PYO Music Institute Launches 9th Annual Ovation Award

It's time, once again, to recognize outstanding music teachers as PYO Music Institute (PYOMI) and its partners announce the 9th Annual Ovation Award. This award recognizes inspiration and leadership in music education. Beginning on March 1, 2022, current and former students of all ages are invited to nominate "the music teacher who changed my life" in a 250-word essay. The nominations are due by March 31, 2022 and can be submitted online at pyomusic.org.

Each year PYOMI has partnered with three organizations that share the honor of recognizing music teachers. They are Jacobs Music Company, one of the nation's most respected piano merchants and the Tri-state region's exclusive representative for new and authentically restored Steinway & Sons pianos, Steinway's Boston and Essex pianos, J.W. Pepper, one of the leading sheet music merchants in the world, and WRTI 90.1 FM, broadcaster of the region's most comprehensive classical and jazz radio programming.

Ten finalists including the award recipient are selected by a blue-ribbon panel of representatives from major music organizations and music departments of area universities. All finalists are awarded prizes with the Ovation Award recipient also receiving a $1,000 honorarium. Additionally, the nominator of the Ovation Award recipient will receive a $250 Visa gift card. Nominations from prior years can be re-submitted. The Ovation Award finalists and recipient will be announced at the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra concert in Verizon Hall in the Kimmel Center on June 5, 2022.

Louis Scaglione, President and CEO of the PYO Music Institute, has great respect for music educators and is pleased to provide this opportunity for students to recognize their teachers. He said, "Each year we look forward to reading the beautiful nominations of so many music teachers, who do more than teach music skills to students. They build the confidence of students and help them overcome challenges. As a music education institution, we recognize how dedicated these teachers are and how they enhance the lives of hundreds of music students each year. We extend our sincere gratitude to our partners who share in our appreciation of music teachers, people who rarely get the attention they deserve."

Chris Rinaldi, President of Jacobs Music Company and member of the PYO Music Institute Board of Trustees, is happy to continue Jacobs' support of the PYO Music Institute Ovation Award. He said, "Students' participation in music education provides them with valuable life tools as well as the personal enrichment that music-making provides. Jacobs Music Company is delighted to continue to be a part of the Ovation Award which recognizes music teachers and the inspiration they provide for generations of young musicians."

Lee Paynter, COO of J.W. Pepper & Son, is also a member of the PYO Music Institute Board of Trustees. He is proud to have participated in this nine-year PYOMI tradition and said, "We're especially proud of PYOMI and music teachers everywhere as they have persevered through the pandemic, battling to continue music training and provide performance opportunities for their students. Their creativity has been inspirational. Here at J.W. Pepper we are thrilled to be a part of the Ovation Award to share our gratitude and appreciation of their dedication."

Bill Johnson, general manager of WRTI 90.1 FM, has long been a fan and friend of the PYO Music Institute. His station's ongoing support includes promotion of the Ovation Award and the broadcast of Philadelphia Youth Orchestra concerts performed in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center. Johnson said, "Music education is often a foundation for a lifelong appreciation for the arts. WRTI is proud to partner on this program that celebrates the contributions of the teachers who laid that foundation for so many of us."

For more information and to access the Ovation Award application, visit pyomusic.org, or email questions to the PYO Music Institute at ovationaward@pyomusic.org

Established in 1900, Jacobs Music was selected by Steinway & Sons as its only dealer representative in Southeastern and South-Central Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware for sales, technical service and concert and artist service. The company has seven showrooms in Philadelphia, Doylestown and Ephrata, PA , Cherry Hill, Princeton and Shrewsbury, NJ, and Wilmington, DE. Jacobs Music is one of the nation's oldest and largest acoustic and digital piano retailers with new, certified, pre-owned and authentic factory restored Steinway & Sons pianos as well as Steinway's Boston and Essex pianos. Jacobs also offers a vast selection of used instruments from manufacturers around the world and Roland digital pianos. For more information, call 215.568.7800 or visit www.jacobsmusic.com.

J.W. Pepper, based in Exton, PA, was founded in Philadelphia and has grown to become the leading retailer of sheet music. In business for over 145 years, they serve customers through their website, stores, and two distribution centers. Customer care is at the heart of their services for school music programs, church and community groups, private studios, and performing musicians. For more information, visit jwpepper.com.

WRTI 90.1 FM is a member-supported, classical music and jazz public media station located in Philadelphia, with 14 frequencies serving listeners in PA, NJ, and DE. The mission of WRTI is to champion music as a vital cultural resource. A broadcast service of Temple University, WRTI is also an NPR member station. Listen on the radio at 90.1 FM, streaming online at WRTI.org, and on the WRTI Mobile App.

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