(SARASOTA, Fla., February 14, 2018) The third annual Suncoast Music Scholarships program will
offer up to $20,000 in music scholarships through a competition open to Sarasota and Manatee county high school students. The scholarship program is funded through a Sarasota Music Club and Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota partnership.
Four scholarship awards are available for graduating seniors to use for advanced music education. The awards are: 1st place – $5,000, 2nd place – $4,000, 3rd place – $3,000, and 4th place – $2,000.
Scholarships are also available for area 10th and 11th grade students through this competition. Two awards of $2,000 are available for 11th grade students, and two $1,000 awards will be available for 10th grade students. All scholarship 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 participate in this partnership that supports young musicians aspiring 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 must be received by 5 p.m. on March 21, and the auditions will be held on April 28. The 12th grade winners will perform at the annual awards luncheon on May 12.
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 nearly $300,000 to 80 gifted young musicians since the inception of the program.
For more information, call Lee Dougherty Ross, 941.388.1188 or Susan Hicks, 941.925.3602.
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.