Suncoast Music Scholarship Program to Hold Auditions for $8,000 in Music Scholarships

January 27, 2021 – Sarasota

The 2021 Suncoast Music Scholarship program will offer up to $8,000 in music scholarships through a competition that will be conducted using digitally recorded audition performances.

Open to 10^th through 12^th grade students who reside in Sarasota or Manatee County, the scholarship program is funded through a partnership of Sarasota Music Club and Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota. Awarded funds are to be used for advancing the winners’ music education.

This year’s awards for graduating seniors are: 1^st place – $3,000; 2^nd place – $2,000; and 3^rd place – $1,000.

Two awards are available for current 11^th grade students: 1^st place – $750 and 2^nd place – $500. Students now in 10^th grade can audition for two awards: 1^st place – $500 and 2^ndplace $250.

Lee Dougherty Ross, Co-Founder of Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota and Co-Chair of Suncoast Music Scholarships, said, “We are so happy to be able to offer these scholarships  to help support young musicians at a time of financial strain for so many.”

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 31.

Winners of past scholarship awards have used the funds to purchase or repair instruments, attend summer music programs, and for advanced music education at institutions that include Eastman School of Music, Juilliard and the New England Conservatory. Other winners have used their awards to purchase flutes, violins and bows, a saxophone and a cello.

The organization partners are devoted to enhancing music performance and education. Founded in 1930 and originally part of the historic Women’s Club, Sarasota Music Club offers free, member-supported performances October through March. Since its founding in 1996, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota has evolved into a valuable regional cultural asset, known for bringing diverse, world-class performers to Sarasota and Manatee counties in addition to presenting young emerging musicians.

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 and continues 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, visitwww.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.