(SARASOTA, Fla., January 17, 2017) A Sarasota Music Club and Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota partnership will be holding auditions for the second annual Suncoast Music Scholarships. The 2017 program will offer up to $20,000 in music scholarship awards through a competition open to Sarasota and Manatee high school students.
Four awards are available for graduating seniors: 1st place – $5,000, 2nd place – $4,000, 3rd place – $3,000, and 4th place – $2,000. These awards are to be used for advanced music education.
Awards are also available for area 10th and 11th grade students through this competition. They include two awards of $2,000 for 11th grade students and two $1,000 awards for 10th grade students. The award funds are to be used for expenses related to the study of music.
Lee Dougherty Ross, Director of Scholarships for Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota and Co-Chair of Suncoast Music Scholarships, said, “We are delighted to offer this support for young musicians who aspire to improve their musical talent.”
Information and applications are available through the websites of both sponsoring organizations: www.SarasotaMusicClub.org and www.ArtistSeriesConcerts.org. Applications are due by February 28, and the audition will be held on April 22. An awards luncheon on May 6 will feature performances by 12th grade winners.
The organization partners are devoted to enhancing music performance and education.
Sarasota Music Club offers free, member-supported performances October through March. Founded in 1930 and originally part of the historic Women’s Club, Sarasota Music Club is the oldest organization to bring performances by professional musicians to the Sarasota area. The club has a long history of awarding music scholarships to young area musicians.
Since its founding in 1996, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota has evolved into a valuable, regional cultural asset, known for bringing diverse, world-class musical experiences to Sarasota and Manatee counties. Competitions offered by the organization have awarded more than $270,000 to 72 gifted young musicians since the inception of the program.
For more information, call Lee Dougherty Ross, 941.388.1188.
Sarasota Music Club
Sarasota Music Club was founded in 1930 to promote music appreciation, study and performance. It is a member of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, the Florida Federation of Music Clubs and the National Federation of Music Clubs. Scholarship funds for this 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization are managed by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. For more information, visit www.sarasotamusicclub.org or call 941.925.3602.
Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota
Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota was formed in 1996 as Artist Series of Sarasota. The non-profit organization presents world-class musical experiences in a diverse range of genres, including classical, cabaret, pop, Broadway, orchestral and opera. A central focus of Artist Series Concerts’ mission is to spark a lifelong love of the musical arts by exposing young people to interactive music experiences. It accomplishes this through its performance-based outreach programs in area schools, creating unique learning opportunities for thousands of students and educators every year. In addition, Artist Series Concerts’ preeminent Sarasota National Music Scholarship Awards grants more than $20,000 annually to gifted, young musicians from around the country. Past winners have gone on to study at leading music conservatories and pursued successful music careers. For more information, visit www.artistseriesconcerts.org or call 941-306-1200.