EQT Community Side-By-Side

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce the 10^th Annual EQT Community Side-By-Side event, to be held in June 2009 at Heinz Hall.  This event gives amateur musicians in the community a unique opportunity to rehearse and perform "side-by-side" their Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra counterparts.

This event will consist of sectionals, workshops, and rehearsals, and it will culminate in a final concert on Tuesday, June 23, 2009, with members of the PSO and Lawrence Loh, Resident Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.  Additional participant-only rehearsals will be held at Heinz Hall on:

• Tuesday, June 2 – 6:00-8:00 pm (full orchestra rehearsal)
• Monday, June 15 – 6:00-8:00 pm (full orchestra rehearsal
• Tuesday, June 16 – 6:00-8:00 pm (sectional rehearsal with PSO musicians)
• Monday, June 22 – 6:00-8:00 pm (full orchestra rehearsal)

The event will culminate on June 23 in an evening Side-By-Side performance on the stage of Heinz Hall. Participants will receive free tickets to this concert for family and friends.  In order to ensure that the ensemble is prepared for the final concert, applicants who are chosen to participate must be available to attend all rehearsals/sectionals listed above and to be present at Heinz Hall beginning at 12:00 pm on Tuesday, June 23, 2009. 

Participants will be selected for this event based on responses from their completed application forms; applicants who have not participated in the program in the past will be given first priority for participation in 2009.  Based on the number of applicants, it may be necessary to hold auditions for some instruments.  If necessary, individual instrument auditions would take place in May 2009.  Applications will only be accepted from musicians who are 18 years old and over and who are not members of the Musicians' Union. 

The following guidelines should be considered when completing the application:

• Sorry, no applications can be considered for conductors, piano, voice, euphonium/baritone, harp, or saxophone.
• Percussion applicants must indicate one or more of the following categories: Timpani; Mallets; Snare/Bass Drum; Auxiliary Percussion.  Percussionists will be required to bring their own sticks and mallets.
• All participants will be required to bring their own instruments, mutes, etc.  The PSO cannot provide instruments, except to percussionists.
• A $50.00 per participant fee to cover music, miscellaneous supplies, and dinner costs will be billed to participants with their letter of acceptance.

The repertoire to be performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for this year’s concert is as follows:

Verdi	Overture to Nabucco
Tchaikovsky	Polonaise from Eugene Onegin
Dvorak	Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) Mvt. 3 & 4

If you have any questions regarding the EQT Corporation Community Side-By-Side event or other Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra activities, please call the Pittsburgh Symphony Education and Community Engagement Department at (412) 392-4870 or send an e-mail.