Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota Receives Grants for Education Outreach Initiatives and Programming

John Fischer, managing director of Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, announced that organization was recently recognized for its education outreach initiatives with two significant grants. The Huisking Family Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County awarded Artist Series Concerts $1,000 and the John J. Weiss Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County awarded the organization $3,500 to be used for its educational programs.

"We're thrilled to receive recognition for our education outreach programs," says John Fischer, managing director of Artist Series Concerts. "A central focus of our mission is to spark a lifelong love of the musical arts and expose young people to the possibilities of careers in the world of music." He explains that one way the organization does this is through its performance-based, interactive programs at area schools.

"This initiative brings professional musicians from around the country and the world to area schools for interactive demonstrations, live performances, and master classes. For countless young students, this in-school program offers their first exposure to live classical performance. These teachable moments take students from music theory to experiencing the realities of a working artist. Administrators and teachers welcome the visits as an effective way to enrich their arts curriculum and open the doors of discovery for their students." He adds that, over the past five years, ASC's in-school program has touched the lives of more than 12,500 area students and teachers.

In addition, Artist Series Concerts' preeminent Sarasota National Music Scholarship Competition Awards grant more than $20,000 annually to gifted, young musicians from around the country, and an additional $20,000 annually to area high school students through a separate competition. Past winners have gone on to study at leading music conservatories and pursued successful music careers

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota's 2017-2018 season, which runs September 2017 through May 2018, features 41 performances at a variety of venues throughout Sarasota County. Concerts cover a wide range of musical offerings, including classical recitals, pops, jazz and cabaret concerts, a Bach festival, chamber soirées and the popular Lunch & Listen series.

Tickets for Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota's 2017-2018 season are available at www.artistseriesconcerts.org. Or call 941-306-1202 to request information by mail.

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. In addition, Artist Series Concerts' preeminent Sarasota National Music Scholarship Competition Awards grant more than $20,000 annually to gifted, young musicians from around the country, and an additional $20,000 annually to area high school students through a separate competition. Past winners have gone on to study at leading music conservatories and pursued successful music careers. For more information, visit www.artistseriesconcerts.org.

The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of over $304 million in more than 1,300 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling more than $24.8 million dollars this past year in the areas of education, health and human services, the arts, animal welfare, and the environment. Since our founding, more than $184 million has been invested back into the community through grants and scholarships. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org.

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