Freshman Named Winner in the Pittsburgh Concert Society’s 2019 Young Artists Auditions


Freshman Gary Peng was named a winner for piano in the 2019 Pittsburgh Concert Society’s (PCS) Young Artists Auditions.

The PCS Young Artists auditions were held on Saturday, March 9. Nationally known adjudicators judge contestants, and this year Alan Fletcher, Aspen Music Festival and School President and CEO, was the adjudicator. The young artists were required to go through a very precise application process, which included performing a 20-minute program.

“The Pittsburgh Concert Society is an organization that promotes artists (young and old) from Pittsburgh. They hold various auditions and offer the winners prize money to help advance their musical studies and opportunities to perform with orchestras or in recitals. Admission into the competition is highly selective and the auditions are extremely competitive,” Mr. Gino Faraci, Sewickley Academy’s orchestra teacher, explained. “Congratulations, Gary on this remarkable achievement!”

Gary, who learned about the audition from his private piano teacher, Marina Lupinacci, began playing piano when he was five years old. (He also plays the violin.) Playing the piano did not come naturally to him. “The more I practiced, the more I improved my ability to interpret what the composer was trying to express,” Gary said. Honing his skills requires dedication and a lot of practice. “First, I correct the problems that my piano teacher identifies. Then, I practice section-by-section to improve the flow of the piece,” Gary explained.

The Young Artists winners are presented in concerts in March and April. Gary will perform along with four other winners of the PCS auditions on Sunday, March 31, in Kresge Theater at Carnegie Mellon University. “I am most excited about sharing music with others,” Gary continued. “When I am playing, I generally get into the spirit of performance and lose any nervousness I had before.”

Each winner receives a $500 award from the Benjamin and Anna Perlow Scholarships Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, designated for the furtherance of his or her music studies.

Congratulations, Gary!

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