Release Date: Wednesday, March 2nd 2011

Principal Pops Conductor Seeks Local Talent for Holiday Pops Concert

PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR MARVIN HAMLISCH SEEKS

LOCAL TALENT FOR PSO’S HIGHMARK HOLIDAY POPS CONCERTS

Open auditions Saturday, March 12 at Heinz Hall

PITTSBURGH – Principal Pops Conductor Marvin Hamlisch will hold an open call for vocalists and instrumentalists this month to find local talent for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Highmark Holiday Pops concerts in December.

Open auditions will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 12 in a rehearsal room at Heinz Hall. The auditions are open to all ages. Those who wish to audition are asked to show up at Heinz Hall’s Stage Door Entrance on Penn Avenue. Participants should note that Heinz Hall will NOT open until noon that day.

Auditions will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. The PSO will provide a piano for the auditions, but participants should provide their own accompanist, if needed.

For further information about the auditions, please e-mail rjoseph@pittsburghsymphony.org

Hamlisch will lead the PSO in the Highmark Holiday Pops concerts Dec. 15-18 at Heinz Hall. The concerts also will feature guest vocalist Jodi Benson, who was the voice of Ariel in Disney’s hit film, The Little Mermaid, and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, directed by Betsy Burleigh. As composer, Hamlisch has won virtually every major award: three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, a Tony and three Golden Globe awards; his groundbreaking show, A Chorus Line, received the Pulitzer Prize. He is the composer of more than 40 motion picture scores including his Oscarwinning score and song for The Way We Were and his adaptation of Scott Joplin's music for The Sting, for which he received his third Oscar. His prolific output of film scores include original compositions and musical adaptations for Sophie’s Choice, Ordinary People, The Swimmer, Three Men and a Baby, Ice Castles, Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Save the Tiger.

The PSO would like to recognize and thank Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for its 2011 title sponsorship of Highmark Holiday Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the Official Hotel of the PSO.

Contact: James Barthen, Vice President of Public Affairs

Phone: 412.392.4835 | email: jbarthen@pittsburghsymphony.org

Contact: Ramesh Santanam, Director of Media Relations

Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: rsantanam@pittsburghsymphony.org