Earlier this year, Grace Clower, a junior at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts High School, was awarded the Gateway to the Arts Promising Performer Award. As the first winner of this annual award, Grace, who auditioned in musical theatre, received two years of classes at the Civic Light Opera Academy and a summer of training at Carnegie Mellon University's pre-college program.
The award is open by teacher nomination to Pittsburgh Public School sophomores who apply to audition. Four other students from Perry, Allderdice and the High School for Creative and Performing Arts, made it to the final audition, competing in drama, musical theatre and vocal performance.
Conceived in 2008, Gateway to the Arts established the Promising Performer Awardin honor of director/choreographer Rob Marshall, who graduated from Allderdice High School, to encourage talented PPS students to pursue training in the performing arts. Students must submit an essay, two letters of reference, have a 3.5 GPA, and provide transcripts. Students can audition in musical theater, theatre and instrumental or vocal music.
The deadline for this year's applications is April 5, 2010.