WHAT  WE'RE  ALL  ABOUT the mission of the pittsburgh concert society The mission of the Pittsburgh Concert Society is to encourage and develop local musical talent by providing an opportunity for artists to perform in formal concerts and offering them financial rewards - an opportunity to be found in only a few American cities. The Pittsburgh Concert Society includes benefactors, sponsors, patrons, and friends, who are musicians, music teachers, or supporters interested in the advancement of music in Pittsburgh. Founded in 1943, the Pittsburgh Concert Society is a non-profit, equal opportunity organization that promotes music in Pittsburgh by discovering and assisting musicians living or receiving their musical education within a 75-mile radius of Pittsburgh. All artists appearing on the Society's programs are chosen by audition. To afford each candidate a fair opportunity, a judge of national reputation, from a city other than Pittsburgh, adjudicates. The Pittsburgh Concert Society is proud of its history and its contribution to the arts in the Pittsburgh area. It is an organization of dedicated officers and board members, all volunteers, consistently working to maintain the highest possible level of talent in their concert presentations. Major Auditions The Major Auditions, held each spring, are judged by nationally known adjudicators, including deans and faculty of leading schools of music. Candidates audition anonymously and are judged solely on the level of their performance and the quality of their program. Six Major winners are presented in concerts, generally during September, October, and November. These concerts are advertised in major newspapers throughout the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas and on National Public Radio via WQED-FM and WDUQ-FM. Major Auditions are open to all who meet the program and living area requirements; there are no age restrictions. Each winner receives an award of $1000 from the William and Eleanor Benswanger Memorial Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation. Young Artists Auditions The Young Artists Auditions are held in January and are also judged by nationally known adjudicators. Instrumentalists must be under the age of 19, vocalists under 22, and must live or study within a 75-mile radius of Pittsburgh. Young Artists Winners are presented in concerts, generally in January and February. These concerts are also advertised in major newspapers and on National Public Radio viaWQED-FM andWDUQ-FM. Each winner of the Young Artists Auditions receives a $500 award from the Benjamin and Anna Perlow Scholarships Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, designated for the furtherance of his/her musical career. Young Organists Auditions Young Organists Auditions are held in January and are also judged by nationally known adjudicators. Organists must be under the age of 23 and must live or study within a 75-mile radius of Pittsburgh. One Young Organist Winner is presented in a concert, generally in January or February. This concert is also advertised in major newspapers and on National Public Radio. The winner of the Young Organists Auditions receives a $500 award designated for the furtherance of his/her musical career. Alumni Concerts The annual June Alumni Concerts feature "return performances" by former Pittsburgh Concert Society winners who have achieved distinguished careers in the field of music. Outreach Performances Outreach Performances. In addition to its formal concert activity, the Pittsburgh Concert Society reaches out into the community. Outstanding artists are invited to perform in venues throughout the city, with a special emphasis on reaching young people. These performances are arranged by the officers of the Society, working in close collaboration with organizations such as the Children's Museum, the Children's Hospital, the History Center of Pittsburgh, The Carnegie Library, assisted living communities, Pittsburgh and suburban school districts, colleges, and other local arts organizations. As of 2009, PCS Young Artists winners are the featured artists on the Laredo, Texas annual Rising Stars program and Major winners are featured on the Johnstwon Chamber Music series. These outreach programs are funded, in part, through a generous grant from Freda Silberman. The PCS Homer Wickline and Conrad Seamen Grants The PCS Homer Wickline and Conrad Seamen Grants are awarded annually and are designated to provide financial assistance to instrumentalists and vocalists, individuals or groups, in the classical field, who are working to further their careers or their performance opportunities.