewill offering will be taken to support $1,000 scholarships for graduating seniors pursuing fine arts education.

Why it matters

The annual concert provides an opportunity for up-and-coming young artists to showcase their talents and raise funds for scholarships to support the next generation of performers. It also brings high-quality musical performances to the local community, which may not have regular access to such events.

The details

Blakewell, a Minnesota native, has performed leading operatic roles and recently completed her master's degree in opera performance. Smith, a central Iowa native, has studied at both Iowa State University and Carnegie Mellon University and is known for blending opera and musical theatre. The performers will be accompanied by Jodi Goble, a composer and Iowa State University professor whose work has been recognized nationally.

  • The concert will take place on Saturday, March 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

The players

Isabel Blakewell

A Minnesota native who has performed leading operatic roles and recently completed her master's degree in opera performance.

Zachary Dean Smith

A central Iowa native who has studied at both Iowa State University and Carnegie Mellon University and is known for blending opera and musical theatre.

Jodi Goble

A composer and Iowa State University professor whose work has been recognized nationally.

Franklin County Arts Council

The organization hosting the annual Young Performing Artist Scholarship Benefit Concert.

Faith Baptist Church

The venue hosting the concert in Hampton, Iowa.

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What they’re saying

“It's really wonderful because I got to pick out some very specific literature that I'm really happy to be doing for this community. And as much as I am a performer that's about me, I also just am the kind of person who really loves to entertain as much as you can. I am an entertainer through and through, so any time I get a chance to go on stage and make people laugh, that's going to be the stuff that fulfills me.”

— Zachary Dean Smith

“This is one of the first kind of like half performances that I've given like this, but I do love doing recitals and stuff and like any kind of performances that I can do, like any operas or chorus, anything like that. I performed, you know, in Minnesota, Iowa, and I've also performed across like internationally. I've performed in Italy, I've performed in Austria. And so yeah, as much as I can,, I love to do these, you know, on big stages, on small stages, anywhere I can to do this kind of stuff.”

— Isabel Blakewell

“I grew up in a really small town in Indiana. And I remember that when I was about the age of four or five and asked for piano lessons, my parents had to take me out of town to find them. And I studied piano and violin starting at age four and went all the way through college with both instruments and then discovered singers. And I really love working with singers and bringing text to music. I think it's just really powerful. I've been doing this a long time. I love this concert every year. look forward to it every year. I like the idea of bringing something like this into a town that doesn't see it every weekend. And getting to go into the schools is probably my favorite part of it.”

— Jodi Goble, Composer and Iowa State University Professor

What’s next

A freewill offering will be taken at the concert to support $1,000 scholarships for graduating seniors pursuing fine arts education.

The takeaway

The annual scholarship concert provides a valuable opportunity for young, up-and-coming artists to showcase their talents and raise funds to support the next generation of performers, while also bringing high-quality musical performances to the local community.