Our Mission
The Society is organized for the stimulation and development of interest in music for the benefit of its members. The Society's aim is to encourage the advancement of young musicians who are members of its Junior Auxiliary by providing scholarships for their music educations. The Society's goal is to enable this mission by raising funds through donations from foundations, donors, and members of the organization and by holding social events that serve as fundraisers.
About Pacific Musical Society
For almost a century Pacific
Musical Society has enjoyed the art
of great performers at its events and nurtured the growth of gifted
young artists through its scholarship competitions.
Founded in 1910, as a
new San Francisco was rising from the ruins of earthquake and fire, the Society
is the oldest active musical organization in the San Francisco Bay Area.
It predates the Symphony, the Opera, and the San Francisco Ballet.
In 1919 the Society’s
Junior Auxiliary was created to assist young students in their musical careers
with scholarship awards presented each year on a competitive basis.
Beginning with violinist
Yehudi Menuhin, the first scholarship winner, and continuing to recognize
young artists like cellists Matt Haimovitz and Joseph Lee, the Society has
consistently supported outstanding musical talent.
Along the way, a Wagnerian tenor (Jess Thomas); a Tchaikovsky Competition Laureate (pianist Roy Bogas); a Queen Elizabeth Competition winner (pianist Leon Fleisher); a Leventritt International Violin Competition winner (David Abel); a Pulitzer Prize winning composer (David Del Tredici); famous child prodigies (violinist Ruggiero Ricci, pianist Ruth Slenczynska); and a journalist, presidential staff member and U.S. Senator (pianist Pierre Salinger) have won Pacific Musical Society scholarship awards.
The
Junior Auxiliary Competitions
The Junior Auxiliary holds annual competitions for instrumentalists, vocalists,
and composers in various age categories.
The judges for these competitions are culled from the Bay Area’s noted
musicians and teachers.
The results are announced at a public concert held each June, in which
the winners perform and prizes are awarded.
This afternoon of music, and the Finals Competition which precedes
it, are two of the exciting events that make Pacific Musical Society membership
especially rewarding.
Membership
Activities
The Society provides music lovers numerous opportunities to participate in
beautifully choreographed activities and events.
The annual Winter Gala dinner and concert in the Gold Room of the Fairmont
Hotel, featuring celebrated musicians, is an elegant tradition, and the Society
also presents several other special programs for its members each year.
A special benefit of membership is the opportunity to attend all phases of the competitions at no charge.
Membership
represents a broad spectrum of people who enjoy classical music and are passionate
about supporting young musical talent.
The unique success of the Society in furthering musical talent is due,
in no small measure, to its volunteers. Their
dedication and interest have never waned from its inception and continue in
the same spirit with its current membership.
Become
a Member of Pacific Musical Society
The Society is enthusiastic about furthering the talent of young artists because
it believes that a person born with a gift for making music should be encouraged
to develop his or her talents to the highest possible degree, thereby enriching
the lives of others, as well as their own.
